<font color="aa00aa">Just thought of sharing this important notes for expecting MUMS. I think its very helpful information. Just sent this to my sis who is pregnant with first baby
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By the third trimester you may really be starting to feel pregnant, even if you were pretty comfortable earlier on. Which of these new sensations could be a sign of a problem and which ones are just your body growing and changing? Here is a list of common symptoms and guidelines to help you decide if you need to see your doctor or midwife right away or if it can wait. Of course, if you think something out of the ordinary is going on or you are very worried, you should use your own judgment about seeking medical care.
<font color="ff0000">Vaginal Bleeding</font>
The most common cause of bleeding in the third trimester is the so-called bloody show, when the mucus plug, mixed with some blood, leaves the cervix. This is normal after 36 weeks gestation. Any time that you have an internal examination you may experience a small amount of bleeding for a few days. Bright red bleeding or bleeding like a period is not normal and should be evaluated.
<font color="ff0000">Can usually wait for office hours:</font> Spotting after sex or after an internal examination.
<font color="ff0000">Call immediately:</font> for bleeding like a period or bleeding accompanied by pain or pressure; for blood mixed with mucus before 36 weeks of pregnancy or any bright red bleeding.
<font color="ff0000">Contractions</font>
Contractions can feel like the baby is balling up, or like a tightening across your abdomen. Sometimes they feel like menstrual cramps. You may feel contractions in your lower back or down low in the front. Cramping is particularly common after having sex, when your bladder is full, when you get up or change position, or for a short time after exercising. The challenge is to distinguish Braxton-Hicks contractions (false labor) from the real thing. It is important to note that the contractions of preterm labor may not be painful.
<font color="ff0000">Can usually wait for office hours:</font> Contractions that are irregular and mild and stop with rest. After 36 weeks you can usually stay home in early labor and head in to the hospital when your contractions are strong and coming five minutes or closer.
<font color="ff0000">Call immediately:</font> If you have had rapid labors in the past. Any regular contractions should prompt a call to your practitioner to decide if it is time to head in. If you are less than 36 weeks, any regular contractions that don't stop with rest and are coming more frequently that 6 times an hour should lead you to call your doctor. This can be a sign of preterm labor.
<font color="ff0000">Vaginal pressure</font>
As the baby?s head descends into the birth canal or engages in the last month of pregnancy, vaginal pressure is common and nothing to worry about. If descent of the baby happens earlier, it can be a sign of preterm labor and should be evaluated. The more babies you have had, the more likely you are to experience some normal (if uncomfortable) vaginal pressure as your uterus grows.
<font color="ff0000">Can usually wait for office hours:</font> A heaviness or pressure sensation in the pelvic or vaginal area that resolves when you lie down.
<font color="ff0000">Call immediately:.</font> If you are less than 35 weeks and are having significant pressure within your vagina that doesn't resolve with rest.
<font color="ff0000">Vaginal discharge</font>
The normal vaginal discharge of pregnancy is thin, white, and odorless. Discharge that differs from this can be a sign of infection, or possibly a sign that your water has broken.
<font color="ff0000">Can usually wait for office hours:</font> Vaginal discharge that is itchy, irritating or malodorous.
<font color="ff0000">Call immediately:</font> Vaginal discharge that is copious and watery, indicating that you might have broken your water.
<font color="ff0000">Swelling</font>
Water retention is part and parcel of most pregnancies. This usually takes the form of some swelling in your feet, especially if you stand for long periods of time. When water retention leads to severe leg swelling or any puffiness of the hands and face, it can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, and should be evaluated. If your blood pressure is fine, the swelling or edema is not a medical problem, although it certainly can be bothersome.
<font color="ff0000">Can usually wait for office hours:</font> Swollen feet and legs; puffiness of the hands and face (if your blood pressures have been normal during prenatal visits).
<font color="ff0000">Call immediately:</font> Sudden onset or worsening of hand and face swelling; for very swollen legs or any swelling of the hands and face if your blood pressure has been elevated.
<font color="ff0000">Shortness of Breath</font>
A feeling of having to work a bit harder to get air is a common sensation in pregnancy. As your uterus grows, you may find that you sometimes have trouble with stairs or a brisk walk. The big concern here is that pregnancy is a time when your blood is very coagulable (clottable) and blood clots, which form in the veins of the legs or pelvis, may travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. This rare complication of pregnancy, which usually causes severe shortness of breath and rapid breathing, is a medical emergency.
<font color="ff0000">Can usually wait for office hours:</font> A sensation of shortness of breath that is tolerable and resolves with rest.
<font color="ff0000">Call immediately:</font> Severe shortness of breath, especially if accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, chest pain, or lightheadedness. If you are so short of breath that you cannot speak comfortably, see your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
