Are You Aware of These Warning Signs That You Should Be Careful of During Your First Trimester?

Being pregnant is an amazing as well as overwhelming experience for every woman. On one hand, you will get flooded with a lot of queries and on the other hand, you will be curious to know what’s happening inside you. You will experience a lot of mental and physical changes from the day you spot those two red lines on your pregnancy test kit. As your pregnancy proceeds, you might not be aware of some serious signs with all those pains, aches, and discomforts.

Warning Signs During First Trimester of Pregnancy

Most women experience a healthy pregnancy with no rare complications, however, you must not avoid these warning signs during your first trimester of pregnancy.

• Vaginal Bleeding

Spotting/light bleeding is normal but heavy bleeding can be a clear sign of miscarriage/ectopic pregnancy. Bad cramping and sharp abdominal pain are also considered warning signs during your first trimester of pregnancy. You must not hesitate to speak to your doctor when you first notice it and any kind of bleeding or spotting should be investigated by your doctor at the earliest.

• Excessive Vomit and Nausea

It is quite normal to feel nauseated during your first trimester because a lot of hormonal changes make that happen. If you are eating well, drinking plenty of fluids, going for morning walks then you can avoid this situation. Even after taking a nutritionally balanced diet if you still feel severe vomiting or nausea then you must immediately seek medical help. Most of the time this situation happens when a woman is dehydrated during pregnancy and then the doctor might admit you to the hospital for a day and will balance the electrolytes in your body.

• High Fever

If your body temperature exceeds 101 degrees Fahrenheit along with body rash and joint pains then it could be a sign of infection. This infection can be harmful to the fetus. Any fever along with body ache and respiratory problems during pregnancy should be immediately discussed with the doctor. You must not take leniency when you notice chills along with a high fever.

• Blurred Vision and Headache

Your doctor will keep monitoring your blood pressure levels and will ask you to undergo a urine test so that the doctor can monitor the protein levels in your urine sample. If this situation is not diagnosed on time or treated properly then you might have to face pre-eclampsia also.

• Vaginal Discharge and Itching All Over the Body

Some vaginal discharge is normal but according to medical science, every discharge should be examined by the experts because sometimes it can lead to STDs or any other harmful infections which can be life-threatening for the mother as well as the unborn child.

• Burning Sensation and Pain During Urination

These can be signs and symptoms of UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) and if left untreated it can lead to preterm labor and more serious illness.

• Persistent Abdominal Pain and Lower Back Pain

​​​​​​​Something is fishy if you are experiencing discomfort and strange pain in your abdomen or lower back. If the pain is different from the ones you used to have during your menstruation phase, then you must immediately seek medical help. If the lower back pain has become persistent as your pregnancy proceeds, then it can be a sign of bladder or kidney infection.

• Swelling or Pain On One Side

​​​​​​​Your body becomes too lethargic to move during pregnancy and that is when your body develops higher chances of blood clots. If you are experiencing pain in your one leg or calf and if you notice that there is swelling on one side then you must speak to your doctor.

• If Your Chronic Diseases Flare Up

You must not hide your medical history with your gynecologist especially when you are pregnant. The chances of complications increase when you already are suffering from medical conditions like - diabetes, thyroid, asthma, and high blood pressure. Your doctor will advise you to take prenatal vitamins for proper fetal development and will help in controlling the pre-existing ailment.

Now that you know the red signals that you need to be alert about, just keep a watch & enjoy your pregnancy journey!

References

1. Guannan Bai, Ida J. Korfage, Esther Hafkamp-de Groen, Vincent W. V. Jaddoe, Eva Mautner, Hein Raat. (2016). Associations between Nausea, Vomiting, Fatigue and Health-Related Quality of Life of Women in Early Pregnancy: The Generation R Study. journals.plos.org

2. Counselling for Maternal and Newborn Health Care. (2013). A Handbook for Building Skills. NCBI