Complications & Concerns 6 Times You Probably Don't Need to Call Your Doctor During Pregnancy By Elizabeth Czukas, RN, MSN facebook linkedin instagram Elizabeth Czukas is a writer who who has worked as an RN in high-risk obstetrics, antepartum care, and with women undergoing pregnancy loss. Learn about our editorial process Elizabeth Czukas, RN, MSN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Meredith Shur, MD on April 20, 2020 Meredith Shur, MD, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as a certified medical examiner. Learn about our Review Board Meredith Shur, MD Updated on January 06, 2021 Print It’s normal to have questions and concerns while you’re pregnant, especially if you’ve had a miscarriage or stillbirth before. But how do you decide which questions warrant a call to your doctor in the middle of the night and which ones can wait until your next clinic appointment—or at least until morning? The simple answer is that if you feel anxious about what’s happening to you, it’s always better to call your provider. To help ease your mind, though, below you’ll find a list of common concerns that pregnant women have, what the likely causes are, and when to worry. This page is no substitute for medical advice, so always seek a doctor’s opinion if you have more questions. Your provider will tell you if you need immediate medical attention. Remember, a simple call can usually give you the answers you need, and most pregnancy concerns don’t require a trip to the emergency room. 1 You've Had a Few Contractions rubberball / Getty Images Unfortunately, cramping and contractions are a part of every pregnancy. Every woman experiences them differently, and there are a lot of variables that affect them, even for the same woman. In the first trimester, you’ll most likely experience some cramping as your uterus begins to grow. As you move through pregnancy, you’ll probably have Braxton-Hicks contractions, which can be quite painful at times. They may even have a pattern from time to time, but contractions usually aren’t anything to worry about unless they occur at regular intervals and get closer together as time goes on, or are very painful. You should call your doctor and go to the hospital for assessment if you have contractions accompanied by the following signs of preterm labor: An urge to bear down or push with your contractionsBright red blood from your vaginaIntense pelvic pressureLow, dull backacheSudden gush of clear, watery fluid from your vagina Is Cramping During Early Pregnancy a Sign of Miscarriage? 2 You're Sick or You've Been Around Someone Sick There are a number of infections that are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death. But just because you’ve caught a cold doesn’t mean your pregnancy is at risk. However, pregnant women do need to take care of themselves if they get a seasonal cold or flu, including getting lots of rest, drinking plenty of fluids, and using saline nose spray to help relieve any congestion. The same is true for gastrointestinal (GI) viruses. It may be miserable to have diarrhea or vomiting when you’re pregnant, but most GI viruses last only a day or two. You should be fine as long as you’re able to keep down small amounts of fluid throughout the day. However, if you are sick and you have any of the following symptoms, call your doctor for instructions: Difficulty breathing and/or shortness of breathFever greater than 101 degrees that doesn’t respond to Tylenol (acetaminophen)Inability to keep even water downSevere abdominal painSigns of dehydrationVomiting or diarrhea that lasts longer than three days If you are experiencing what you think are symptoms of COVID-19 during pregnancy, or you've been exposed to someone with COVID-19, contact your doctor or midwife right away. While research is still ongoing, pregnant women are at an increased risk of severe illness and possibly other adverse incomes like preterm birth. 3 Spotting After Sex During pregnancy, your cervix goes through hormonal and physical changes that may allow it to bleed more easily. Some pregnant women have small amounts of bleeding any time their cervix is disturbed, such as after a transvaginal ultrasound or pelvic exam. A common cause of spotting is sexual intercourse. It’s not unusual to see a small amount of bleeding on toilet paper or in your underwear if you’ve recently had sex. Bleeding may be pink, red, or brown. It’s usually nothing to worry about and will go away on its own. If you have been diagnosed with placenta previa or vasa previa, however, you’ve likely already been advised not to put anything in your vagina while you’re pregnant. With these conditions, bleeding can be extremely dangerous to both mother and baby. Even women without a placental problem should contact their doctor if bleeding increases to a flow similar to your period or heavier. Spotting During Pregnancy and What It Means 4 You Haven't Felt Your Baby Move The first time you feel your baby move is exciting, but it can often be hard to identify. Typically, women who have had babies before will feel movement earlier than first-time moms. If this is your first pregnancy, it’s not unusual to be well into your second trimester before you feel movement. If you haven’t felt any movement yet, it’s not necessarily a sign of anything wrong, no matter how far along you are. Some women have difficulty feeling movement throughout their pregnancy. However, if you have already started to notice movement and it decreases or disappears suddenly, you should notify your doctor quickly. Decreased fetal movement is one of the signs of stillbirth and may require immediate treatment to prevent a fatal outcome for your baby. When It's Time to Call a Doctor If Your Baby Isn't Kicking 5 You've Reached the Same Week You Miscarried Last Time Trying for another pregnancy after a loss is a difficult decision. Many women experience anxiety as they go through another pregnancy. They wonder if it will happen again and wish there was some way to prevent another miscarriage. While it’s true that some women who have recurrent miscarriages tend to have them at that same stage of pregnancy, if you’ve had only one loss, there is no reason to assume it will happen again at the same time in another pregnancy. Talk with your doctor during a regular visit about the cause of your first loss (if it’s known) and your chances of having a second miscarriage. If you are experiencing any of the same symptoms as your last pregnancy loss, you should definitely contact your doctor. 6 You've Had a Positive Pregnancy Test But No Morning Sickness Morning sickness may be awful, but some women appreciate it because they know that with morning sickness, they have a statistically lower chance of miscarriage. That doesn't mean you need to worry if you're one of the lucky women who don't experience nausea. Even if you had morning sickness earlier in your pregnancy and now it's gone, it doesn't mean your pregnancy is at risk. Morning sickness can change and usually goes away completely at 14 weeks of pregnancy. On the other hand, if you don't have morning sickness (or it stops) and you also have the following signs of miscarriage, you should contact your provider. Abdominal pain or crampingBackache or back painSudden and complete loss of pregnancy symptomsVaginal bleeding Is Absence of Morning Sickness a Sign of Miscarriage? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How to tell when labor begins. Updated May 2020. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Preterm labor and birth. Updated June 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and caring for newborns. Updated December 28, 2020. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Bleeding during pregnancy. Updated September 2019. Gold KJ, Leon I, Boggs ME, Sen A. Depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after perinatal loss in a population-based sample. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2016;25(3):263–269. doi:10.1089/jwh.2015.5284 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Morning sickness: Nausea and vomiting. Updated May 2020.