Skip to content
Get the app
SymptomsWeeks 12–42

Which Symptoms in Pregnancy Need a Call Straight Away?

Bleeding, leaking fluid, a bad headache, vision changes, sudden swelling, intense itching, fever or fewer movements all need a call to your provider or midwife.

  • MyPregnancy editorial
  • Updated
  • 1 min read
  • 10 sources

Not yet medically reviewed. This article sums up published guidance from the sources at the end. It is not medical advice: follow your own midwife or doctor.

On this page
  1. Signs to look out for
  2. Itching
  3. If you are not sure
Daylight coming through sheer curtains at a window.
Photo by Rebecca Burton on Unsplash

Some symptoms in pregnancy can be a sign of something serious. Knowing them helps you get checked quickly.

Signs to look out for

  • Any vaginal bleeding late in pregnancy
  • Fluid leaking from your vagina, or discharge that smells bad
  • A headache that will not go away or gets worse over time
  • Changes in your vision, such as flashes of light, bright spots, blurring or double vision
  • Swelling of your face or hands
  • Pain in your upper belly or shoulder, or nausea and vomiting after about 20 weeks
  • Your baby moving less than before, or not moving
  • A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

A headache, vision changes, swelling and upper belly pain can be signs of preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure disorder. It most often starts after 20 weeks. Bleeding late in pregnancy can come from a problem with the placenta, or be a sign of preterm labor.

Itching

Severe itching without a rash, often on your palms and soles and worse at night, can be a sign of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). This liver condition is found with blood tests and needs close monitoring. Call your provider if you notice it.

If you are not sure

This list does not cover every symptom that needs checking. If something else worries you, or does not feel right, call anyway. You do not need to be certain first.

Sources

  1. NHSPregnancy symptoms you need to get help for
  2. NHSSigns that labour has begun
  3. NHSVaginal bleeding in pregnancy
  4. NHSPre-eclampsia
  5. NHSItching in pregnancy
  6. NHSYour baby's movements
  7. CDCUrgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms
  8. ACOGBleeding During Pregnancy
  9. ACOGPreeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
  10. ACOGSkin Conditions During Pregnancy

Last checked .

Written by the MyPregnancy editorial team from the sources above.

Keep reading

SymptomsWeeks 12–42

Back Pain and Sciatica in Pregnancy: What Helps and the Warning Signs

Ease back pain in pregnancy by changing how you sit, sleep and lift, with supportive shoes, heat or cold and exercise. How sciatica differs, and when to call.

SymptomsWeeks 4–13

Cramping in Early Pregnancy: What's Normal and When to Worry

Mild, period-like cramps are common in early pregnancy as the uterus grows. How to tell them from signs of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, and when to call.

SymptomsWhole pregnancy

Discharge in Pregnancy: What's Normal, What Colors Mean and When to Call

Thin, clear or milky white discharge with no bad smell is normal in pregnancy. What white, brown, watery, yellow or green discharge can mean, and when to call.