First Signs of Pregnancy

First signs of pregnancy

Questions of diagnosing pregnancy have worried people since ancient times. To find out if a woman was pregnant in ancient Egypt, she was given a drink made from a special herb (bududu-ka) and the milk of a woman who gave birth to a boy. If this drink caused vomiting, then the woman was pregnant, otherwise there was no pregnancy. To determine pregnancy, the ancient Jews forced a woman to walk on soft grass: if a deep mark remained, then pregnancy existed.

Midwives of Ancient Greece already had significant knowledge. Thus, to determine pregnancy, they were based on a number of objective signs: absence of menstruation, lack of appetite, drooling, nausea, and the appearance of yellow spots on the face. At the same time, they also resorted to such ridiculous means: they rubbed a red stone in front of a woman’s eyes, and if dust got into her eyes, the woman was considered pregnant, otherwise pregnancy was denied.

Even Hippocrates (460-377 BC) had many false and erroneous ideas about pregnancy. In particular, he believed that pregnancy could be recognized by the eyes, but at the same time, he considered the cessation of menstruation to be one of the first signs of pregnancy.

Soranus of Ephesus (1st century AD) established the following signs of pregnancy: menstruation is delayed, the mammary glands swell, and the vessels of the skin of the mammary glands become tortuous, acquire a bluish tint and swell; there is a urge to vomit; dark circles appear under the eyes, and sometimes yellow spots appear on the face; Over time, the belly increases and the pregnant woman begins to feel the movements of the fetus.

Diagnosis of pregnancy has gradually improved in accordance with the development of human society. Today, the diagnosis of pregnancy is made on the basis of a survey, an objective examination of the woman and laboratory research methods.

Signs of pregnancy, according to their diagnostic value, are divided into presumptive and probable, which appear relatively early, and reliable, usually detected from the second half of pregnancy.

Presumptive (doubtful) signs that appear early, although not in every pregnancy, but still have some diagnostic value, include:

1. Dyspeptic disorders, nausea, vomiting, changes in taste preferences

2. Functional disorders of the nervous system and psyche

3. Changes in metabolism and fat deposition

4. Appearance of pregnancy streaks

Possible signs include:

1. Stopping menstruation

2. Changes in the uterus and vagina

3. Breast changes

Reliable signs include:

1. Listening to the fetal heartbeat

2. Identification of fetal parts by palpation

3. Sensation of fetal movements

Modern methods make it possible to diagnose pregnancy very early, including using pregnancy tests, ultrasound and determination of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood.