The signs of pregnancy are those changes which can be objectively observed by a woman, her doctor or both. Early in pregnancy these signs can be confused with other conditions but in the last half of pregnancy there can be little doubt about a woman’s condition. Some of these signs do not occur in every pregnant woman. Others, however, always accompany pregnancy.
Change in the skin. From the beginning of pregnancy certain areas of the skin may become more heavily pigmented. At first the pigmentation is localized around the nipples and in a straight line down the middle of abdomen. This is usually quite apparent about the end of the second month. Pigmentation in the form of blotches may appear on the face, hands, or other parts of the body. When they occur on the face they are sometimes termed the “mask of pregnancy”. Wherever this pigmentation occurs, however, it is only temporary and disappears after childbirth.
In some pregnancies a skin condition known as striae is found. Pinkish lines are seen about the abdomen, breasts, and thighs, sometimes producing a sensation of itchiness and superficial tenderness. After childbirth the striae become white and almost unnoticeable.
Rarely, but in some pregnant women, fine hair appears on the surface of the body, particularly on the face. This almost invariably disappears soon after pregnancy.
Changes in in the vagina and uterus. The lining of the vagina, which is the canal or tube leading from the uterus (womb) to the external orifice of the genital canal, and through which the child is born, becomes darkened early in pregnancy. The tip of the womb softens and enlarged. A physician considering these changes along with symptoms reported by his patient sometimes can tell, with a fair degree of certainty, whether or not his patient is pregnant.
Changes in the breasts. Nature prepares the breast of a pregnant woman for nursing her infant. Whether or not she choose to breastfeed her baby is another matter. In any case, the supply of blood in the breasts increase and the blood vessels become apparent through the skin. Toward the end of the first month of pregnancy a pricking sensation and feeling of weight are experienced in the breasts. During the next few months, a secretion gradually forms which toward the last days of pregnancy becomes abundant and almost continuously discharges from the breasts. This is whitish opaque substance called colostrum. The appearance of this substance is an indication that it is highly probable that the mother can successfully feed her baby.
A second breast change occurs about the eighth week of pregnancy and is a positive sign of conception. This is a new growth of tiny glands in the pigmented area around the nipples. This have the appearance of little protuberances and are known as Montgomery’s tubercles.
Quickening. The baby is in fact a living creature from the instant of conception, but it’s movements are first sensed by it’s mother about the eighteen week of pregnancy. This movement is called quickening – literally, coming to live.
Increase in size of abdomen. In a woman of average size, there is a slight bulge of the lower abdomen at about the third or fourth month of pregnancy. This alone, however, is not sure evidence of pregnancy because a tumor may cause a similar contour.
Fetal outline and movements. During the fifth month the baby’s movement can usually be detected by the doctor, by touch or by direct vision. By exploring the abdomen by hand, he can outline the fetal parts. The outline and movements are positive signs of pregnancy.
Fetal heartbeat. When the fetus is four and a half months old, a doctor, listening through a stethoscope, can hear the baby’s heartbeats. These are distinguishable from the mother’s heartbeat because the fetal rate is very rapid – approximately 160 beats per minute early in pregnancy and a little slower later. This in itself a positive sign of pregnancy.
