Pregnancy is something your body is built to handle – as long as you’re going for regular check-ups and know what to expect, there’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy a happy and healthy pregnancy. But there are some pregnancy symptoms that you should watch out for – if you experience any of these, call your doctor right away.
1. Pain in the middle or upper tummy area.
Sharp or severe pain in your middle or upper tummy, with or without nausea or vomiting, could be caused by severe indigestion, heartburn, a stomach bug, or food poisoning, which could be indirectly harmful to pregnancy. If you’re in the second half of your pregnancy this pain could also indicate pre-eclampsia, a very serious condition. Call your doctor.
2. Pain in the lower belly
Severe pain on either or both sides of your lower belly needs investigating. While it’s common to stretch ligaments during pregnancy, it could also mean something more serious, such as a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, premature labour or placental abruption.
3. Running a fever
If you have a fever with a temperature above 37.5 degrees C, but with no cold, flu or other symptoms, call your doctor within the day. If your temperature is more than 39 degrees C, call your doctor immediately. Really, immediately.
4. Blurred vision, a headache that won’t go, or severely swollen hands and feet
If you experience double vision, blurring, flashing spots, dimming or similar vision disturbances in the second half of your pregnancy, call your doctor straight away. These vision symptoms may be a sign of pre-eclampsia. Severe or sudden swelling with a headache or problems with your vision, may be pre-eclampsia.
5. Vaginal bleeding
Spotting or very light bleeding without pain is common in early pregnancy, and it may simply be what is known as breakthrough bleeding. Even so, let your doctor know if you bleed at any stage during your pregnancy.
If you’re not sure about a symptom, or simply feel uneasy, trust your judgment and call your doctor, or you can speak to one of ours!
Simply sign up on our website. download the free Hello Doctor app from the Google Play or iTunes store. Then you can ask our doctors a question via text or call, anytime, anywhere!
Joanne Hart for HelloDoctor.com