While it’s necessary to listen to your body at every point in your life, this is even more crucial when you’re pregnant. There are so many pregnancy symptoms that they can sometimes leave you confused. It can be hard to know what’s normal and what isn’t.
But whatever you do, do not ignore these pregnancy danger signs. If you notice them, contact your doctor immediately.
Bleeding
In the early days of pregnancy, you may notice some spotting (small amount of blood) when implantation is taking place, but any bleeding at all during pregnancy should definitely be checked out. It may indicate a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa or placenta abruption, all of which require immediate medical intervention.
A headache
Another one of the pregnancy danger signs to watch out for is constant headaches, especially when accompanied by blurred vision. This may indicate pre-eclampsia.
Reduced foetal movement
Yes, babies do sleep sometimes and may not move as much. But when you’re in your final weeks of pregnancy and your baby starts moving less or not at all, it could be a cause for concern. It should take less than two hours for your baby to do 10 kicks. If it’s less than that, or it takes longer than 2 hours to count that many kicks, the baby could be in distress.
Lower back pain
Having persistent lower back pain during pregnancy is not something to ignore. Yes, some pain is normal for many women but when you don’t get relief at all, then it’s best to be examined by a doctor. This could indicate kidney or bladder infections, or even pre-term labour.
With pregnancy, when in doubt, seek a professional opinion. It’s better to be told there’s nothing wrong than to say nothing at all and risk your life and that of your child.
For more on pregnancy safety, don’t have sex with your partner while pregnant if you notice these symptoms.
