Messages for pregnant women.
During pregnancy
Seeking care: WHO recommends at least eight checks with a health professional, starting as soon as you know you are pregnant. These checks monitor your health, and your baby's development, and detect possible complications.
Important tests: Expect tests like ultrasound screenings, urine tests, blood tests, blood pressure checks, glucose screening, and monitoring of your baby’s growth. These are crucial even if you feel healthy, since not all conditions result in obvious symptoms.
Staying healthy: Reduce risks by attending all antenatal appointments and maintaining a healthy lifestyle:avoid tobacco and substance abuse;
stay physically active;
get vaccinated as recommended;
sleep on your side;
manage existing health conditions with medical advice; and
seek help if you have concerns.
Warning signs: Seek immediate care if you experience: vaginal bleeding; abdominal pain; blurred vision, sudden swelling, or persistent headache; changes in baby's movements; abdominal injuries. These are not always signs of something serious but it is always best to get them checked.
Baby movements: You can normally start to feel your baby moving between 16–24 weeks of pregnancy. Seek emergency care if movements decrease, stop, or become suddenly intense. Do not rely on home monitoring kits to check a baby’s heartbeat, because they will not reliably indicate all potential problems.
Know your rights: All women have the right to a safe and positive pregnancy, birth, and postnatal experience where they are treated with dignity and respect; have their chosen companion by their side; enjoy clear communication from health workers; have access to appropriate pain relief, and can move around during labour and choose their own birth position. Work with your health team ahead of your expected delivery date to make decisions and get advice that supports you through labour and beyond.
Here's some more information to know about maternal health.
After birth
After pregnancy, you undergo many physical and emotional changes, which can be frightening or disconcerting. It can help to know what to expect after birth:Physical recovery: Many women experience bleeding, cramping, and discomfort, as well as fatigue. Pain relief can help. Rest when you can, don’t try and do too much in the first weeks, and ask for support as you adjust to caring for your newborn.
Emotional changes: Feeling a range of emotions, including feeling blue or sad, is common in the days after birth. This is due to hormonal changes. If these feelings become especially intense and/or persist beyond two weeks, seek advice.
Bonding with your baby: Spend time skin-to-skin to promote bonding and regulate your baby's temperature and heart rate.
Postnatal check-ups: Attend all postnatal appointments to monitor recovery and address concerns.
Warning signs: Seek immediate help if you experience: heavy bleeding or large clots; red or swollen legs; persistent headache; high fever or vomiting; non-healing wounds, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or seizures.
Mental health: Seek advice if you feel extremely sad or anxious. Up to 1 in 5 women experience postnatal depression or anxiety. These conditions are common and treatable with professional support. Rarer but extremely serious if not treated, postpartum psychosis can occur suddenly with symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and rapidly changing mood. This is a medical emergency requiring urgent care.
get vaccinated as recommended;
sleep on your side;
manage existing health conditions with medical advice; and
seek help if you have concerns.
Warning signs: Seek immediate care if you experience: vaginal bleeding; abdominal pain; blurred vision, sudden swelling, or persistent headache; changes in baby's movements; abdominal injuries. These are not always signs of something serious but it is always best to get them checked.
Baby movements: You can normally start to feel your baby moving between 16–24 weeks of pregnancy. Seek emergency care if movements decrease, stop, or become suddenly intense. Do not rely on home monitoring kits to check a baby’s heartbeat, because they will not reliably indicate all potential problems.
Know your rights: All women have the right to a safe and positive pregnancy, birth, and postnatal experience where they are treated with dignity and respect; have their chosen companion by their side; enjoy clear communication from health workers; have access to appropriate pain relief, and can move around during labour and choose their own birth position. Work with your health team ahead of your expected delivery date to make decisions and get advice that supports you through labour and beyond.
Here's some more information to know about maternal health.
After birth
After pregnancy, you undergo many physical and emotional changes, which can be frightening or disconcerting. It can help to know what to expect after birth:Physical recovery: Many women experience bleeding, cramping, and discomfort, as well as fatigue. Pain relief can help. Rest when you can, don’t try and do too much in the first weeks, and ask for support as you adjust to caring for your newborn.
Emotional changes: Feeling a range of emotions, including feeling blue or sad, is common in the days after birth. This is due to hormonal changes. If these feelings become especially intense and/or persist beyond two weeks, seek advice.
Bonding with your baby: Spend time skin-to-skin to promote bonding and regulate your baby's temperature and heart rate.
Postnatal check-ups: Attend all postnatal appointments to monitor recovery and address concerns.
Warning signs: Seek immediate help if you experience: heavy bleeding or large clots; red or swollen legs; persistent headache; high fever or vomiting; non-healing wounds, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or seizures.
Mental health: Seek advice if you feel extremely sad or anxious. Up to 1 in 5 women experience postnatal depression or anxiety. These conditions are common and treatable with professional support. Rarer but extremely serious if not treated, postpartum psychosis can occur suddenly with symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and rapidly changing mood. This is a medical emergency requiring urgent care.
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