Postpartum Warning Signs
Recognizing When Something Isn’t Right
Your body continues to heal and adjust after giving birth. Some changes are expected—but others may be a sign that something is wrong. Call your care team right away if you experience any of the following symptoms. If you think it’s an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Call your care team as soon as possible if you have:
- Blurry vision or other vision changes
- Chest pain or pressure
- Dizziness or fainting
- A fever higher than 100.4°F (38°C)
- Fluid, blood, or pus coming from your C-section incision
- A headache that does not go away, or gets worse
- Heavy bleeding (soaking more than two pads in one hour) or blood clots larger than a quarter coin
- Severe stomach or back pain
- A sore, red, or painful spot on your breast
- Swelling, redness, or pain in one leg
- Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
View or download our guide to warning signs in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese:
Learn More about Warning Signs
Some health problems after giving birth are life-threatening, and can happen up to a year after you have a baby.
The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) has reliable information about how to recognize when you need urgent medical attention after giving birth.
Videos: When to Call 911 and When to Call Your Provider (English)
In these videos, Family Nurse Practitioner Nikki Hunter-Greenaway (“Nurse Nikki”) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s 4th Trimester Project explains when to call 911 or go to urgent care versus when call your provider to tell them what’s going on.
Videos: When to Call 911 and When to Call Your Provider (Spanish)
Dr. Karina Holzl, also from the 4th Trimester Project, gives the same information in Spanish:
Physical Health
