Signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

Signs of pregnancy. 

1. Presumptive (possible) signs.

These are signs of pregnancy that starts to reveal at the first three months of pregnancy and they include;.

A. Amenorrhea.....4 weeks+ 

Amenorrhea means absence of menstrual period to a reproductive woman. Always women are going through menstrual cycle each month. And the process of conception depends on the ovulated egg from the ovary to meet sperm to form zygote, if there is no presence of sperm the inner layer of uterus that always after ovulation tends to be ready for receiving a zygote breaks down and come out as menses. So if fertilization was done the menses may not appear and there will not be menstrual period till the baby is born.

B.  Morning sickness.....4-14 weeks.

Morning sickness is characterized with nausea with or without vomiting commences in morning. Is inconsistently present in about 50% of cases more often in first pregnancy than in subsequent one. It usually appears soon following the missed period and rarely lasts beyond the first trimester.

C. Breast discomfort.....3-4 weeks.

Is in the form of feeling of fullness and pricking sensation is evident as early as 6-8th weeks especially in women with the first pregnancy. Enlargement of breast and often contain milk, thick yellowish secretion ( colostrum) can be expressed as early as 12thweek. 

2. Probable sings.

These are signs in the second three months or a second trimester.

A. Presence of human chorionic gonadotrophin hormone.

After conception the release of this human chorionic gonadotrophin hormon is done and it can be seen in blood 9-10 days or in urine 14 days. The hormon can be detected in blood or urine by testing UPT. The pregnancy test depends on detection of antigens in present in martenal urine or serum with antibody.

B. Chardwick's sign ( blue vagina).... 8 weeks+

Always the vagina is violet blue due to pelvic congestion. Also the walls of the vagina becomes softened and the copious non irritant mucoid discharge appears in 6th week.

C. Osiender's sign 8 weeks +

Osiender means the increased pulsation or pulse rate of the pregnant mother due pelvic congestion.

D. Changes in skin pigmentation. 

During the pregnancy the amount of melanin in the skin goes high and this can be evidenced by very black line passing at the middle of the stomach ( Linea nigra), very black areola and nipples.

E. Uterine sign.....12 weeks+

The the uterus grows in size, shape and consistency. The uterus enlarge to the size of hen's egg at 6th week. The pyriform shape of the non pregnant uterus becomes globular by 12weeks. There may be asymmetrical enlargement of the uterus if there is lateral implantation. 

3. Positive signs.

• Quickening of the fetus evidenced by hearing of fetal heart rate which is normally 120-180 beats per minutes.

• Visualization of fetus by ultrasound in the 6th week plus.