Term
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Definition
• Presumptive—those changes felt by the woman (e.g., amenorrhea, fatigue, breast changes)
• Probable—those changes observed by an examiner (e.g., Hegar sign, ballottement, pregnancy tests)
• Positive—those signs attributed only to the presence of the fetus (e.g., hearing fetal heart tones, visualizing the fetus, palpating fetal movements)
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Term
| Braxton Hicks Contractions |
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Definition
| Braxton Hicks contractions are irregular and painless contractions that occur intermittently throughout pregnancy. Although Braxton Hicks contractions are not painful, some women complain that they are annoying. After the twenty-eighth week, these contractions become more definite but they usually cease with walking or exercise. Braxton Hicks contractions can be mistaken for true labor; however, they do not increase in intensity or duration or cause cervical dilation. Conversely, premature labor contractions can be mistaken for Braxton Hicks contractions and lead to a delay in seeking treatment. |
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| is synchronous with the fetal heart rate and is caused by fetal blood coursing through the umbilical cord, may also be heard, as well as the actual heartbeat of the fetus |
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Definition
| Passive movement of the unengaged fetus is called ballottement and can be identified generally between the sixteenth and eighteenth week. Ballottement is a technique of palpating a floating structure by bouncing it gently and feeling it rebound. To palpate the fetus, the examiner places a finger within the vagina and taps gently upward on the cervix, causing the fetus to rise. The fetus then sinks, and a gentle tap is felt on the finger. |
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Definition
| of, relating to, or being a female that has not borne offspring |
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Definition
(fetal movement) Is commonly described as a flutter and is difficult to distinguish from peristalsis.
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| When will a multiparous woman start feeling fetal movement? |
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Definition
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| When will a nulliparous woman start feeling fetal movement? |
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Term
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Definition
It is a significant softening of the vaginal portion of the cervix from increased vascularization. This vascularization is a result of hypertrophy and engorgement of the vessels below the growing uterus.
Probable sign of pregnany |
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Term
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Definition
| Chadwick's sign is a bluish discoloration of the cervix, vagina, and labia resulting from increased blood flow. It can be observed as early as 6 to 8 weeks after conception, and its presence is an early sign of pregnancy. |
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Term
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Definition
| Leukorrhea is a white or slightly gray mucoid discharge with a faint musty odor. This copious mucoid fluid occurs in response to cervical stimulation by estrogen and progesterone. The fluid is whitish because of the presence of many exfoliated vaginal epithelial cells caused by the hyperplasia of normal pregnancy. This vaginal discharge is never pruritic or blood stained. |
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Term
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Definition
| Cervical mucus plug, the cervical mucus plug that blocks the cervix of the uterus after conception. The operculum acts as a barrier against bacterial invasion during pregnancy. |
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Term
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Definition
| Because the plasma increase is greater than the increase in RBC production, there is a decrease in normal hemoglobin values (12 to 16 g/dL blood) and hematocrit values (37% to 47%). This state of hemodilution is referred to as physiologic anemia. The decrease is more noticeable during the second trimester, when rapid expansion of blood volume occurs faster than RBC production. If the hemoglobin value drops to 11 g/dL or less during the first or third trimester or less than 10.5 g/dL during the second trimester or if the hematocrit decreases to 32% or less, the woman is considered anemic |
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Term
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Definition
Proteinuria does not usually occur in normal pregnancy except during labor or after birth.
a pregnant woman with hypertension and proteinuria must be evaluated carefully because she may be at greater risk for an adverse pregnancy outcome |
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Definition
is a noninvasive method for estimating the date of birth and is based on the assumption that the menstrual cycle is 28 days.
The rule states the following: subtract 3 months from the first day of the last menstrual period, add 7 days, and then adjust the year.
The nurse notes that the client's record indicates that the client began her last menses on March 7, 2015, and ended the menses on March 14, 2015.
March 7, 2015, minus 3 months is December 7, 2014. December 7, 2014, plus 7 days is December 14, 2014. Adding 1 year brings the date of delivery to December 14, 2015. |
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