Pregnancy can be a worrying time, especially the first time round.
Your body changes in so many different ways and sometimes it can be hard to know if what’s happening is normal or not.
This can lead to a lot of panicking and far too much time Googling or on the phone to the NHS’s non-emergency helpline.
Most of the weird and wonderful feelings are completely fine, but according to the experts at BabyCentre there are a few things you should never, ever, ignore.
Sharp pain in your middle or upper tummy
You can experience this with or without vomitting, but either way it’s extremely important to get it checked.
If you’re in the second half of your pregnancy, it could indicate pre-eclampsia.
However it could also be caused by
- severe indigestion
- heartburn
- a stomach bug
- food poisoning
Call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit immediately.
Severe pain on either or both sides of your lower belly
This could just be a stretched ligament, but it can also be a sign of something more serious including:
- an ectopic pregnancy
- premature labour
- the placental separating from the womb lining
- miscarriage
- a fibroid breaking down
Call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit immediately.
This can be a sign of pre-eclampsia in the second half of pregnancy.
Seek medical advice if you experience any of the following:
- blurred vision
- double vision
- dimming
- flashing spots or lights in front of your eyes
Vaginal bleeding
Spotting or VERY light bleeding without pain is probably nothing to worry about in early pregnancy, but it’s still worth getting it checked out.
However, it might be something more serious if:
- it’s a different colour or consistency to your normal period
- it’s heavy and combined with back pain. This can be a sign of miscarriage
- it’s very sudden, even if it’s painless. This could be caused by a low-lying placenta
- it’s fresh of dark blood, regardless of whether it’s clotting or not. This could be a sign of placental abruption
Call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit immediately .
It burns when you go for a wee
This could be the sign of a urinary tract infection.
You should see your doctor, who will be able to give you antibiotics, if you have any of these symptoms:
- it’s painful or burns when you go for a wee
- your wee is cloudy or smelly
- there is blood in your wee
- you need to go to the loo extremely regularly, ever if you’ve just been
- you’re nauseous or have cold sweats
- you feel achy all over or have pain in your lower abdomen
Leaking fluid from your vagina
If you notice any fluid leaking from your vagina before you reach the 37 week mark, it might mean your waters have broken early.
If this happens, your baby has less protection from infections.
Call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit immediately.
Feeling faint or dizzy
This can just mean you haven’t eaten enough, but it can also be a sign of low blood pressure so it’s worth getting it checked out.
If you’re being sick more than a couple of times of days can weaken you. It might be hyperemesis gravidarum, the morning sickness condition Kate Middleton suffers from.
If it happens during the second half of your pregnancy, it could just be a tummy bug but it might be a sign of pre-eclampsia so make an appointment to see your doctor.
Your baby’s movements have slowed down
You know better than anyone what is ‘normal’ for your baby’s movements.
If you notice this decrease contact your doctor or midwife, especially if it’s after 28 weeks.
Itching all over
This might sound like a strange one, but it might mean you have a liver condition called obstetric cholestasis.
Source: The Mirrow
