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Warning signs in pregnancy and after the birth

The signs that should not wait for your next appointment, in pregnancy and up to a year after the birth, and how to tell a doctor so they take you seriously.

4 min read

In this article

Most pregnancy discomforts are common and pass. Some signs, though, need medical care today, not at your next appointment. Women often hold back: “it is probably normal”, “I do not want to bother the doctor”, “everything hurts in pregnancy”. If something feels wrong, call. A check that comes back fine is not wasted time.

The signs below apply during pregnancy and up to a year after the birth, not only in the first 40 days.

Get medical help straight away if you have

Head and eyes

  • a headache that will not go away or gets worse
  • dizziness or fainting
  • changes in your vision: blurring, flashing lights or spots

Chest and breathing

  • chest pain or a racing heart
  • trouble breathing

Tummy and body

  • severe tummy pain that does not go away
  • severe nausea and vomiting
  • a temperature of 38°C or higher
  • a lot of swelling in your face or hands
  • swelling, redness or pain in one leg or arm, especially in the 6 weeks after the birth
  • overwhelming tiredness that does not feel like ordinary tiredness

Bleeding

  • bleeding or leaking fluid from your vagina in pregnancy
  • heavy bleeding or foul-smelling discharge after the birth

Baby and mind

  • your baby moving less or no longer moving, in pregnancy
  • thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

If you have chest pain, cannot breathe, have a seizure or lose consciousness, call 127.

Pre-eclampsia

Some of these signs can point to pre-eclampsia: high blood pressure that usually appears after 20 weeks, but can also start in the days or weeks after the birth. The first signs, high blood pressure and protein in your urine, cannot be felt. That is why your blood pressure and urine are checked at every appointment, and why those appointments are worth keeping.

Signs you may notice yourself are a severe headache that does not ease with ordinary painkillers, blurred vision or flashing lights, pain just below your ribs, sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, heartburn that medicine does not help, and vomiting. If you have them, contact your doctor or maternity unit that same day.

What to say when you call

Say in your first sentence that you are pregnant, or when you gave birth: “I am 32 weeks pregnant” or “I had a baby three weeks ago”. Then describe the sign, when it started and whether it is getting worse. After the birth, many warning signs are mistaken for ordinary tiredness if the doctor does not know you have just had a baby.

Keep to hand

  • the numbers for your gynaecologist and the maternity unit where you plan to give birth or gave birth
  • your pregnancy notes and latest test results
  • a list of the medicines you take

For low mood and anxiety after the birth, read baby blues and postnatal depression, and for the first weeks after the birth, recovery after birth.

Common questions

Is it normal for my feet to swell?
Mild swelling of the feet at the end of the day is common. Sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet, especially with a headache or blurred vision, is not: contact your doctor today.
How long after the birth should I watch for these signs?
Up to a year. Swelling, redness or pain in one leg or arm, which can be a blood clot, is most common in the first 6 weeks.
What if I go to the doctor for nothing?
It is not for nothing. Doctors would much rather see a woman who turns out to be fine than miss a dangerous sign.

Sources we consulted

Written by the mam.al editors as general information. It does not replace advice from your doctor or midwife. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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