10 Urgent Danger Signs During Pregnancy

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Dangers of pregnancy

Having a baby comes with many joys.

But it can also come with some major concerns during the pregnancy stages.

Being pregnant for most part should be a very positive experience.

I had minimal concerns on my end with pregnancy dangers in this post, and hope you can take these as things to look out for and not obsess over.

In no way am I writing this to scare you during pregnancy.

Disclaimer: If you are nervous about anything please talk to your doctor as the danger signs on this post are for informational use only and not medical advice.

If you want to learn more about pregnancy and specifically the birth process, you can find quality online birth education here. It’ll really help you out! 🙂

Here are the urgent pregnancy danger signs to look out for…

Vaginal Bleeding

Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy should always be reported to your obstetrician, especially if it happens during the first trimester.

There is spotting during the first trimester with reasons that may vary from threatened miscarriage to ectopic pregnancy.

If heavy bleeding occurs this might lead to total miscarriage if not treated immediately.

Convulsions/fits

Usually because of pre-eclampsia that is caused by persistent high blood pressure.

Pre-eclampsia is very dangerous to both the mother and the child.

It is usually diagnosed by persistent high blood pressure, and can also be detected if the mother has protein in the urine.

Pre-eclampsia if not treated at the early onset may lead to eclampsia.

Eclampsia

It is a serious complication of pre-eclampsia.

This is where a pregnant woman’s seizure episode may lead to brain damage, coma, to maternal or death of the baby.

Severe headaches with blurred vision

May be caused by simple migraine to high blood pressure, or what we call gestational hypertension.

This is also one of the many symptoms of eclampsia.

Severe abdominal pain

Some pain is common in pregnancy, such as cramps or stomach pain, but when the pain is severe there might be something more serious you need to watch out for.

It might be an ectopic pregnancy as this usually gives you severe abdominal pain.

It can also be a sign of miscarriage.

Fast or difficult breathing

Fast breathing during pregnancy maybe because of the increase in progesterone, or the uterus is just taking up too much space.

But if you are having difficulty breathing this may be because of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (weakness of the heart muscle), especially if it is accompanied by ankle swelling, heart palpitations, fatigue, and low blood pressure.

May occur during pregnancy or after giving birth

Swelling of face, fingers, and legs

Edema during pregnancy mostly in the latter part is usually harmless, but if this happens suddenly, this may be a cause for concern.

This is usually the sign of preeclampsia, which is always accompanied by hypertension.

Severe nausea and vomiting

Also called hyperemesis gravidarum, which is often a cause for a hospital visit.

When the pregnant woman cannot contain the food she eats or anything that she drinks, this may cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Baby’s Activity Level Significantly Declines

Reduced movement in the fetus may be a cause for concern, most especially if the mother has been monitoring her baby’s movement.

Sometimes this is a sign of stillbirth.

These happen when the mother has a history of diabetes which is unchecked and persistent high blood pressure.

Leaking of fluid from the vagina

If you are not yet at the end of your pregnancy, this may mean you are having premature rupture of the membranes or early rupture of amniotic sac a.k.a. Oligohydramnios.

This should be given medical attention immediately because a birth injury may occur.

The amniotic fluid protects the baby in your womb and if this leaks early on during the pregnancy the baby will have no protection left.

These birth injuries may cause serious issues in the baby later on, e.g. respiratory distress syndrome, hydrocephalus just to name a few.

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