1 PRESUMPTIVE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY

1                      PRESUMPTIVE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY

Presumptive signs and symptoms of pregnancy are those signs and symptoms that are usually noted by the client, which impel her to seek council. These signs and symptoms are not proof of pregnancy but they will make the health provider and woman suspicious of pregnancy.

1.1              AMENORRHEA (CESSATION OF MENSTRUATION)

1.1.1           Amenorrhea is one of the earliest clues of pregnancy. The majority of clients have no periodic bleeding after the onset of pregnancy. However, at least 20 percent of women have some slight, painless spotting during early gestation for no apparent reason and a large majority of these continue to term and have normal infants.

1.1.2            Other causes for amenorrhea must be ruled out, such as:

a)  Menopause.

b)  Stress (severe emotional shock, tension, fear, or a strong desire for pregnancy).

c)  Chronic illness (tuberculosis, endocrine disorders, or central nervous system abnormality).

d)  Anemia.

1.2.            NAUSEA AND VOMITING (MORNING SICKNESS)

1.2.1           Usually occurs in early morning during the first weeks of pregnancy.

1.2.2           Usually spontaneous and subsides in 6 to 8 weeks or by the twelfth to sixteenth week of pregnancy.

1.2.3           Hyperemesis gravidarum. This is referred to as nausea and vomiting that is severe and lasts beyond the fourth month of pregnancy. It causes weight loss and upsets fluid and electrolyte balance of the mother.

1.2.4           Nausea and vomiting are unreliable signs of pregnancy since they may result from other conditions such as:

a)  Gastrointestinal disorders (hiatal hernias, ulcers, and appendicitis)

b)  Infection (influenza and malaria)

c)  Emotional stress, upset (anxiety and anorexia nervosa)

d)  Indigestion