Maternity Nursing - Pregnancy, Signs and Symptoms

Here the explanation of these signs and symptoms of pregnancy.




PRESUMPTIVE SIGNS OF PREGNANCY

1. Amenorrhea, more than 10 days elapsed since the time of expected onset of menstruation
2. Nausea and vomiting
3. Increase of urinary frequency
4. Fatigue and drowsiness
5. Breast changes : feeling of fullness, tenterness, enlargement, darkening of areola, prominence of veins, enlargement of montgomery's tubercles (it is a small gland around nipple)
6. Vaginal changes: bluish color (chadwick's sign)
7. Skin Changes : striae (stretch marks), dark pigmented vertical lines on abdomen (linea nigra), pigment formation on face (facial chloasma), and mother's perception of fetal movement (quickening)

PROBABLE SIGNS OF PREGNANCY

1. Uterine changes : Hegar's sign (softening of lower uterus), Goodell's sign (softening of cervix), and Braxton Hicks' Contraction (false labor)
2. Palpation of fetal body
3. Positive of horman test for pregnancy
4. Ballottement (rebounding of fetus in amniotic fluid)

POSITIVE SIGNS OF PREGNANCY

1. Fetal movement (felt by examiner)
2. Fetal heartbeat
3. Radiograph of fetus
4. Sonogram of fetus

These signs and symptoms of pregnancy always appears in NCLEX-CGFNS questions.