Signs of Pregnancy
If you’re a worry wart and you’re trying to figure out if you’re pregnant, and what pregnancy symptoms are, and if that means you are pregnant. You ask other people, you worry in silence which will drive you insane as I think I’m already there. The more signs you have the more likely you are to be pregnant.
However, there is a difference between all of these signs. They are broken down into three categories. Presumptive signs of pregnancy, Probable signs of pregnancy, and Positive signs of pregnancy. First the presumptive signs and symptoms are subjective and may or may not be associated with pregnancy. Second there are probable signs that are objective signs and symptoms and are noted by an examiner. Something the examiner can see, feel or hear, not just what you tell them like with subjective, are considered objective. Like presumptive, probable signs may or may not indicate pregnancy. Last, there is positive, which are diagnostic signs and symptoms noted by an examiner that can only be associated with pregnancy.
Here is a category list to help ease your mind about certain signs.
| Signs | Category |
| Missed period | Presumptive |
| Unusual or abnormal period | Presumptive |
| Fatigue | Presumptive |
| Nausea and Vomiting | Presumptive |
| Soreness of the Breasts | Presumptive |
| Enlargement of the Breasts | Presumptive |
| Urinary Frequency | Presumptive |
| Strange Cravings | Presumptive |
| Quickening | Presumptive |
| Fatigue | Presumptive |
| Skin Changes | Presumptive |
| Changes in libido | Presumptive |
| Hegar’s Sign | Probable |
| McDonald’s Sign | Probable |
| Enlarged Abdomen | Probable |
| Colostrum from Breasts | Probable |
| Stretch Marks | Probable |
| Skin Changes | Probable |
| Palpation of fetal outline | Probable |
| Braxton Hicks Contractions | Probable |
| Ballottement | Probable |
| Positive Pregnancy Test | Probable |
| Fetal heartbeat | Positive |
| Fetal movement palpable by examiner | Positive |
| Visualization of fetus by ultrasound | Positive |
Remember that for most of the presumptive and probable signs, it could always mean something else. Example: Amenorrhea (missed period) can be caused by things like stress, over exercising, certain drugs and many other things. Certain types of ovarian, uterine, and breast cancers have also been shown to cause human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) to be secreted into urine. If there is a growing tumor that is cancerous, it can easily be confused with pregnancy.
References:
Hogan, M. A. (2008). Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN. Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall
Weiss, R. E. (2010). 25 Signs of Pregnancy and Pregnancy Symptoms. Retrieved from http://pregnancy.about.com/od/signssymptoms/a/25signsofpg.htm
