Answer :
Final answer:
The descent during labor is progressing well and the delivery is likely hours away, as the woman is a primipara with a cervical dilation of 7 cm, and full dilation to about 10 cm is required for delivery.
Explanation:
The status of the descent during labor in the given scenario is that the descent is progressing well and the delivery is likely hours away. In this case, the presenting part of the fetus is 3 cm below the ischial spines. Since engagement is defined as 0 station and the fetal head is well past engagement, which indicates that the fetal head has entered the birth canal significantly. As the woman is a primipara at 7 cm dilation, she has not yet reached the full dilation of about 10 cm required for the baby's head to fit through the cervical canal. Hence, delivery, while progressing, is not imminent.
The expulsion stage of labor begins when the fetal head enters the birth canal and ends with the birth of the newborn. This stage can last from about 20 minutes to two hours or more. As external rotation, which refers to the turning of the fetal head to align the shoulders for delivery, does not occur until after the delivery of the fetal head, and since this step has not yet taken place, the descent is not complete, supporting the conclusion that delivery is not immediately impending.
