The nurse practitioner examining a pregnant woman in labor notes that the fetal spine is parallel to ...

A
Feedback:
Lie is a term used to compare the position of the fetal spinal cord (the long part) to that of the woman. The normal lie of the fetus is longitudinal (up and down), which means that the fetal spine is parallel to the woman's. Presentation refers to the body part of the fetus that lies closest to the pelvis and will enter the birth canal first. Station refers to the level of descent of the fetal presenting part into the birth canal. Engagement is the term used when the fetal head has moved downward in the birth canal until it can no longer be pushed up and out of the pelvis.