Know the Urgent Maternal Warning Signs
Most pregnancies and postpartum recoveries go smoothly. But serious complications can appear during pregnancy, at delivery, or in the weeks after you bring your baby home, and they do not always announce themselves loudly. Knowing which symptoms matter, and acting on them quickly, can make all the difference.
Quality in Action, part of the ACOG Foundation, publishes a patient resource called Urgent Maternal Warning Signs. We encourage every patient, partner, and family member to read it.
The Most Important Rule
If you have any of the symptoms on the list, contact your provider right away. If you cannot reach your provider, go to the nearest emergency room. And whenever you seek care, tell the provider that you are pregnant or were pregnant within the past year. That detail can change how your symptoms are evaluated.
What the Guide Covers
The guide walks through the symptoms that should never be ignored: a headache that will not go away or keeps getting worse, dizziness or fainting, changes in your vision, fever, and trouble breathing. It also covers chest pain or a fast-beating heart, severe belly pain that does not ease, and severe nausea and vomiting that goes well beyond normal morning sickness.
Bleeding and fluid leaking are included, both during and after pregnancy, along with swelling, redness, or pain in a leg, extreme swelling of the hands or face, and overwhelming tiredness. It also addresses a baby’s movements stopping or slowing, and thoughts about hurting yourself or your baby.
For each symptom, the guide explains what it can look like, when it becomes more worrisome, and what conditions it may point to, such as preeclampsia, infection, blood clots, or postpartum depression.
Why This Matters
Many of these symptoms are easy to explain away. Tiredness is expected with a newborn. Swelling and headaches are common in pregnancy. Nausea is part of the territory. The value of the guide is that it helps you tell the difference between what is typical and what needs a call. Its message is simple: if a symptom concerns you, seek medical care.
You Deserve to Be Heard
Every patient, in every community, deserves to be taken seriously when something feels wrong. If you feel dismissed, repeat your symptoms and remind your care team that you are pregnant or recently postpartum. If you can, bring a partner, family member, or friend to appointments and emergency visits to help advocate for you.
If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, or you feel out of touch with reality, get help right away. Go to your local emergency room, call 9-1-1, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for free and confidential emotional support. You are not alone.
Source: Quality in Action, ACOG Foundation. This post is educational and does not replace medical advice from your provider.
