PMC Positioning & Draping Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client in her second trimester asks if she can lie prone for her massage. Which response is MOST accurate?
- Prone is safe throughout pregnancy with extra sheets for padding
- Prone is acceptable in the first trimester but contraindicated from the second trimester onward without a specialized bolster system (Correct answer)
- Prone is completely contraindicated at any point in pregnancy
- Prone is only allowed if the client's OB has provided written clearance
Correct answer: Prone is acceptable in the first trimester but contraindicated from the second trimester onward without a specialized bolster system
Standard prone positioning is contraindicated once the abdomen is enlarged, but a specialized cutout bolster system can safely allow a modified prone position.
Question 2: Which of the following describes the correct sheet draping technique when transitioning a side-lying client to the other side?
- Remove the sheet, reposition, then re-drape from scratch
- Hold the sheet firmly against the client while she rolls, maintaining continuous coverage (Correct answer)
- Ask the client to hold the sheet during the roll
- Fold the sheet to the foot of the table before assisting the client
Correct answer: Hold the sheet firmly against the client while she rolls, maintaining continuous coverage
Holding the sheet firmly against the client during repositioning maintains continuous modesty coverage while allowing safe movement.
Question 3: What physiological change in the third trimester makes a wedge under the right hip beneficial even in side-lying position?
- It relieves pressure on the sciatic nerve
- It slightly tilts the uterus leftward, improving venous return through the inferior vena cava (Correct answer)
- It prevents the client from rolling onto her back during the session
- It reduces lumbar lordosis that increases during pregnancy
Correct answer: It slightly tilts the uterus leftward, improving venous return through the inferior vena cava
A small wedge under the right hip tilts the uterus leftward, relieving compression on the inferior vena cava and improving blood flow back to the heart.
Question 4: During draping for gluteal work on a side-lying pregnant client, what is the correct boundary for sheet exposure?
- Expose from the waist to mid-thigh on the top leg only
- Expose the full posterior torso from shoulders to feet
- Drape so only the gluteal region is exposed, keeping the lower back and thigh covered (Correct answer)
- Remove the sheet from the lower body entirely for full access
Correct answer: Drape so only the gluteal region is exposed, keeping the lower back and thigh covered
Proper draping exposes only the specific gluteal area being worked on, maintaining coverage above and below to preserve client modesty.
Question 5: A pregnant client reports that her arm falls asleep during side-lying massage. What positioning adjustment would BEST address this?
- Elevate her head pillow higher
- Place a rolled towel under the dependent (lower) shoulder to reduce brachial plexus compression (Correct answer)
- Ask the client to straighten both arms along her sides
- Switch to the seated massage position instead
Correct answer: Place a rolled towel under the dependent (lower) shoulder to reduce brachial plexus compression
A rolled towel under the dependent shoulder slightly elevates it, reducing compression on the brachial plexus and restoring circulation to the arm.
Question 6: When positioning for work on the lower legs of a side-lying prenatal client, how should the top leg be supported?
- Extended straight alongside the bottom leg
- Flexed at the hip and knee with a pillow supporting it parallel to the table (Correct answer)
- Draped over the side of the table for gravity traction
- Elevated perpendicular to the table surface
Correct answer: Flexed at the hip and knee with a pillow supporting it parallel to the table
Supporting the top leg flexed and parallel to the table with a pillow prevents pelvic torsion and allows comfortable access to the lower extremity.
Question 7: What is the MAIN reason therapists avoid using electric warming table pads for prenatal massage clients?
- Electric pads are too expensive for most prenatal practices
- Sustained elevated body temperature poses risks to fetal neural development (Correct answer)
- Pregnant clients find heated tables universally uncomfortable
- Electric table pads interfere with fetal heart rate monitors
Correct answer: Sustained elevated body temperature poses risks to fetal neural development
Sustained maternal hyperthermia, particularly in the first trimester, is associated with neural tube defects and other fetal developmental risks.
PMC Positioning & Draping Techniques 3
A client in her second trimester asks if she can lie prone for her massage.
Which response is MOST accurate?