You may wonder what symptoms during pregnancy warrant immediate medical attention and what symptoms can wait until your next prenatal visit.
Always ask about your concerns. But keep in mind some symptoms do need swift attention.
1. Bleeding
Bleeding needs attention throughout your pregnancy. If you are bleeding heavily and have severe abdominal pain and menstrual-like cramps or feel like you are going to faint during first trimester, it could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when the fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus, can be life-threatening.
Heavy bleeding with cramping could also be a sign of miscarriage in first or early second trimester. By contrast, bleeding with abdominal pain in the third trimester may indicate placental abruption, which occurs when the placenta separates from the uterine lining.
“Bleeding is always serious,” Any bleeding during pregnancy needs immediate attention. Call us immediately or go to the Labour Room.
2. Severe Nausea and Vomiting
It’s very common to have some nausea when you’re pregnant. If it gets to be severe, that may be more serious.
“If you can’t eat or drink anything, you run the risk of becoming dehydrated,” Being malnourished and dehydrated can harm your baby.
3. Baby’s Activity Level Significantly Declines
What does it mean if your previously active baby seems to have less energy? It may be normal. But how can you tell?
Some troubleshooting can help determine if there is a problem. We suggests that you first drink or eat something. Then lie on your side to see if this gets the baby moving.
Counting kicks can also helps. “There is no optimal or critical number of movements but generally you should establish a baseline and have a subjective perception of whether your baby is moving more or less. Anything less should prompt a phone call to us.”
We have monitoring equipment that can be used to determine if the baby is moving and growing appropriately.
4. Contractions Early in the Third Trimester
Contractions could be a sign of preterm labor. “But a lot of first-time moms may confuse true labor and false labor,”. False labor contractions are called Braxton-Hicks contractions. They’re unpredictable, non-rhythmic, and do not increase in intensity. “They will subside in an hour or with hydration and rest,”. “But regular contractions are about 10 minutes apart or less and increase in intensity.”
If you’re in your third trimester and think you’re having contractions, call us right away. If it is too early for the baby to be born, we may be able to stop labor.
5. Your Water Breaks
If you feel a sudden flood of water rush down your legs, your water could have broken, but during pregnancy the enlarged uterus can cause pressure on your bladder too. So it could be urine leakage. Sometimes water breaking is a dramatic gush of fluid, but other times it is more subtle.
“If you are not sure if it is urine versus a true rupture of the membrane, go to the bathroom and empty your bladder,” she says. “If the fluid continues, then you have broken your water.” Call us immediately.
6. A Persistent Severe Headache, Abdominal Pain, Visual Disturbances, and Swelling During Your Third Trimester
These symptoms could be a sign of preeclampsia. That’s a serious condition that develops during pregnancy and is potentially fatal. The disorder is marked by high blood pressure and excess protein in your urine that typically occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy.
