Don’t Get STUCK on This OB Emergency 🚨😅🩺 | Shoulder Dystocia NCLEX Tip

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:01]The baby's head is out and then suddenly pulls [music] back in. What do you do and what does that mean? That's not normal. That's called a turtle sign.

[00:00:11][music] Now, what is a turtle sign? Well, this is shoulder dystocia and it's considered [music] an OB emergency. That means the baby's shoulder is stuck behind the pubic bone. Now, because this is a huge emergency, [music] you need to act quickly. The first two things that you'll do will be the McRoberts maneuver where you pull mom's knees up to her chest. Then, you'll open the pelvis and apply superpubic pressure, which means you'll press above the pubic bone.

[00:00:40]You'll push down and sideways, but you never apply fundal pressure. [music] Now, what do you need to monitor? Fetal heart rate. You'll watch for hypoxia and you'll also watch uterine contractions.

[00:00:52]Just remember these NCLEX traps.

[00:00:54]Oxytocin [music] will make this worse. And do you wait and see? Definitely not. There is no time. Do you do an immediate C-section?

[00:01:02]Nope, [music] that would be a last resort. So, remember, a turtle sign means shoulder dystocia and in this case, you'll apply the McRoberts maneuver with superpubic pressure first.