During pregnancy your body goes through so many changes that you might be left wondering
what is normal and what isn’t. It’s important to remember that your doctor or midwife is just a
phone call away and if at any time you feel that something is not right, it’s better to pick up the
phone than continue to worry about your health or that of your baby.
You should never feel worried or embarrassed about calling your doctor or midwife to ask
questions. Moreover, there are specific reasons to be aware of that may necessitate a phone
call or emergency trip to the hospital.
At any time during your pregnancy if you experience any of the following symptoms, call your
doctor or midwife immediately:
Signs of preeclampsia
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Persistent and severe headache
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Problems in vision including flashing lights, stripes, blurred vision, ‘floaters’ or blackouts
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Severe pain just under your ribs, especially on your right side
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Vomiting or nausea
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Sudden swelling of your feet, hands or face
Presence of fever that is not related to an illness or bug.
Vomiting more than three times a day, presence of nausea making it difficult to eat or drink,
especially associated with pain or fever.
Vaginal bleeding associated with fever, cramps or pain.
Significant vaginal bleeding
Passing of foetal tissue (greyish matter) or blood clots from your vagina
Leaking of fluid from your vagina, especially if it is odourless.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you need to call your doctor or midwife today.
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Any vaginal bleeding or more-than-usual vaginal discharge
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Sudden and unusual swelling of your hands, feet or face
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Continuous pain in your pelvis
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Itching all over your body, especially if it is accompanied by dark urine and pale coloured
stools. It is not uncommon to have some itching during pregnancy, however, it needs to
be investigated, especially if it is intense, worse at night and affects the palms of your
hands and soles of your feet.
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Painful urination or increased frequency of urination. It’s also important to call your
caregiver if your urine is cloudy, foul smelling or contains blood.
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Weakness and unusual exhaustion.
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Presence of steady or heavy discharge from the vagina, accompanied by itching,
burning and/or odour.
During your third trimester there are certain circumstances that necessitate a phone call to
emergency services immediately. Some of these are:
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Intense abdominal pain
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Severe bleeding from your vagina
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Your waters have broken and you suspect or know that the umbilical cord is protruding
from your vagina. In such cases the cord has prolapsed and may get squeezed by
your baby, reducing the amount of oxygen your baby is receiving. Such cases require
immediate delivery to avoid long-term health problems or even death of the baby. If the
cord is protruding from your vagina, get onto your knees and keep your buttocks higher
than your head. This position will help decrease the pressure on the umbilical cord until
emergency services arrive.
During weeks 20 to 37, there are certain circumstances that require you to call your doctor
or midwife immediately. You should be aware of the signs of preterm labour so that you can
get immediate medical help, either to stop the labour from progressing or to help in premature
delivery of your baby. These signs include:
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Contractions that come at regular intervals. These will feel like your abdomen is
tightening and hardening at regular intervals. You will feel as if you are having severe
menstrual cramps that occur at least 5 times within an hour.
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You suspect that your waters have broken. Unlike the way this is portrayed on TV and in
the movies, it may only be a watery discharge as opposed to a gush.
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Any spotting or bleeding from your vagina.
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Pelvic pressure or a low and dull backache.
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A strong feeling of pressure on your pelvis and in your thighs.
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Mild cramping or menstrual pain that may or may not be accompanied by diarrhoea.
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Decreased movements of baby. Check out our kick counter to learn how to check for
your baby’s movements and activity level.
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Note: the use of the kick counter is usually recommended after 28 weeks.
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Any unexplained fever, especially when you have no underlying illness. This may also
be a sign of an infection if you have accompanied uterine tenderness.
Once you have reached 37 weeks in your pregnancy, there are symptoms and signs that
require a phone call to your doctor or midwife, or an immediate trip to the hospital. These
include:
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Any vaginal bleeding
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Regular contractions for at least an hour. These feel similar to very severe menstrual
pains and your abdomen will tighten and harden at regular intervals, occurring at least 5
times within an hour.
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A sudden gush or even a trickle of liquid from your vagina, signalling that your waters
have broken.
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Reduced movements of your baby (If it does not move at least 10 times within 2 hours,
or even stopped moving altogether). It’s a good idea to count kicks, so you know when
your baby is moving less than normal. Check out our kick counter to help you determine
what is normal for your baby.
No two pregnancies are alike and what might seem normal for one woman may be completely
abnormal for another. It’s not the time to be second-guessing yourself or your body. If
something feels off the track, you owe it to yourself and your baby to seek medical advice and
help.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalised medical advice.
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