Did you know some problems during pregnancy and after childbirth can happen up to a year postpartum? Knowing the urgent maternal warning signs and symptoms is important for you and the people you love.
Contact your medical care team immediately if you have any signs or symptoms below. Don’t wait for office hours! The CDC has information about urgent maternal health warning signs here.
You may be experiencing an emergency and should call 911 if you have:
- Pain in your chest
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Seizures
- Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby
Other emergency warning signs, for 911 contact, include:
- Severe abdominal (stomach) pain or cramping
- Sudden swelling of face or limbs
- High blood pressure (160/110 or higher)
- Nausea or vomiting/throwing up
- Very little urine (pee) and urine that is very dark in color
- Extreme changes in your behavior
- Hallucinations (seeing things that aren’t there)Click to learn more:
Call your health care provider if you have:
- Bleeding soaking through one pad/hour or blood clots the size of an egg or bigger
- Incision that is not healing
- Red or swollen leg that is painful or warm to touch
- Temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher
- Headache that does not get better, even after taking medicine, or bad headache with vision changes
You can find more information about when to call your health provider here.