Memorize this “go to the hospital now” list; it applies throughout pregnancy and for a year after birth
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
- For: Pregnant or trying
- Free
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
If any one of these appears, go to the hospital the same day; don't wait at home overnight. A headache that won't go away or keeps getting worse, changes in vision, a fever of 38 ℃. Severe swelling of the hands or face, trouble breathing, chest pain or a racing heart. Severe belly pain that doesn't ease, the baby's movements stopping or clearly decreasing, vaginal bleeding or leaking fluid. One arm or leg both swollen and painful, thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby. This also applies within a year after birth.
- Cost
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Free. Spend five minutes memorizing it, and ideally let the people you live with know too.
- What you get
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The urgent warning signs in pregnancy and after birth listed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are these: a headache that won't go away or keeps getting worse, dizziness or fainting, changes in vision, a temperature of 38 ℃ or higher; severe swelling of the hands or face, thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, trouble breathing, chest pain or a racing heart; severe nausea and vomiting, severe belly pain that doesn't go away, the baby stopping moving or clearly moving less during pregnancy; vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking during pregnancy, vaginal bleeding or abnormal discharge after delivery; severe swelling, redness or pain in one arm or one leg. These problems can occur at any time within a year after birth; it is not true that “you're safe once the postpartum month is over.”
- Notes
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The use of this list is to separate “wait a bit longer” from “you must go now.” A headache together with blurred vision and then pain in the upper belly points to preeclampsia (a high blood pressure disorder of pregnancy). One calf both swollen and painful points to deep vein thrombosis (see §13). Heavy bleeding after birth, in the words of the World Health Organization, can take the life of a healthy woman within hours. If any one of these appears, go straight to the hospital and don't wait at home overnight first.
- Evidence grade
- A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hear Her — Urgent Maternal Warning Signs. https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html
- World Health Organization. Maternal mortality fact sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality
Mentioned in
- If you can't raise a child you have had, the only lawful way out is civil affairs registration: giving the child to someone for money can be punished as child trafficking, and abandoning the child is the crime of abandonment
- Don't skip the checkup at 42 days postpartum; it is also a screening for postpartum depression
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 27, tip 7. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer