OTHERNR 602 Midterm Study Guide.docx

igns of pregnancy (presumptive, probable, positive)  Presumptive Signs of Pregnancy: Symptoms that are suggestive of pregnancy are considered “presumptive signs” which means that they are the least objective or subjective signs which can also be caused by many other conditions other than pregnancy. • Amenorrhea: Highly suggestive of pregnancy in a healthy female with regular & predictable periods. Difficult to determine in a female who have irregular periods or in those who do not keep track of their menstrual cycles • Nausea & vomiting: Common symptom (~50% of pregnancies) typically occurring between 2-16 weeks gestation • Breast engorgement & darkening of the areolas: Occurs as early as 6-8 weeks gestation • Breast tenderness • Fatigue • Urinary Frequency • Slight increase in body temperature: Rise in temperature coincides with luteal phase and is the result of increased progesterone • “Quickening”: Mother feels the baby’s movements for the 1st time; starts at 16 weeks.  Probable signs of pregnancy: mean that there is a high likelihood of pregnancy but there are still other conditions that may cause the findings.  Pregnancy tests are considered probable because β-hCG also presents in molar pregnancies and ovarian cancer.  Positive Signs of Pregnancy: The most reliable and most objective signs of positive pregnancy are those where the provider can confirm the presence of a fetus • Palpation of the fetus by the health care provider • Ultrasound and visualization of the fetus • Fetal Heart Tones (FHT) auscultated by the health care provider Pregnancy and fundal height measurement  Fundal height can provide valuable information on assessing the gestational age of the fetus as well as to monitor fetal growth. o 12 weeks: Uterine fundus first rises above the symphysis pubis o 16 weeks: Uterine fundus is between the symphysis pubis and umbilicus o 20 weeks: Uterine fundus is at the level of the umbilicus o 25-35 weeks: Measure the distance between the upper edge of pubic symphysis and the top of the uterine fundus with a tape measure. Fundal height in centimeters equals the number of gestational weeks (+/- 2cm). For example, a 28 week gestation fetus should have a fundal height that measures between 26 and 30cm. * Between 25-35 weeks the fundal height should measure equally to the number of gestational weeks (+/- 2cm).