The following list of symptoms has been written to guide you; this will be discussed with you by your midwife within 24 hours of your baby’s birth.
Immediate action required: Emergency action
See a doctor urgently (consider calling 999 for an ambulance).
If you have any of these symptoms:
- Sudden or heavy bleeding, especially if you feel dizzy
- Fever, shivering or tummy pain – especially with bad-smelling vaginal discharge
- Severe or ongoing headache
- Shortness of breath or chest pain
- Pain, redness or swelling in your calf
- Rash across your body
- Feeling very low, anxious or restless
- Confused thoughts, hearing or seeing things that are not there
- Thoughts of harming yourself or someone else
This is especially important if you have had mental health problems before.
If you are worried about your baby:
- Very sleepy, limp or floppy
- Not responding to you
- Fast or noisy breathing (for example, grunting)
- Blue lips
- A fit or seizure
- Yellow or orange skin (jaundice) in the first 24 hours, or severe jaundice after 24 hours
- Has not had a wet nappy or passed meconium (first poo) in the first 24 hours
- A rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
- Vomiting green fluid
- A soft spot (fontanelle) on the head that looks very sunken or swollen
- Temperature over 38 °C
- Blood in their poo
- Feeding much less than usual, or far fewer wet nappies than usual
- Feels cold to the touch (apart from hands and feet), even when dressed for the weather
Urgent advice: Urgent action
When to get advice the same day
Call your community midwife, Clinic 23, NHS 111, or see your GP within 24 hours if you have any of the symptoms below. Your baby should also be seen on the same day if you are worried.
If you have any of these symptoms:
- Fever, chills, tummy pain or vaginal discharge that looks or smells unpleasant
- Severe pain in the area between your vagina and anus (perineum)
- Pain from piles (haemorrhoids) that is hard to cope with
- Problems weeing or pooing, especially if you can’t get to the toilet in time
- You have not passed any urine within six hours after birth
- Feelings of sadness (the “baby blues”) that have not gone away after two weeks
- Signs of mastitis (breast pain, redness, or flu-like symptoms) lasting more than a few hours
- Severe problems with breastfeeding
If you are worried about your baby:
- Sleepy and not feeding well
- Yellow or orange skin (jaundice) that starts after 7 days or lasts longer than 14 days
- Constipation (if bottle-fed) or diarrhoea
- Redness or swelling around the umbilical cord
- Crying a lot and not easy to settle
Non-urgent advice: Non-urgent action
When to call your midwife or GP
Call your community midwife for advice. You may be able to wait and see while trying simple self-care measures, or you can see your GP if needed.
If you have any of these symptoms:
- Pain during sex
- Discomfort or pain in the area between your vagina and anus (perineum)
- Piles (haemorrhoids)
- Headache or backache
- Feeling very tired all the time (persistent fatigue)
- Constipation
- Cracked or painful nipples
- Breasts that are swollen or hard, or if you feel you are not making enough milk
If you are worried about your baby:
- Mild jaundice (yellow or orange skin) when your baby is feeding well and not sleepy
- Any jaundice lasting more than 14 days in a baby born after 37 weeks, or more than 21 days if born early (before 37 weeks)
- Thrush (a yeast infection)
- Blood in their nappy
- Nappy rash