Complications with pregnancy are not uncommon; most problems are relatively mild, but some carry significant health risk to the mother, child, or both.

Danger Signs
Recognizing danger signs when they first occur help you to get treatment before a critical situation develops. If you think something might be wrong, call your health provider right away. They are the best to give you reliable answers to your questions about problems in your pregnancy. Always call your nurse or doctor if you have a concern.

When to Worry

• Sudden weight gain
• Sudden swelling of the hands or feet
• Vaginal bleeding
• Persistent headache
• Blurred vision or spots before your eyes
• Excessive nausea and vomiting
• Failure to gain weight or weight loss
• Leaking fluid from the vagina
• Fever
• Burning during or increased frequency of urination
• Abdominal pain
• Regular or frequent contractions (>4-6 per hour)
• Decrease in fetal movement

Miscarriage
Bleeding in the early months of pregnancy signals the possibility of a miscarriage. Sometimes this occurs so early in pregnancy a woman may not even know she was pregnant. Bleeding clots and cramping are the usual signs of miscarriage.

Ectopic Pregnancy
Sometimes a woman is pregnant, but the fertilized egg does not make it all the way into proper position in the uterus. The symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are bleeding, low back pain, nausea, lower abdominal pain or cramping, and the usual signs of pregnancy. This can turn quickly into an emergency and requires surgery to remove the malpositioned, nonviable embryo.

Premature Labor
Premature labor and delivery are common problems of pregnancy. The seriousness of the problem depends on how prematurely a woman goes into labor. A change in vaginal discharge, leakage of fluid from the vagina, menstrual-like cramps, dull backache or abdominal cramping for more than one hour, or a feeling of having to push, all may indicate premature labor.

Hypertension
Elevated blood pressure is a common complication occurring in about 3 percent of pregnancies. It can have adverse effects on the placenta and fetus before symptoms is apparent. At your prenatal appointments your doctor or midwife will monitor your blood pressure. Severe blood pressure elevations can cause headaches, spots in front of your eyes, pain in the upper part of your abdomen, and fluid retention.

Decreased Fetal Movement
For various reasons, some babies have trouble getting enough oxygen in the womb. They may manifest this as a decrease in activity. If you feel your baby is moving less you can do "kick counts," counting the number of times the baby kicks inside the uterus within a set time period. If your baby becomes unusually less active for more than a few hours, you should call your physician or midwife.