Although women are most often led to suspect that they are pregnant by symptoms which can sometimes be of doubtful significance more often than not subsequent developments rarely fail to confirm the suspicion.

They may prove misleading once or twice in a hundred or so cases; the number of mistakes is small. The diagnosis is commonly made not from only one of these doubtful signs but normally from a collection of them.

In order of importance the doubtful or presumptive signs of an early pregnancy are:

(1)Cessation of menstruation,
(2)Changes in the breasts,
(3)morning sickness,
(4)Disturbances in urination.

The Cessation of Menstruation.

The failure of menstruation to begin when expected is nearly always the first symptom of pregnancy to attract attention, and, as a rule, when this happens to healthy women during the child-bearing age it is taken to indicate that conception has occurred. It is doubtful whether menstruation ever continues after conception has taken place. There are of course exceptions to this very good rule; instances in which the menstrual function is believed to persist are in all probability a discharge that may well have a different origin.

It can in most cases be interpreted as meaning that there is some danger of miscarriage and since miscarriage often occurs about the time a menstrual period would ordinarily be expected, there is opportunity for confusing the symptoms.

Each of the more reliable symptoms must be accepted cautiously as a sign of early pregnancy; but taken altogether, except in very unusual cases, they may be relied upon. If, for example, menstruation has previously been regular and then a period is missed, the patient has good reason to suspect she is pregnant; if the next period is also missed and meanwhile breasts have enlarged, the nipples darkened, and the secretion of colostrum has begun, it is nearly certain that she is pregnant; Whether morning sickness and the desire to pass urine more frequently are present is of less importance.

Many puzzling questions occur to the woman who is about to become a mother. Most of these questions are reasonable and natural, and should be frankly answered. However, no matter how frank and helpful advice from well meaning folk may be, it will not enable you to dispense with professional advice. For the prospective mother no advice can ever be more important than this: You must put yourself under the care of a physician.