Potential problems
These are signs that indicate you should call your doctor immediately: Signs of preterm labor. These include vaginal bleeding or spotting, unusual fluid discharge, lower abdominal cramping, lower back pain, or regular tightening of the abdomen (contractions) that doesn't go away. Urination problems.
Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs can put a pregnancy at risk. Maternal health problems. High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, thyroid disease, heart or blood disorders, poorly controlled asthma, and infections can increase pregnancy risks. Pregnancy complications.
Birth defects are common, costly, and critical conditions that affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States each year.
Severe abdominal, pelvic, or unusual back pain. Fainting or lightheadedness. The baby moving much less or having sudden violent movements. A fever and suggestion of sepsis.
If you feel a persistent, bad pain – especially if it's on the right hand side of your body – and if you have any other symptoms like bleeding, lower back pain, cramping, blurred vision, severe headaches, or swollen hands, feet or face, you should contact your midwife or GP immediately.
A screening scan should be performed at around 20–22 weeks to exclude any structural abnormalities. You may even begin to feel the baby's movements — known as "quickening".
The fetus is most vulnerable during the first 12 weeks. During this period of time, all of the major organs and body systems are forming and can be damaged if the fetus is exposed to drugs, infectious agents, radiation, certain medications, tobacco and toxic substances.
Warning signs
In addition: 'If you have a blinding headache, flashing lights or blurred vision, a pain in the upper right hand of your abdomen or any of these symptoms from 20 weeks onward you should request an urgent review by your midwife or obstetrician,' adds Croft.
Examples of red-flag symptoms in the older adult include but are not limited to pain following a fall or other trauma, fever, sudden unexplained weight loss, acute onset of severe pain, new-onset weakness or sensory loss, loss of bowel or bladder function, jaw claudication, new headaches, bone pain in a patient with a ...
Red flags are often used in conversations around toxic or abusive relationships. Toxicity can present itself in any close relationship: friends, colleagues, family members, or partners. Red flags can be signs of narcissism, aggression, victimization, or even abusive behavior.
Essentially red flags are signs and symptoms found in the patient history and clinical examination that may tie a disorder to a serious pathology.
You may be considered high-risk if you have a history of miscarriage, preterm labor, or cesarean delivery. Likewise, if you've already had one child with a birth defect, any subsequent pregnancies may be treated as high-risk.
It varies from woman to woman, but symptoms tend to be the worst at around 9 or 10 weeks, when levels of hCG are at their highest. At 11 weeks, hCG levels start to fall, and by 15 weeks they've dropped about 50 percent from their peak.
Grapes. This one is a bit up in the air, but it is sometimes advised that women avoid grapes during their pregnancy. This is because grapes contain resveratrol, a toxic compound that could cause poisoning or other pregnancy complications.
Water, milk, and herbal teas are all some of the best drinks to keep you and your baby safe during pregnancy. Part of your plan to stay hydrated can include drinks just for fun, too, as long as you're staying away from those listed no-nos.
Chromosomal abnormalities
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the most common cause of miscarriage is a genetic abnormality in the embryo.