Even if you've read lots about pregnancy and spoken to other mums about your pregnancy symptoms, there will still be times when you wonder if what you're feeling is normal or not.

The following pregnancy symptoms should set off a few alarm bells. If you experience them you should call your midwife or doctor straight away.

Highlights
I have a pain in my middle
I have a pain in my lower belly
I have a fever
My vision is blurred and I see flashing spots
My hands and feet are swollen

I have a severe headache that won't go away

I have vaginal bleeding

I'm leaking fluid from my vagina

I'm suddenly really thirsty

I feel a burning sensation when I wee

I'm constantly vomiting

I feel faint and dizzy

My baby's movements have slowed down

I itch all over

I fell and hit my belly

I just don't feel right

I have a pain in my middle
Severe or sharp pain in your middle or upper tummy, with or without nausea or vomiting, could mean one of several things. You could have severe indigestion, heartburn, a stomach bug, or it could be food poisoning.

If you're in the second half of your pregnancy this pain could indicate pre-eclampsia, a serious condition which requires immediate attention.

I have a pain in my lower belly
Severe pain on either or both sides or your lower belly needs investigating to be sure it's nothing serious. You could have pulled or stretched a ligament, which is common in pregnancy, or it may be a sign of:
an ectopic pregnancy
miscarriage
premature labour
a fibroid breaking down and bleeding into itself
placental abruption,
when the placenta separates from the lining of your uterus (womb)

I have a fever
If you have a fever and your temperature is above 37.5 degrees C, but with no flu or cold symptoms, call your doctor within the day.

If your temperature is more than 39 degrees C, call your doctor straight away. You probably have an infection. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics and rest. If your temperature rises higher than 39 degrees C for a long time it may be harmful to your baby.

My vision is blurred and I see flashing spots
Call your doctor or midwife if, in the second half of your pregnancy, you have:
double vision
blurring
dimming
flashing spots
lights that last for more than two hours
These vision disturbances may be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

My hands and feet are swollen
Swelling or puffiness (oedema) in your hands, face and eyes is common in late pregnancy. In most cases it is not a cause for concern. But if your swelling is severe or comes on suddenly, with a headache or problems with your vision, you may have pre-eclampsia.

I have a severe headache that won't go away
If a bad headache lasts for more than two or three hours, and you have vision disturbances and severe swelling in your body, you may have pre-eclampsia. But this will only be if you are in the second half of your pregnancy.

I have vaginal bleeding
Spotting or very light bleeding without pain is common in early pregnancy. It may be breakthrough bleeding, during which hormones that drive your menstrual cycle continue strongly enough to cause light bleeding.

Even so, call your doctor or midwife if you bleed at any stage during your pregnancy. It may indicate a serious complication if it is:
Bleeding that's different from your normal period, so lighter in flow or darker in colour than usual. This, with severe, persistent, one-sided pain in your tummy, may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.

Heavy bleeding, combined with persistent back or abdominal pain.
This may be a sign of miscarriage.
Sudden, painless bleeding. This may happen if you have a low-lying placenta (placenta praevia), which will have been seen at your 20-week scan.
Dark bleeding with clots could mean you have placental abruption, which happens when the placenta starts to separate from the wall of your uterus.
Heavy bleeding may mean you're going into premature labour, if you are less than 37 weeks pregnant.

Rest assured that in the later stages of pregnancy heavy bleeding is rare.

I'm leaking fluid from my vagina
If you are leaking fluid from your vagina before 37 weeks it may mean that your waters have broken early. You may need to go to hospital so the doctor can check on your baby's health and give you treatment to prevent an infection.

Once your waters have broken, you have less protection against infection. There's a possibility that you may need to prepare for a premature birth. You'll have a specialist team on hand in the hospital to make sure you and your baby get the right care.

After 37 weeks, you are probably about to go into labour if your waters have broken. Call your midwife or labour ward to find what's best to do if your labour does not start within 24 hours of your waters breaking.

I'm suddenly really thirsty
If you're suddenly thirsty, and your wee is dark yellow, it could be a sign of dehydration. And if you're thirsty and weeing a lot more than usual it could be a sign of gestational diabetes. Both of these increase the risk of complications for you and your baby, so tell your doctor or midwife.

I feel a burning sensation when I wee
You may have a urinary tract infection (UTI) if you:
feel a painful or burning sensation when weeing
pass cloudy, bloody or smelly wee
have a raised temperature
are shivering
have a pain in your pelvis, the lower part of your abdomen, the lower part of your back, or in your side

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor, as she can give you antibiotics to treat your UTI.

I'm constantly vomiting
Vomiting more than a couple of times a day could dehydrate and weaken you, although it's unlikely to hurt your baby. You need to speak to your midwife or GP about severe and persistent vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum) as youwill need treating, possibly in hospital.

If you're vomiting during the second half of your pregnancy, you may have severe pain just below the ribs, and sudden severe swelling in your face, hands or feet. These symptoms may be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

Vomiting accompanied by diarrhoea could be a sign of food poisoning or a tummy bug. If you're vomiting and have pain and a temperature it could mean you have a kidney infection. If you have these symptoms you should contact your doctor.

I feel faint and dizzy
Fainting or feeling light-headed may be a sign that you haven't eaten enough that day. But it could also mean that you have low blood pressure, which is common in early pregnancy. That's because the pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes the walls of your blood vessels.

Many women feel dizzy during pregnancy. But if you faint, see your doctor afterwards to make sure all is well.
My baby's movements have slowed down
If your baby's movements stop or slow down for more than 24 hours after 21 weeks it may mean he's in distress. If you have noticed that your baby is moving about less than usual, contact your midwife or hospital. Read more about your baby's movements, including when to seek help.

I itch all over
If you have severe itching all over, particularly at night, you may have obstetric cholestasis (OC). OC is a condition of the liver, and with it your wee may be dark and your poo may be paler than usual. You may also have jaundice.

If you have mild itching try not to worry too much. Some itching is normal as your skin stretches to accommodate your growing baby. However, it's best to have intense itching checked out. This is especially the case if the itching is worse at night and centres on the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands.

I fell and hit my belly
Falls or blows aren't always dangerous, but call your doctor or midwife on the same day and explain what happened. If you slipped on the stairs and bruised your tailbone, you probably don't need to worry. Your baby is well cushioned by your uterus and amniotic fluid.

In rare cases complications may, however, happen. If you notice contractions, leaking fluid, or any bleeding, call your doctor or midwife right away, or go to your nearest accident and emergency department.

I just don't feel right
If you're not sure about a symptom, don't feel like yourself, or simply feel uneasy, trust your judgement and call your doctor or midwife. If there's a problem, you'll get help right away. If nothing's wrong, you'll go home reassured.

Noted bt till den it remains d way it is.

no be Smallthing

Interesting

good one

Why don't nairaland talks about contraceptive drugs , for our youg girls now adays that is what we usually take to terminate the pregnancy , but I was once a victim of that but thank God am delivery and does drugs causes breast Lump and other danger to the female

Noted. Am i one of the first ten people to comment?

Okay. E se gan

joyitdarauko: Why don't nairaland talks about contraceptive drugs , for our youg girls now adays that is what we usually take to terminate the pregnancy , but I was once a victim of that but thank God am delivery and does drugs causes breast Lump and other danger to the female

eeeehh, what are you saying Can u repeat pls

@op, though i ddnt read the write up, all i can say is that most pregancy symptoms are natural and cant be cured.....

Thank you OP

I love to read alot and just yesterday I was reading about

obstetric cholestasis on the babycenter site. It is indeed a very serious condition that can even result in still birth!! That was so scary to read. Never even heard of the condition in my life.

Please pregnant women, take note of the symptoms OP has listed above and if you dont feel right, dont force yourself to manage.... its better safe than sorry. Happy 9 months.

....

I booked this space for my girlfrnd incase she gat any question to ask..

what am I doing here?

Thanks. Good Post

What's up with pregnancy threads today?

@Op your topic is misleading. In fact, it doesn't go with the message. It should have read "Symptoms that should never be ignored during pregnancy"

Symptoms during pregnancy ≠ pregnancy symptoms.

The message above is about symptoms during pregnancy not pregnancy symptoms.

but am not a woman nah

wow! that means I'm pregnant for my wife...

I love da post. I was a victim of pre-eclamsia,bt God delivered me. I had my son at 8 months

ziccoit: @Op your topic is misleading. In fact, it doesn't go with the message. It should have read "Symptoms that should never be ignored during pregnancy"

Symptoms during pregnancy ≠ pregnancy symptoms.

The message above is about symptoms during pregnancy not pregnancy symptoms.

. God bless u realy good.

A virgin dont have to worry about all this

Nice one OP.

@Op..what happens when a nursing mother of almost 5month old baby is yet to see her monthly menstrual circle

l tell you, motherhood is not easy

I'm leaking fluid from my
womanliness?? What the heck is womanliness doing in that sentence?
Seun change that thing sharp-sharp before i smack that your flat head from here.

When I get a gf, propose to her, get married n impregnate her I will be back.

joyidarauko: Why don't nairaland talks about contraceptive drugs , for our youg girls now adays that is what we usually take to terminate the pregnancy , but I was once a victim of that but thank God am delivery and does drugs causes breast Lump and other danger to the female

Whats this one saying?

LivinaPatrick: I love da post. I was a victim of pre-eclamsia,bt God delivered me. I had my son at 8 months

thought they said the baby will turn back to water and blood at eight months than it is not possible to have an eight months old baby?
ooops congrats to u

Pls what is the meaning of cyesis,that is the result of my wife pelvic scan