Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification 2025 Practice Exam – The All-in-One Guide for Guaranteed Success!

Lightening refers to the process when the fetus drops into the pelvic cavity in preparation for labor. This typically occurs approximately 2-4 weeks before delivery, especially in first-time mothers, and it indicates that the baby is settling into a position for birth. During this time, expectant mothers may notice a change in their abdominal shape and find it easier to breathe, as decreased pressure on the diaphragm allows for better lung expansion.

The other options presented, while they may occur at various stages of pregnancy, generally do not specifically correlate with the time frame of 3-4 weeks prior to labor. For instance, loss of pregnancy symptoms may occur at various points during gestation but is not a reliable indicator of impending labor. Nausea can also happen throughout pregnancy and is not specifically tied to the timeframe leading up to labor. Increased fatigue may be experienced throughout pregnancy as well, but it does not specifically indicate that labor is imminent.