Pregnancy Symptoms: What's Normal and When to Worry

Pregnancy reshapes nearly every system in your body, so a long list of strange sensations is completely expected. The following are normal — manage them for comfort, but they're not signs that anything is wrong.

• Nausea and vomiting in the first trimester (eating little and often helps).
• Tiredness, especially in the first and third trimesters.
• Heartburn and indigestion, sore breasts, constipation, and needing to wee often.
• Mild swelling of the feet and ankles that's worse at the end of the day and better after rest.
• Round-ligament pain — short, sharp twinges low down as the uterus stretches.
• Braxton-Hicks ('practice') contractions — irregular tightenings that ease when you move.
• Backache, leg cramps, stuffy nose, bleeding gums and vivid dreams.

These aren't usually emergencies, but they're worth flagging so your team can keep an eye on them — sometimes they're the early edge of something that needs monitoring.

• Mild but persistent itching (note where — see the red flags about palms and soles).
• Swelling that's becoming more noticeable but isn't sudden.
• Heartburn that's stopping you eating or sleeping despite simple measures.
• Feeling persistently low, anxious or disconnected.
• A symptom that's clearly changing in pattern or getting steadily worse.

• Vaginal bleeding at any stage.
• Reduced, slowed, stopped or changed baby movements (from ~24 weeks).
• A severe headache, especially with blurred vision, flashing spots, or pain under the ribs — possible pre-eclampsia.
• Sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet.
• Severe or constant tummy pain.
• A gush or trickle of fluid from the vagina (waters breaking), especially before 37 weeks.
• A high temperature, shivering, or burning/pain when you wee.
• Persistent vomiting where you can't keep fluids down.
• Regular painful contractions before 37 weeks.
• Calf pain, redness or swelling, or chest pain and breathlessness — possible blood clot.

First trimester

Nausea, fatigue, sore breasts and food aversions dominate. Light spotting can happen but any bleeding should be checked. Severe one-sided pain with shoulder-tip pain or faintness needs emergency care (to rule out ectopic pregnancy).

Second trimester

Usually the most comfortable phase. New normals: a growing bump, round-ligament twinges, mild swelling and first movements. Report any bleeding, leaking fluid, or absent movements once you've started feeling them.

Third trimester

Heartburn, breathlessness, swelling, back ache and Braxton-Hicks are expected. Reduced movements, severe headache, vision changes, sudden swelling and any bleeding are the key red flags to act on immediately.

Low mood, anxiety, intrusive thoughts and feeling detached are common in pregnancy and the postnatal period — and they're treatable. They are as real and important as physical symptoms.

• Persistent sadness, loss of interest, or tearfulness most days for more than two weeks.
• Anxiety or panic that interferes with daily life.
• Frightening or intrusive thoughts.
• Any thoughts of harming yourself or your baby — seek help urgently.