Pregnancy comes with a long list of new sensations, and most of them are normal. The challenge is knowing when something needs a call — and when it can wait for your next appointment.
This article covers the most common questions we get from expecting parents. It’s not a substitute for the guidance from your specific obstetric team, who know your history.
Always call (or go to the hospital)
These warrant immediate evaluation:
- Heavy bleeding — soaking a pad in an hour, or bright red bleeding with clots
- Severe abdominal pain that doesn’t ease, particularly with bleeding or fever
- Sudden swelling of the face or hands, particularly with headache or vision changes — possible preeclampsia
- Severe headache that doesn’t respond to rest and acetaminophen, especially after 20 weeks
- Vision changes — blurriness, spots, flashes — particularly after 20 weeks
- Significantly decreased fetal movement after 28 weeks (less than 10 movements in 2 hours when baby is usually active)
- Gush of fluid — possible water breaking
- Fever over 38.5°C (101°F)
- Calf pain or swelling, particularly one-sided — possible blood clot
Worth a same-day call but usually not emergency
- Light spotting in the first trimester (often normal but worth confirming)
- Persistent vomiting that’s affecting hydration
- Burning urination or back pain (possible UTI — common in pregnancy and worth treating)
- Reduced fetal movement that picks back up with rest, food, and a cold drink
- Fall or abdominal trauma — even if you feel okay
Usually normal, but ask if you’re worried
- Mild Braxton-Hicks contractions (irregular, painless tightening)
- Round ligament pain (sharp, brief pain in the lower abdomen with movement)
- Heartburn, leg cramps, swollen feet
- Vivid dreams, mood changes, fatigue
- Increased vaginal discharge that’s clear or white
The two-finger test
Things that worry parents but usually don’t worry us
Caffeine
Up to 200 mg per day (about one 12 oz coffee) is currently considered safe in pregnancy. Above that, the data is less reassuring but not strongly negative.
One-time exposure to a small glass of wine before knowing you’re pregnant
The evidence around very early, very small alcohol exposure isn’t clear, but a single small drink before pregnancy was confirmed is not, on its own, a known cause of harm. Alcohol from the point of recognition forward is the part to focus on.
Most viral illnesses
Common colds, mild stomach bugs — managed mostly with rest, hydration, and supportive care. Avoid ibuprofen, particularly after 20 weeks. Acetaminophen is preferred. If you’re not improving in a few days, call.
Travel
Most travel is fine in the second trimester. Airlines have policies on late-pregnancy travel — check before booking. Long car or plane rides increase blood clot risk; walk every 1–2 hours.
Mental health in pregnancy
Up to 1 in 7 pregnancies are affected by clinical anxiety or depression. These are not mood swings — they’re treatable medical conditions, and they’re not a reflection on your fitness as a parent. If you’ve been feeling persistently low, anxious, detached, or having thoughts of harming yourself, please call. Treatment in pregnancy is more nuanced but very possible, and untreated depression carries its own risks for parent and baby.
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The general principle
It’s much better to call about something that turned out to be normal than to wait on something that wasn’t. Your obstetric team would rather hear from you 10 times for nothing than miss the one time it mattered.
If you’re a DOS patient and unsure whether something needs attention, the front desk can route you to the on-call clinician for triage.
