🚨 7 warning signs to contact maternity care promptly

7 signs to keep on your radar

• Painful regular contractions, possible labour before 37 weeks, or persistent severe abdominal pain: call promptly and follow your individual birth plan.
• Possible waters breaking, whether a gush or trickle: call promptly; report green, brown, bloody or unusual-smelling fluid.
• Vaginal bleeding: report it rather than assuming it is harmless spotting; heavy bleeding is an emergency.
• Reduced or changed baby movements: contact maternity care immediately, even at night.
• A fall, road collision or blow to the abdomen: seek prompt maternity advice, even if initially feeling well.
• Fever or signs of infection, such as painful urination or feeling very unwell: contact the maternity team promptly.
• Severe headache, blurred vision, pain under the ribs or sudden swelling of the face or hands: seek urgent assessment.

What should you do?

1. 1. Call and describe the change

   Tell the maternity team the pregnancy stage, when symptoms began and whether movements have changed. Do not wait for a scheduled appointment.

2. 2. Escalate severe symptoms

   Call 999 or 112 for heavy bleeding, collapse, seizure, severe breathing difficulty or an uncontrollable urge to push. Follow the dispatcher's guidance. If you cannot connect or an ambulance cannot reach you promptly, contact the nearest maternity emergency facility and arrange the safest available backup transport with another adult.

3. 3. Attend as directed

   Bring your Mother Child Health Handbook and other pregnancy records if available and arrange safe transport. The pregnant person should not drive themselves when unwell or in labour. If the team cannot be reached promptly, seek urgent hospital assessment rather than waiting for a callback while symptoms continue.

4. 4. Keep planned follow-up too

   Attend monitoring and induction appointments on the dates your team gives you. Being overdue is not itself a universal emergency, but a booked appointment never replaces assessment for new warning signs.

Classic mistakes

• ❌ Waiting overnight for movements to return Reduced movements need immediate contact. Do not rely on a home heartbeat device or a drink to reassure you.
• ❌ Using someone else's labour timing rule The right time to attend depends on pregnancy history, symptoms, travel and the maternity team's advice.

Same topic

• 🚑 Maternity emergencies: when and how to get there
• ❓ What happens after a trip to maternity triage?
• ⏳ Understanding labour stages and cervical dilation
• 💉 The epidural: how it works and what to expect