Pregnant or Recently Pregnant? When to Speak Up About a Symptom

If you are pregnant, or gave birth within the last year, CDC's Hear Her campaign has two rules:

• An urgent maternal warning sign — during or in the year after pregnancy — means getting medical care immediately.
• Anything unusual or worrying means talking to your health care provider. You know your body best; don't ignore it.

What counts

Changes may be physical, but they can also be feelings — sadness, anxiety, or exhaustion that makes it hard to look after yourself, your baby or others.

• During pregnancy: go over your health history with your doctor and make a plan for problems your risk factors make more likely.
• After pregnancy: a new baby takes a lot of attention, but keep watching your own body. Some tiredness and pain are normal, especially in the first weeks; some symptoms can signal something more serious.

Talking to your provider

• Say you are, or were in the past year, pregnant. It changes what a symptom might mean.
• Mention other conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and any complications in pregnancy or delivery.
• List the medicines you take or took recently.
• If you can, bring a friend or family member for support and to help ask questions.
• Take notes, ask follow-up questions, and clarify anything you didn't understand.

A way to start

Thank you for seeing me. I am (or was recently) pregnant; my last period (or delivery) was on ____. I'm having serious concerns about my health. I've had ____ that feels like ____, and it has lasted ____ hours (or days).

Questions to ask

• What could these symptoms mean?
• Is there a test that could rule out a serious problem?
• At what point should I go to the emergency room or call 911?

After the birth

Make sure your provider books your postpartum checkups. Nothing guarantees you'll avoid complications, but staying in touch and keeping follow-up appointments helps protect your health.

CDC's Hear Her pages also list the urgent maternal warning signs and how to describe them, a printable conversation guide, and personal stories of pregnancy-related complications.

Sources

Based on "Pregnant and Postpartum People," Hear Her campaign, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.