During pregnancy every little thing that your body does takes on new meaning.  Pregnant women are more conscious of what is going on with their bodies.  Many changes take place in a pregnant body, symptoms are plentiful.  So what things should be seen as red flags and prompt you to call your doctor right away. 

Here are few things symptoms that shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

• If you notice a change in how often your baby is moving.  A reduction in or a lack of movement can be a sign of a problem. 

• Severe and persistent abdominal cramping or tenderness, especially if accompanied by bleeding.

• Vaginal bleeding or spotting.  Some spotting is common during early pregnancy, however, it is a good idea to call you doctor anyway just to be safe.

• An increase or change in vaginal discharge.  If it becomes water, mucousy or bloody it can be a sign that labor will start soon.

• Pelvic pressure, lower back pain, menstrual-like cramping, or more than 4 contractions in an hour.  All are signs of labor.

• Painful or burning urination or a lack of urination.

• Severe or persistent vomiting, or any vomiting that is accompanied by a fever.

• Chills or a fever of 100 degrees or more.

• Visual disturbances such as double vision, blurring, dimming, flashing lights or spots in your field of vision.

• Severe or persistent headache or a headache accompanied by blurred vision, slurred speech or numbness.

• Any swelling in your face, more than a little swelling of the hands, severe or sudden swelling of the feet or ankles or rapid weight gain.

• Trauma to the abdomen.

• Fainting or frequent dizziness.

• Difficulty breathing or chest pains.

• Intense and persistent itching. 

If you experience any of these symptoms or anything else that concerns you call your doctor immediately.  You should always call your doctor if you have questions or concerns about something you are experiencing or feeling. 
 

(source: Baby Center)

A premature birth is a birth that occurs prior to the 37^th week of pregnancy. Little is known about what causes preterm labor, however doctors and researchers have identified many risk factors associated with an increased chance of a premature birth.   Identifying any potential risk factors you may have and educating yourself about what you can do to help prevent your pregnancy from ending in preterm labor are very important.  Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and what you should do throughout your pregnancy to help it go full term.

A few of the common risk factors associated with premature births include:

• Being pregnant with multiples. The greater the number of fetuses you are carrying the earlier you are likely to deliver.

• If you have had a previous preterm birth you are more likely to have a subsequent preterm birth.

• The existence of uterine or cervical abnormalities puts you are an increased risk of premature labor.

• Unexplained vaginal bleeding after your 20^th week of pregnancy is a common risk factor, your doctor will likely monitor your pregnancy closely if this unexplained bleeding occurs.

• If you are underweight or overweight going into the pregnancy your have an increased chance of delivering prematurely. Your weight gain during pregnancy can also have an impact.

• A short time between pregnancies, less than 6-9 months can increase your odds of delivering prematurely.

• If the pregnancy is the result of IVF (in vitro fertilization).

• A lack of prenatal care during your pregnancy definitely increases the chances that your baby will be born prematurely.

• If you consumed alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs during your pregnancy.

• Long working hours, particularly if you are standing a lot and high levels of stress at work or home can contribute.

There are many factors that may put you at greater risk of delivering prematurely, however, there is little known about what actually causes the preterm labor. If you have any of the risk factors be sure to discuss them with your doctor and determine what you can do to decrease your odds of experiencing preterm labor.

For information on signs of labor see my recent article, Early Signs of Labor.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that some women develop during their pregnancy. It is one of the most common pregnancy complications with between 2-7 percent of women developing gestational diabetes. Most women do not remain diabetic after the birth of the baby, but developing gestational diabetes does put you at an increased risk of developing diabetes in subsequent pregnancies and later in life.

Diabetes is a health condition that causes glucose to stay in your bloodstream. It is the result of not enough insulin in your system. The pancreas is responsible for insulin secretion. Most of the time the pancreas keeps up with insulin demand and the sugar levels in the bloodstream remain at normal levels. However, in those with diabetes the pancreas is not able to keep up with the demand for insulin. Insufficient insulin results in increased sugar in the bloodstream.

Most pregnant women with diabetes go on to have healthy babies. Your pregnancy will be considered high risk and you will be monitored very closely during the remainder of your pregnancy for signs of problems with your health or the health of your baby. Your doctor will likely recommend the use of diet and exercise to help control your blood sugar, and in some cases insulin injections will be necessary if diet and exercise are not enough.

If the diabetes is not properly controlled there are serious consequences to the developing fetus. The biggest concern is that if the levels of sugar in your blood stream can’t be controlled your baby’s blood sugar will increase as well causing their pancreas to have to work extra hard while it is still developing. High blood sugar levels in your baby can result in increased production of fat causing your baby to become very large, sometimes too large to delivery vaginally. An attempt to deliver a baby that is too large can result in fractures and nerve damage to the baby. Often your doctor will opt to deliver the baby by c-section if they suspect it is too large. Also, because the baby is used to developing larger than normal levels of insulin they need to be monitored to ensure their blood sugar does not get too low after birth. The doctor will often recommend feeding the baby with formula or sugar water to increase their blood sugar if they are showing signs of having low blood sugar.

How do you know if you have gestational diabetes? Almost all pregnant women will have a glucose screening done between the 24th and 28th week to test for diabetes. You will also want to make sure you tell your doctor if you have any of the common signs of diabetes, such as, excessive thirst, hunger, increased urination, or you are more tired than normal. There are a few things that can put a woman at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes (you will likely be screened earlier if you have any of these risk factors), they include:

• Obesity
• A history of gestational diabetes in previous pregnancies
• A strong family history of diabetes

Remember, talk to your doctor or midwife if you have questions about gestational diabetes, or if you are concerned that you may be developing this condition. It is important to have open communication with your health care provider so that any complications can be identified early.

Visit the American Diabetes Association for more information about diabetes.

(Source Baby Center)