Women have carried and delivered babies for centuries, millennia in fact. Pregnancy is one of the most natural processes a woman’s body goes through, but could also be one of the most perilous times in a woman’s life. Any number of complications can arise that make it dangerous for mother and/or baby, which is why women should feel free to contact their doctors if they believe something is wrong.
Like women elsewhere, Oregon women do not necessarily want to call their doctors for every little thing. However, some symptoms and signs require a call to the doctor or even a trip to the emergency room. For instance, vaginal bleeding or spotting during pregnancy is not normal and necessitates a visit to the doctor. If a woman feels dizzy or faints, that is another reason to call a doctor right away.
A woman should also contact her doctor is she experiences a sudden gush of fluid, sudden swelling or swelling that fails to go down. Everyone gets headaches from time to time, but when a pregnant woman has a severe or sudden headache, it could mean trouble for her and/or the baby. Pain in the pelvis or abdomen that does not go away, is sharp or intense, or is only on one side of the body could also be an indicator of a problem.
Any contractions would concern most pregnant women if they happen prior to the 37-week mark, but when they happen less than every 10 minutes, they should seek medical attention. Babies do have times when they do not move around because they are sleeping, but a woman usually knows when her unborn child is not moving enough. If a baby’s movements decrease significantly, it is time to go to the doctor.
The problem is whether a woman is taken seriously when making these and other complaints. Some doctors tend to ignore a woman’s concerns and that could have serious repercussions for mother and/or child. Oregon women who do not believe their doctors took their pregnancy concerns seriously before something went wrong may not have received the standard of care they and their unborn children deserved.