NURS 3112 Study Guide - Final Guide: Corpus Luteum, Cervical Canal, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
23 Jun 2017
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Document Summary
The changes that occur in the pregnant woman"s body are caused by several factors. Many changes are the result of hormonal influences, some are caused by the growth of the fetus inside the uterus, and some are a result of the mother"s physical adaptation to the changes that are occurring. Its capacity increases from 10 to 5000 ml (5 l) or more. The changes in the uterus during pregnancy are phenomenal. Before pregnancy the uterus is a small, almost solid, pear-shaped organ. The enlargement of the uterus is primarily a result of an increase in size (hypertrophy) of the preexisting myometrial cells. Only a limited increase in cell number (hyperplasia) occurs. The amount of fibrous tissue between the muscle bands increases markedly, which adds to the strength and elasticity of the muscle wall. the uterine walls become considerably thicker during the first few months of pregnancy than during the nonpregnant state.
