Maternal and newborn

BUBBLE-HE

Breasts, Uterus, Bladder, Bowel, Lochia, Episiotomy, Homans sign, Emotional status

The structure of a postpartum assessment, covering the systems that change most in the days after birth. A shorter version, BUBBLE-LE, ends with Lower Extremities and Emotional status.

Homans sign is retained in this mnemonic for historical reasons; its reliability has long been questioned, and lower-extremity assessment has largely replaced it. Learn the letter, not a recommendation.

What each letter stands for

  1. 1 Breasts.
  2. 2 Uterus — fundal height and firmness.
  3. 3 Bladder.
  4. 4 Bowel.
  5. 5 Lochia — amount and character of discharge.
  6. 6 Episiotomy or incision site.
  7. 7 Homans sign — a legacy check of the lower extremities.
  8. 8 Emotional status.

How it gets tested

A recall item in maternal-newborn content. The E for emotional status is the one most often left off a list.

Related terms

REEDAGTPAL

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