№ 10Obstetrics18 min read
History taking in obstetrics
1. Big picture
History taking in obstetrics is not just “asking questions.” It is a structured clinical risk assessment of two patients at once: the mother and the fetus.
A good obstetric history must answer five exam questions:
- Is she pregnant?
- How far pregnant is she?
- Is the mother stable?
- Is the fetus at risk?
- Does she need urgent investigation, admission, delivery, or reassurance?
Core oral-exam sentence:
Obstetric history taking begins with maternal safety, pregnancy dating, and identification of red flags such as bleeding, pain, hypertension symptoms, reduced fetal movements, rupture of membranes, fever, contractions, previous cesarean section, and major medical disease.
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