When administering Pitocin, you should start at a low dose and work your way up slowly to a dose that provides the best contraction rate.

Choice A rationale
Placental insufficiency can cause late decelerations in fetal heart rate due to decreased blood flow, but it typically shows a gradual decrease rather than the abrupt patterns seen here.
Choice B rationale
Abruption usually presents with painful vaginal bleeding and a tender uterus, rather than specific changes in fetal heart rate patterns like those described in the question.
Choice C rationale
Head compression results in early decelerations, which appear as a mirror image of contractions, but these are not sudden drops in heart rate typically seen in cord compression.
Choice D rationale
Cord compression leads to variable decelerations characterized by sudden drops in fetal heart rate, caused by temporary reduction in oxygen flow to the fetus. This matches the tracing pattern described.

Choice A rationale
Valsalva maneuver involves forced expiration against a closed airway, increasing intrathoracic pressure and commonly used to expel the fetus during the second stage of labor.
Choice B rationale
Ferguson’s reflex involves the release of oxytocin due to vaginal and cervical stretching, leading to stronger contractions during the second stage of labor.
Choice C rationale
Lightening refers to the descent of the fetus into the pelvis before labor begins, reducing pressure on the diaphragm and making breathing easier.
Choice D rationale
Molding is the slight overlapping of cranial bones, allowing the fetal head to change shape and fit through the birth canal during labor.