Prevention is better than cure! As the saying goes, one can never be too careful, particularly when pregnancy is concerned. A sudden abdominal ache in an odd hour can often bewilder a pregnant woman and she may hesitate whether to call the doctor or not. However, it is always safer to do so.

Apart from abdominal pain, there can be several other symptoms, which indicate when to call the doctor.

Some symptoms

After the starting of regular movement by the baby in the womb, if that suddenly decreases, it is essential to inform the doctor. The doctor may also advice to monitor the baby’s activity by daily kick-count and then to inform him/her when necessary.

Abdominal tenderness, vomiting/vomiting accompanied by fever and very high fever/chills are those symptoms, which call for immediate attention. Similar saying goes in case of problems like painful/burning urination or little/no urination, severe headache or headache accompanied by disturbed vision and slurred speech and also various visual disturbances like double images, blurred vision, dimming, floaters, flashing lights, etc.

After 37 weeks of pregnancy, any increase in mucous discharge or any change in its form (it can become watery, bloody or blood tinged) should be immediately reported. Medical help should also be called for pelvic pressure, low back pain, menstrual-like cramping, persistent or severe calf pain or leg cramp, any kind of any swelling in face, hand, feet or leg or a sudden weight gain (more than 4lbs/week).

Some other persistent signs are fainting, frequent dizziness, heart palpitation, breathing problem, chest pain, coughing up of blood, severe constipation along with abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and a feeling of intense itching.

The urgency of many of these symptoms depends on the medical history of the pregnant mother and also on her state of health during pregnancy. However, it’s better to be a little extra cautious and report any kind of any illness or uneasiness to the medical help than to ponder over when to call the doctor!