Articles

Key takeaways

• Always trust your instincts if you feel something is wrong.
• Know the urgent signs that need immediate medical help.
• Report any changes in your body or your baby's movements.
• Contact your maternity unit or GP for advice when you have concerns.

Trusting your intuition during pregnancy

If you feel that something is wrong or are worried about your baby, you should call your midwife or doctor. It is important to trust your instincts if you feel something is not right. Do not worry about wasting anyone's time.

Your midwife will be happy to talk to you about your concerns. They would much rather hear from you and reassure you. Do not rely on advice from family members, friends, or the internet.

Urgent signs that require immediate medical attention

Some signs need immediate medical attention. If you experience any of these, contact your maternity unit straight away or call 999.

Heavy bleeding

Always contact your GP, midwife, or maternity unit if you have any vaginal bleeding or spotting.

You should seek urgent help if you have heavy bleeding that soaks through a pad.

Call 999 if you are pregnant and bleeding and:

• You have severe pain in your tummy. This is pain so bad you cannot focus on daily tasks.
• You have pain in your shoulder.
• You feel sick, faint, or dizzy. You may also pass out.
• The bleeding is heavy, soaking a sanitary pad soon after putting it on.

These can be signs that you need immediate treatment.

Severe abdominal pain

Call your maternity unit immediately if you have stomach pain and:

• Vaginal bleeding or spotting.
• Regular cramping or tightenings.
• Lower back pain.
• Vaginal discharge that is unusual for you.
• Fluid leaking from your vagina.
• Pain when you wee. You may also need to wee suddenly or more often.
• Your wee looks cloudy or has an unusual colour (pink, red, or brown).
• The stomach pain is severe or does not go away after resting for 30 to 60 minutes.

Any of these could be symptoms needing urgent checking or treatment.

If you cannot get through to your maternity unit, call 999 or go to A&E. These symptoms need to be checked urgently.

Signs of pre-eclampsia

A condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia) can sometimes develop. If you have any of these symptoms, phone your maternity unit straight away. It is important to get checked out, even if you do not have pre-eclampsia.

Symptoms of pre-eclampsia can include:

• A severe headache that does not go away with simple painkillers.
• Problems with your eyesight, such as blurred vision or flashing lights.
• Pain just below the ribs.
• Heartburn that does not go away with antacids.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Rapidly increasing swelling of your face, hands, or feet.
• Feeling very unwell.

These symptoms can be serious, and you should seek medical help immediately.

High fever

Call your GP, midwife, or hospital maternity unit if your temperature is above 37.5 degrees Celsius. Do this even if you have no other flu or cold symptoms.

A high temperature could be a sign of a hidden infection. Some infections can be serious for you and your baby. It is important to get it checked out.

Call immediately, even if it is the middle of the night. Do not wait until the next day or your next appointment.

Changes in your baby's movements

Feeling your baby move is a sign that they are well. Contact your maternity unit immediately if you think your baby is moving less.

Also call if their movements feel weaker or they have stopped moving. This may be a sign that they are unwell and need to be checked as soon as possible.

It is important to get checked straight away. Do this even if your pregnancy has been straightforward.

Do not wait until the next day to get checked. There are staff on the hospital maternity unit 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby

If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, get medical help immediately.

This can be a frightening experience. This can be a symptom of a serious mental health condition. It is a medical emergency and needs urgent help.

If you or your partner has any of these thoughts:

• Tell your health visitor, family nurse, or GP immediately.
• Phone the NHS 111 service.
• If you need urgent help, phone 999 for an ambulance.

Intrusive thoughts about hurting your baby can be very upsetting. Having an intrusive thought does not mean that you want to act on it.

Symptoms to report to your midwife or doctor

Some symptoms are less urgent but still need to be reported to a healthcare provider.

Leaking fluid

If you are leaking fluid from your vagina, it could mean your waters have broken. Contact your midwife or hospital immediately. Tell them if you also have any of the following symptoms:

• A raised temperature (over 37.5 degrees Celsius).
• Flu-like symptoms, such as feeling hot and shiver.
• Vaginal bleeding.
• The leaking fluid becomes greenish or smelly.
• Contractions or cramping pain.
• Abdominal pain or back pain.
• You are worried that the baby is not moving as normal.

Smelly fluid or fluid with colour (such as green, brown, or black) may be a sign of infection.

Consistent contractions before 37 weeks

Labour that starts before 37 weeks of pregnancy is called premature labour (or preterm labour). Call your hospital or maternity unit straight away for advice if you think you may be going into premature labour.

Signs of premature labour can include:

• Regular contractions – These feel like your womb tightening then relaxing.
• Period-type pains – These are pains or pressure in your vaginal area.
• A show – This occurs when the plug of mucus that has sealed the cervix comes away. It may be a sticky, jelly-like blob, sometimes with streaks of pinkish or brown blood.
• A gush or trickle of fluid – This is fluid from your vagina, which may indicate your waters breaking.
• Backache that comes and goes – This may be a sign of labour contractions.

Vomiting with other symptoms

If you have nausea or vomiting with a severe headache and vision changes, seek advice. Tell your midwife, health visitor, or GP straight away. These could be signs of pre-eclampsia.

Who to contact and when

Knowing who to contact and when depends on how far along you are in your pregnancy and the severity of your symptoms.

Before 12 weeks of pregnancy

Contact your GP or your local early pregnancy unit. If your GP is closed, phone 111.

From 12 weeks of pregnancy onwards

Contact your local maternity service. If you are not registered with the maternity service, contact your GP or NHS 111.

For specific symptoms

• Vaginal bleeding – Contact your midwife or local maternity unit immediately for advice. If you are less than 20 weeks pregnant, an early pregnancy unit may help; otherwise, call NHS 111.
• Breathlessness – Call your maternity unit or doctor straight away if you have difficulty finishing sentences due to breathlessness. Also call if you feel breathless when lying flat. You should also call if you wake up breathless or feel breathless when resting.
• Swelling – Call your GP or maternity unit straight away if you have sudden or much worse swelling of your face. Also call if you have swelling of your feet and ankles that does not go away when you put them up. Call if the swelling leaves a dent when pressed, or if it is accompanied by breathlessness.
• Headache with vision changes, nausea, or vomiting – Phone your maternity unit straight away. These could be signs of pre-eclampsia.
• Pain or swelling in one leg – If you have pain, swelling, and tenderness in one leg, seek advice. Contact your midwife, GP, or maternity unit. This could be a sign of a blood clot (DVT).

When to call 999 or go to accident and emergency

Call 999 or go to Accident and Emergency (A&E) if you have:

• Heavy bleeding with or without severe pain – Phone for an ambulance immediately.
• Chest pain with breathlessness – Call 999 or go to A&E if you experience persistent chest pain. This is especially important if it is accompanied by breathlessness or sickness. It is also important if the pain is spreading to other areas.
• Heart palpitations with chest pain, breathlessness, or fainting – Call 999 or go to A&E.
• DVT symptoms with breathlessness or chest pain – Call 999 immediately. These can be signs of a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism, or PE).