A nurse is teaching a client who is at 14 weeks of gestation about expected body changes during pregnancy. Which of the following manifestations should the nurse include in the teaching?

Choice A rationale Skin mottling, characterized by a patchy, net-like, reddish-blue discoloration of the skin, is typically caused by vasoconstriction in response to cold exposure or by circulatory changes in individuals with poor peripheral perfusion. This is not a typical, expected body change during a normal pregnancy; expected skin changes relate more to hyperpigmentation (e.g., chloasma, linea nigra). Choice B rationale During pregnancy, hormonal changes, particularly the increase in estrogen, shift a greater proportion of hair follicles into the anagen (growth) phase, leading to thicker, fuller hair. Hair thinning (telogen effluvium) is commonly experienced postpartum when hormone levels drop and the hair follicles shift rapidly back into the telogen (resting) phase, thus it is not expected at 14 weeks gestation. Choice C rationale Nipple inversion is a structural variation where the nipple is retracted into the areola; it is not a change that typically develops during pregnancy. Expected breast changes include areolar darkening (hyperpigmentation), prominent Montgomery's tubercles, and nipple erection. Nipple inversion is a pre-existing condition that may present challenges for breastfeeding. Choice D rationale Breast enlargement (hypertrophy) is an expected and early body change during pregnancy, beginning in the first trimester (around 6 weeks). This growth is driven by elevated estrogen and progesterone levels, stimulating the development of the mammary glands in preparation for lactation, and is often accompanied by tenderness and increased vascularity.