When should you call your midwife or maternity unit right away?
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Call your provider, midwife or maternity unit right away, day or night, if your waters break, you notice bleeding, your baby is moving less or differently, the pain is constant or severe, you have a fever or a severe headache, or you have contractions or waters breaking before 37 weeks. You do not need to time contractions or wait for a pattern first.
Call your provider or maternity unit right away
- Your waters break, or you think they might have, especially if the fluid is green, brown, bloody or smells unpleasant.
- Bleeding from your vagina. A little pink or brown-streaked mucus can be normal, but if you are not sure, call.
- Your baby is moving less than usual, or the movements feel different. Don't wait until the next day.
- Pain that is constant or severe, or contractions with no break in between.
- A fever, chills, or feeling very unwell.
- A severe headache, blurred vision or flashing lights, pain just below your ribs, or sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet.
- Contractions, waters breaking, or a feeling of pressure low in your pelvis before 37 weeks.
Your provider may have asked you to call sooner, for example as soon as contractions start. Follow the advice they gave you.
Call emergency services
Call your local emergency number straight away if:
- You can see or feel the umbilical cord in or outside your vagina.
- You are bleeding heavily.
- You faint, have a seizure, or have chest pain or trouble breathing.
- The baby is coming very fast, with an overwhelming urge to push or a head you can see or feel, and your care team is not with you.
Tell the call handler you are pregnant and how many weeks. Unlock the door if you can, and follow their instructions until help arrives.
What to have ready when you call
- How many weeks pregnant you are.
- When contractions started and how far apart they are. Your history in Popzy shows this.
- Whether your waters have broken, when, and what color the fluid was.
- How your baby has been moving.
- Anything else that worries you, even if it seems small.
No list can cover everything. If something feels wrong, call. You will never be a bother.
Related questions
Is a little blood normal in early labor?
A little pink or brown-streaked mucus, called a show, can be normal. Bleeding is not something to judge alone: if you are not sure, call your provider or maternity unit.
Do babies move less before labor?
No, this is a myth. Your baby should keep moving right up to and during labor. If movements slow down or change, call right away.
Get Popzy on iPhone and Android
Popzy is not a medical device. It times contractions and does not replace advice from your midwife, doctor or maternity unit. If you are unsure, or if your waters break, you notice bleeding, your baby moves less or anything feels wrong, call them.