Practice Test Geeks(PMC) Prenatal Massage Certification Practice Test
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Pregnancy Body Basics Flashcards

7 cards from real PMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Pregnancy Body Basics flashcards as text

  1. Which hormone is primarily responsible for the softening of ligaments and joints during pregnancy?

    Answer: Relaxin

    Relaxin, produced mainly by the corpus luteum and placenta, causes ligament laxity throughout the body to prepare for childbirth.

  2. The enlarging uterus can compress the inferior vena cava when a pregnant client lies supine. What trimester does this concern become most significant?

    Answer: Third trimester

    In the third trimester the uterus is large enough to significantly compress the inferior vena cava in the supine position, potentially causing supine hypotensive syndrome.

  3. During pregnancy, total blood volume increases by approximately how much compared to pre-pregnancy levels?

    Answer: 40–50%

    Blood volume increases by approximately 40–50% during pregnancy, supporting placental perfusion and preparing for blood loss at delivery.

  4. Diastasis recti is a common pregnancy-related change characterized by:

    Answer: Separation of the two rectus abdominis muscle bellies along the linea alba

    Diastasis recti is the widening separation of the right and left rectus abdominis muscles along the linea alba due to uterine growth and hormonal changes.

  5. What causes the skin discoloration known as linea nigra during pregnancy?

    Answer: Increased melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) leading to hyperpigmentation

    Elevated MSH and estrogen during pregnancy stimulate melanocytes, causing hyperpigmentation that appears as the dark vertical line (linea nigra) on the abdomen.

  6. Which of the following best describes how the diaphragm is affected as pregnancy progresses?

    Answer: It is displaced superiorly by the growing uterus

    The growing uterus pushes abdominal organs upward, elevating the diaphragm by up to 4 cm and reducing lung volume in the lower lobes.

  7. Round ligament pain during pregnancy is most commonly felt:

    Answer: In the groin or lower abdomen, often on the right side

    Round ligament pain presents as sharp or aching groin/lower abdominal discomfort, often right-sided, caused by stretching of the round ligaments that support the uterus.