Complications

As you know, your hormones are quite unbalanced when you are pregnant. Everything seems to be breaking down on you. Your once healthy body now feels awful, and you can’t seem to do anything to get rid of the nausea. You’re definitely familiar with the various symptoms of pregnancy—but do you know how to tell when those symptoms are actually an indication of a serious problem?

Learn about various pregnancy complications—what causes them, what risks are involved, who is susceptible and who is not, and how to treat or prevent these problems.

Inside This Section

• Anemia During Pregnancy >

  Learn about anemia during pregnancy—who it affects, how it is treated, and how it’s prevented.

• Bed Rest During Pregnancy >

  If your doctor has prescribed bed rest for a few days or weeks, you probably have a lot of questions. Although you may welcome a little rest initially, extended bed rest during pregnancy can be quite difficult, especially if you are normally very active. Even if you are not very active, you may find the […]

• Bleeding During Pregnancy >

  Unlike spotting, real bleeding during pregnancy is a serious issue. Medical attention should be sought if you are bleeding heavily. It doesn’t matter which trimester you are in. If you are bleeding while you are pregnant, you must find out the cause immediately.

• Blurred Vision During Pregnancy >

  Although it’s not as commonly talked about as morning sickness, blurred vision is a very common problem expectant mothers face during pregnancy. Learn what causes ones vision to change, as well as what to look for and how to treat the problem.

• Cervical Cerclage: The Procedure >

  Some women experience a weak cervix that struggles to stay closed during the pregnancy term. Cervical cerclage is a procedure doctors use to help a woman’s cervix stay shut until the baby is ready to be born.

• Cryptic Pregnancy (“I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant!”) >

  Believe it or not, it is sometimes possible for a woman to carry a baby all the way to term without ever realizing she is pregnant. This is called a cryptic pregnancy, and it happens more often than one might think; according to one study, one out of every 475 pregnancies is a cryptic pregnancy, […]

• Eclampsia >

  Eclampsia — seizures in a pregnant woman that are unrelated to a preexisting brain condition — is a serious complication of preeclampsia, which is pregnancy-induced high blood pressure coupled with large amounts of protein in the urine. Eclampsia is rare, complicating less than one percent of all pregnancies, and characterized by one or more seizures […]

• Endometriosis During Pregnancy >

  Endometriosis is a common condition that affects about 15 percent of women during their childbearing years.

• Epilepsy and Pregnancy >

  Epilepsy presents many challenges for the estimated 1 percent of Americans (about 2 million people) who suffer from it—and epilepsy and pregnancy together can be an especially difficult journey to navigate.

• Fetal Non-Stress Test >

  If your pregnancy is considered high-risk, your doctor may want to start administering fetal non-stress tests sometime after the 30th week of pregnancy.   A fetal non-stress test (called an NST)—so named because it is non-invasive and puts no stress on the developing fetus—is designed to determine fetal “well-being” by detecting changes in the fetal heartbeat, […]

• Flu and Colds During Pregnancy >

  Find out why pregnant women are more susceptible to catching the flu or a cold, how to prevent it from happening, and which medications are deemed safe and unsafe.

• Gestational Diabetes >

  Learn what can increase your risk of developing gestational diabetes (diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy) and how to control, treat, and prevent complications.

• HELLP Syndrome >

  Many doctors associate HELLP Syndrome with preeclampsia, however, there are many documented cases where HELLP Syndrome occurs without the diagnosis of preeclampsia. Learn about symptoms, causes, risk ractors, prevention and treatment steps in this article.

• High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy >

  High blood pressure can cause many serious problems for you and your baby while you are pregnant. Learn more about the importance of blood pressure, how to treat it when it’s high and who’s more susceptible than others.

• Hydrops Fetalis >

  Hydrops fetalis, also known simply as hydrops, occurs when excess fluid builds up in a fetus, causing swelling of tissue. This swelling can occur throughout the fetus’ body, but more commonly occurs in certain areas, typically the abdomen. Hydrops is a very serious condition that causes fetal death in about half of all cases. Fortunately, […]

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum >

  More than 50 percent of pregnant women experience morning sickness in the early stages of pregnancy, but only 2 percent experience the condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum, which is characterized by debilitating nausea and vomiting that threatens the health of mother and baby alike.

• Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy >

  Learn about hypothyroidism during pregnancy to help prevent complications associated with this condition.

• Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) >

  IUGR is not a common condition, but can occur in people who are at high risk. Learn more about this condition and what it can do to you and your baby.

• Neonatal Jaundice >

  A small percentage of newborn babies lose their gorgeous pink color and glowing complexion soon after birth due to the development of neonatal jaundice. The skin of a child with neonatal jaundice will have a yellowish appearance, as will the whites of the eyes. This yellow color is almost always harmless, and it usually goes […]

• Oligohydramnios and Polyhydramnios >

  The amniotic fluid that fills the uterus during pregnancy serves multiple purposes: It protects the fetus from physical injury by providing a cushion against impact. It ensures proper bone and limb growth by allowing the fetus to move about freely. The fetus breathes the amniotic fluid while it is in the womb; this is necessary […]

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease >

  Pelvic inflammatory disease, also known as PID, is just what its name suggests—an inflammation of one or more of a woman’s pelvic reproductive organs, including the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. It is caused by bacterial infection, most often resulting from a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Pelvic inflammatory disease is a serious condition that affects […]

• Placenta Accreta >

  When a woman’s placenta attaches itself to deeply in the uterine wall, the condition is called placenta accreta. Learn about the various forms of this serious pregnancy complication.

• Placenta Previa >

  Placenta previa occurs during the end of a woman’s pregnancy term, generally starting at the end of the second trimester, into the third trimester. This is a serious complication that can lead to death.

• Placental Abruption (Abruptio Placentae) >

  When a woman’s placenta attaches itself to deep in the uterine wall, the condition is called placenta accreta. Learn about the different forms of this serious pregnancy complication.

• Preeclampsia >

  Preeclampsia can range from mild to severe, and only occurs in women who are pregnant. Learn about the signs and symptoms of preeclampsia, what risks are involved for you and your baby, as well as how to treat it.

• Pregnancy Induced Hypertension >

  Pregnancy induced hypertension can be a very serious condition that many women have to deal with while pregnant. Also known as toxemia or preeclampsia, PIH is a treatable condition if caught early enough.

• PUPPP >

  Pregnancy induced hypertension can be a very serious condition that many women have to deal with while pregnant. Also known as toxemia or preeclampsia, PIH is a treatable condition if caught early enough.

• Rh Factor in Pregnancy >

  The Rh factor typically isn’t important until a woman is pregnant and her does not match that of her fetus. Learn about the tests required to determine the Rh factor in the mother, father, and baby, and what happens if treatment is needed.

• STDs and Pregnancy >

  Finding out that you’ve contracted an STD—a sexually transmitted disease—is a horrifying, traumatic experience for anyone. If you’re pregnant, however, it’s not just your health that’s at stake, but that of your baby as well. Depending on the type of infection you have, an STD during pregnancy can cause any number of complications, including premature […]

• TTTS (Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome) >

  Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, also known as TTTS, Feto-Fetal Transfusion Syndrome (FFTS), or Twin Oligohydramnios-Polyhydramnios Sequence (TOPS), is a rare condition occurring only in pregnancies involving identical twins or multiples that share a placenta. In cases of TTTS, the circulatory systems of a pair of identical twins become connected through the placenta, and one twin—the “donor” […]

• Urinary Tract Problems During Pregnancy >

  Urinary tract problem while you are pregnant can become a major problem. Besides needing to urinate constantly, take a look at other complications this problem can cause and what can be done to fix the problem immediately.

Being Pregnant

• Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy
• Aches and Pains
• Acne During Pregnancy – A Complete Guide
• Amniocentesis
• Bed Rest During Pregnancy
• Bleeding During Pregnancy
• Chorionic Villus Sampling
• Complications
  • Anemia During Pregnancy
  • Blurred Vision During Pregnancy
  • Breast Cancer and Pregnancy
  • Cervical Cerclage: The Procedure
  • Depression During Pregnancy
  • Eclampsia
  • Endometriosis During Pregnancy
  • Epilepsy and Pregnancy
  • Flu and Colds During Pregnancy
  • Gestational Diabetes
  • Gestational Trophoblastic Disease
  • HELLP Syndrome
  • High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
  • Hyperemesis Gravidarum
  • Insomnia During Pregnancy
  • Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)
  • Placenta Accreta
  • Placenta Previa
  • Placental Abruption (Abruptio Placentae)
  • Preeclampsia
  • Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
  • PUPPP
  • Rh Factor in Pregnancy
  • TTTS (Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome)
  • Urinary Tract Problems During Pregnancy
  • Vasa Previa
  • Working During Pregnancy
• Cryptic Pregnancy (“I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant!”)
• Dehydration During Pregnancy
• Fetal Non-Stress Test
• First Trimester
• Hair Growth During Pregnancy and Hair Loss After Pregnancy
• Health & Nutrition
• Hydrops Fetalis
• Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy
• NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing)
• Older Women Conceiving Twins
• Oligohydramnios and Polyhydramnios
• Paternity Test
• Pregnancy FAQ
• Pregnancy Ultrasound
• Pregnancy Week by Week
• Second Trimester
• Sex During Pregnancy
• STDs and Pregnancy
• Stress & Anxiety
• Superfetation (or “Getting Pregnant While Already Pregnant!”)
• Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction
• Teen Pregnancy
• The Panorama Test
• Third Trimester
• Twins and Multiples
• When Do You Start Feeling the Baby Kick? (Pregnancy Quickening )
• When Do You Start Showing During Pregnancy?
• When Do You Take Maternity Photos?