Confirmation of Pregnancy & Uterine/Cervical Changes

presumptive

• least reliable

• usually subjective things felt by the person

probable

• more reliable

• usually observed by the practitioner

positive

• the most reliable, they are pregnant

• only viable pregnancy is IUP

uterine changes

probable signs of pregnancy

• Hegar’s sign

• Ladin sign

• McDonald’s sign

• Braun von Fernwald sign

• uterine enlargement

• ballottement

• Braxton-Hicks contrations

• palpation of fetal outline

• uterine souffle

Hegar’s sign

softening of the lower uterine segment (isthmus of the uterus) felt by the practitioner

Ladin sign

soft spot anteriorly in middle of uterus near the junction of the body of the uterus and the cervix

McDonald sign

ease in flexing the uterus against cervix

Braun von Fernwald sign

irregular globular shape (softening and enlargement at the site of implantation)

image = B

Piskacek's sign

tumorlike asymmetric enlargement of the uterus

image = C

Chadwick sign

increased vascularization causes blue-purple discoloration of the cervix

Goodell sign

increased vascularization causes the softening of the cervix