Physiological Changes in Pregnancy
Cards (83)
- THE CONFIRMATION OF PREGNANCY
- A medical diagnosis of pregnancy serves to date when the birth will occur and helps predict the existence of a high-risk status
- Pregnancy was diagnosed on symptoms reported by a woman and the signs elicited by a health care provider
- Signs of Pregnancy
- Presumptive Sign
- Probable Sign
- Positive Signs
- Presumptive Signs (Subjective Symptoms) - findings in connection with the body system in which they occur and are experienced by the woman but cannot be documented by an examiner
- PRESUMPTIVE SIGNS
- Breast changes
- Nausea & Vomiting
- Amenorrhea
- Fatigue
- Frequent urination
- Uterine enlargement
- Quickening
- Linea Nigra
- Melasma
- Striae Gravidarum
- Palmar Erythema
- Breast changes – feelings of tenderness, fullness, tingling, enlargement and darkening of areola
- Nausea and vomiting – on arising or when fatigue
- Amenorrhea – absence of menstruation
- Fatigue - general feeling of tiredness
- Frequent urination – sense of having to void more often than usual
- Uterine enlargement – uterus can be palpated over symphysis pubis
- Quickening - fetal movement felt by woman
- Melasma (Chloasma) - a darkened or reddened areas appear on face (Cheeks and Nose)
- Striae Gravidarum) – pink or reddish streaks forms on abdominal wall sometimes on the thigh
- Palmar erythema – redness and itchiness of the hands
- PROBABLE SIGNS (OBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS) – FINDINGS AND CAN VERIFIED BY AN EXAMINER
- PROBABLE SIGNS
- Chadwick's sign
- Goodell's sign
- Hegar's sign
- Sonographic evidence
- Braxton Hick's contraction
- Fetal outline
- Ballottement
- Laboratory test
- a. Maternal Serum Test
- b. Urine sample
- c. Early Prenatal Care
- Hegar’s sign - softening of the lower uterine segment
- Sonographic evidence of gestational sac – characteristics ring is evident
- Braxton Hick’s contraction – periodic uterine tightening
- Fetal outline - felt by examiner through palpation
- Laboratory Tests – blood serum and urine specimen to detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG
- Ballottement – fetus can be felt to bounce against the top examining hand (16 –29 wks.) through bimanual examination
- Maternal Serum Test – a venipuncture of blood serum reveal the presence of hCG
- Urine sample – concentrated such as a first urine in the morning
- Early Prenatal care – is the best safeguard to ensure successful pregnancy
- POSITIVE SIGNS - DEFINITIVE SIGNS OF PREGNANCY
- POSITIVE SIGNS:
- Sonographic evidence of fetal outline
- Fetal movement felt by examiner
- Fetal heart audible - 10 to 12th week
- PHYSIOLOGIC CHANGES OF PREGNANCY
- Reproductive System Changes
- Progesterone
- hCG
- hPL
- Relaxin
- Prostaglandins
- Uterine Changes – increase the size of the uterus to accommodate the growing fetus.
- REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM CHANGES
- Length – from 6.5 cm. to 32 cm;
- Width – from 4 cm to 24 cm;
- Weight - increases from 50 g to 1000 g
- Depth- increases from 2.5 cm to 22 cm
- Uterine wall thickens from 1cm to 2cms
- Volume – increases from 2 ml. to more than1,000 ml. can hold a total of 4000g at term ( 7-lb (3.175 g.) fetus, and 1,000 ml. amniotic fluid
- Fundus height at various week of pregnancy
- 20-22nd week – reaches the level of the umbilicus
- 36th week – touches the xiphoid process
- 38th week – fetal head settles into the pelvis
- Hegar’s signs – extreme softening of the lower uterine segment
- Ballottement – (ballotter meaning “to quake”) - the fetus can be felt to bounce or rise in the amniotic fluid up against a hand placed on the abdomen
- Braxton Hick’s contraction – serve as warm-up exercise for labor and play a role in ensuring the placenta receives adequate blood
- Amenorrhea – absence of menstrual flow because of suppression of FSH by rising estrogen levels
- Cervical changes – becomes more vascular and edematous
- Operculum – a mucus plug forms to seal out bacteria and help prevent infection in the fetus and membranes
- Goodell’s sign - softening of the cervix
- Vaginal Changes – increase vascularity of the vagina