Chorevia

Day 177 of 280 · 25 weeks + 2 days

The urgent three

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 8 sources · Plain-text version

A headache that won't go, changes in your vision, pain below the ribs. Three signs that mean call now, written on a card that lives in your wallet.

Size this week
about the size of a courgette
Length this week
around 34.6 cm from head to heel
A Middle Eastern woman in a loose knit top with a 25-week bump at a café table in daylight, writing on a small index card, her open wallet beside a glass of water.

Twenty-five weeks and two days. Most of this week's notes are about comfort. This one is about three signs that should never wait for a convenient moment, and a card small enough to keep on you.

Your baby

One green zucchini on a plain pale wooden board, soft window light.

Around 34.6cm long from head to heel, about the size of a courgette (NHS). Your baby is very active now (NHS), and much of what happens at your checkups, including the blood pressure cuff, is about keeping it that way.

Your body

The NHS week 25 page has one instruction it marks as urgent: get help straight away for splitting headaches, vision problems, or pain below the ribs (NHS). The worry behind them is pre-eclampsia, which the same page says can happen in the second half of pregnancy or after the birth (NHS); MedlinePlus notes that headaches can signal it (MedlinePlus).

The CDC's numbers: high blood pressure in pregnancy is 140/90 mm Hg or higher on two readings at least 4 hours apart, and 160/110 or higher is severe and "requires prompt medical attention" (CDC). Your follow-up visits check your blood pressure every time (OWH). The card is for the days in between.

Try today

  1. The urgent-three card

    Time: 5 minutes

    1. On a small card, write three lines: headache that won't go away; changes in my vision; pain under my ribs (NHS).

    2. Underneath, write "Call now" and the number of your maternity unit or provider, including the after-hours line.

    3. Put the card in your wallet and send a photo of it to your partner or the person most often with you.

    4. Keep it after the birth. Postpartum preeclampsia usually comes within 48 hours but can develop up to 6 weeks later (CDC).

    Make it work:

    The card exists so you don't have to judge how bad is bad enough. If one of the three is there, you call, and the people on the other end decide.

Watch for

  • Normal

    an ordinary headache now and then, which the NHS lists for these weeks (NHS).

    Call your provider right away

    for a headache that won't go away or gets worse, one that persists despite medication and fluids, or one that comes with blurred vision or dizziness (CDC).

  • Normal

    rib pain as your rib cage expands (NHS).

    Call your provider right away

    for pain below the ribs; the NHS lists it among the signs to get urgent help for (NHS).

  • Normal

    a blood pressure reading taken and noted at each visit (OWH).

    Call your provider right away

    for changes in your vision or blind spots (MedlinePlus); the CDC lists changes in vision as an urgent warning sign (CDC).

For you

Why so much attention on this one: preeclampsia occurs in about 2% to 8% of all pregnancies and is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related death (CDC). Most people never get it. The checks and the card are how it gets caught early for the ones who do. The CDC's advice is plain: go to every appointment (CDC).

If you're the partner: learn the three lines by heart. If she mentions a headache, ask the second question: is it going away? If it isn't, you make the call.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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