Signs That Need Same-Day Attention

GDM is mostly managed through routine appointments. A short list of symptoms should not wait for the next one, and it is worth keeping somewhere you can find it.

• Reduced or absent movements from your baby.
• Any vaginal bleeding, or fluid leaking.
• Regular painful contractions before term.
• A severe headache, blurred or flashing vision, or sudden swelling of the face and hands — these can indicate preeclampsia.
• Pain in the upper abdomen, under the ribs.
• A blood sugar low that will not come up after repeated treatment.
• Readings staying very high with vomiting or feeling generally unwell.
• Fever, or vomiting you cannot keep fluids down through.

Reduced fetal movement is the one most often delayed and the one to act on fastest. It is never an overreaction to have it checked.

Preeclampsia deserves specific mention because GDM raises the risk of it, and its warning signs — headache, visual changes, sudden swelling, upper abdominal pain — are easy to attribute to ordinary pregnancy discomfort.

Keep your hospital's number, your doctor's number and your own readings somewhere accessible, including written down rather than only on a phone.

Two practical notes. Nobody at a maternity unit will think you have overreacted by calling about any of these — they would far rather hear from you early. And if you cannot reach your own doctor, go to the maternity unit rather than waiting for a call back.