Knowing When to Call 911 and When to Call Your Provider
Urgent postpartum recovery red flags video reel series with Nurse Nikki
Postpartum Red Flags: When to call 911
Video part 1: When to call 911 –
maternal health warning signs that are urgent and considered a medical emergency.
Get help right away.
Emergency health symptoms
Go to emergency care or call 911 if you experience the following. Tell them you’re pregnant or gave birth.
- Changes in your body
- Suddenly very tired or weak.
- Difficulty breathing and/or chest pain.
- Severe headache and/or changes with vision.
- Dizziness, disorientation, fainting, or seizures.
- If your blood pressure is higher than 160 (top number) or 110 (bottom number).
- Feeling Extremely worried all of the time.*
- See or hear things that other people don’t.*
- Thoughts of harming yourself or others.*
- This does not cover all potential symptoms. If you feel something isn’t right, contact a health care provider right away.
- *In addition to calling 911, for mental health emergency support, be sure to call 988 (suicide hotline), and/or the maternal mental health hotline or PSI hotline – FREE, 24/7, anonymous in Eng/Spanish via text, chat, phone, and mobile app.
Postpartum Red Flags: When to call your provider
Video part 2: When to call your provider – maternal health warnings signs where you need to urgently contact and connect with a health care team member and address with your provider.
Symptoms to address with a provider
Call your health provider – Don’t wait for office hours. If you can’t reach someone, call 911.
- Bleeding Soak through one or more pads in an hour.
- Clots bigger than an egg or you pass tissue.
- Pain or swelling Headache that won’t go away or gets worse over time.
- Severe pain that doesn’t go away, such as in chest or belly.
- Swelling, such as in face, hands, feet, or legs.
- If you had a c-section, your incision is open, red, oozing, does not seem to be healing, or pain is not managed by medication.
- Changes in your body If your blood pressure is equal to or higher than 140-159 (top number) or 90-109 (bottom number).
- Fever of 100.4 F or more.
- Unable to drink for 8 hours or unable to eat for 24 hours.
- Bad smells Vaginal discharge (fluid, wetness) smells bad.
- This does not cover all potential symptoms. If you feel something isn’t right, contact a health care provider right away.
Here is a brief training for family members/communities to know what to look for and what to do if a birthing person is experiencing warning signs. A very important 11-minute watch that could be a life saver!
In this video series, Nurse Nikki also shares important recovery health information, such as pain management. View the full reel series and topics covered in this Playlist.
Videos available in Spanish.
Related resources:
- Know when to call for help – see NewMomHealth.com/Help
- View the Maternal Health Warning Signs Flyer
- View the New Parent Health One-Pager and Taking Care Of You Booklet
- View the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health resources
- View the Hear Her NC campaign materials
- Shades of Blue
- Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance Fact Sheets
- IRTH App for Black mothers
- You can find additional resources to support expecting and new parents in the Resource Center
- View urgent warning signs materials in Spanish at SaludMadre.com
Details: The 4th Trimester Project team of researchers, clinicians, and mothers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill partnered with pregnant and postpartum people to design a website with free, evidence-based postpartum health information, NewMomHealth.com and SaludMadre.com.
This is part of an animated video series from the 4th Trimester Project at UNC. “The 4th Trimester Project: Resources for Postpartum Care” was developed in collaboration with Passionista, with thanks from our funder, The Coleman Foundation. NewMomHealth is here for you. You matter, mama. Keep going. The content is not intended for use as a diagnosis or treatment of a health problem.
