6 Times You Probably Don't Need to Call Your Doctor During Pregnancy

You've Had a Few Contractions

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 contractions
• Bright red blood from your vagina
• Intense pelvic pressure
• Low, dull backache
• Sudden gush of clear, watery fluid from your vagina

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 breath
• Fever greater than 101 degrees that​ doesn’t respond to Tylenol (acetaminophen)
• Inability to keep even water down
• Severe abdominal pain
• Signs of dehydration
• Vomiting or diarrhea that lasts longer than three days

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.

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.

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.

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 cramping
• Backache or back pain
• Sudden and complete loss of pregnancy symptoms
• Vaginal bleeding