In addition to commonly known discomforts of pregnancy, you may also experience some serious health problems which may require immediate medical care. You may be experiencing these complications due to the pregnancy itself or due to a pre-existing health problem before becoming pregnant. These could affect you alone, or your baby alone, or both of you together. This is why it is very important for you to receive health care before and during pregnancy to decrease the risk of complications.
The following is a list of the most common serious health problems and the signs and symptoms that you need to be aware of in order to seek immediate medical care:
i) High Blood Pressure
Signs and Symptoms:
- Severe headaches
- Vision problems, such as blurred vision or lights flashing before the eyes
- Bad pain just below the rib cage
- Sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet
ii) Placenta Previa (or a low-lying placenta)
Signs and Symptoms: The placenta is low in the uterus and this result in a higher chance that you could bleed during your pregnancy or at the time of birth.
iii) Placental Abruption
If you have placental abruption, the placenta separates from your uterus too soon, before your baby is ready to be born.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Frequent contractions
- Back pain
- Baby's activity has become less active and less frequent
iv) Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is caused by a blood clot in a deep vein and can be life-threatening. This is most likely to happen in your lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. But it can occur in other parts of your body, too.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Swelling, redness and tenderness in the calf
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
v) Premature Labor (Labor before 37 week)
Signs and Symptoms:
- Increased pelvic pressure
- Frequent contractions
- Pain in the low back
- Vaginal spotting or bleeding
- Decreased fetal activity
- Fluid leaking from vagina
