Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy

Presumptive Signs

signs experienced by the woman

herself; subjective

least reliable indicators of

pregnancy because any one of

them can be caused by conditions

other than pregnancy

Signs:

Fatigue (12 wk)

Breast tenderness (3 - 4 wk)

Nausea & Vomiting (4 - 14 wk)

Amenorrhea (4 wk) - most obvious

Urinary frequency (6 - 12 wk)

Hyperpigmentation of the skin (16 wk)

Fetal movements (quickening; 16 - 20 wk)

Uterine enlargement (7 - 12 wk)

Breast Enlargement (6 wk)

Positive Signs

confirm that a fetus is growing in the uterus

visualizing the fetus by ultrasound, palpating

for fetal movements, and hearing a fetal

heartbeat are all signs that make a pregnancy a

certainty

once pregnancy is confirmed, the health care

professional will set up a schedule of prenatal

visits to assess the woman and her fetus

throughout the entire pregnancy

assessment and education begins at the first

visits and continues throughout the pregnancy

Signs:

ultrasound verification of embryo or fetus (4 - 6 wk)

fetal movement felt by experienced clinician (20 wk)

auscultation of fetal heart tones via Doppler (10 - 12 wk)

Probable Signs

signs that are apparent on physical examination by a

health care professional

although they suggest pregnancy and are more

reliable than presumptive signs, they are still not

100% reliable in confirming pregnancy

Signs:

Braxton Hicks contractions (16 - 28 wk)

spontaneous, irregular, and painless

contractions

begin during first trimester

continue throughout pregnancy, becoming

especially noticeable during the last month,

when they function to thin or efface the cervix

before birth

Positive pregnancy test (4 - 12 wk)

several pregnancy tests are available

the tests vary in sensitivity, specificity, and

accuracy and are influenced by the length of

gestation, specimen concentration, presence of

blood, and the presence of some drugs

Abdominal enlargement (14 wk)

Ballottement (16 - 28 wk)

the examiner pushes against the woman's cervix

during a pelvic examination, and feels a rebound

from the floating fetus

Goodell's sign (5 wk)

softening of the cervix

due to vasocongestion

Chadwick's sign (6 - 8 wk)

bluish-purple coloration of the vaginal mucosa

and cervix

caused by increased vascularization of the cervix

Hegar's sign (6 - 12 wk)

softening of the lower uterine segment or

isthmus

results in exaggerated uterine anteflexion during

the early months of pregnancy - adds to urinary

frequency

grouped into the following categories: Presumptive, Probable, and Positive

the only signs that can determine

a pregnancy with 100% accuracy

are positive signs