Postpartum Warning Signs: When to Call the Doctor, and When to Call 911

This is the page I want every partner, mom and best friend to have open on their phone the first week home. When you’re the one who just gave birth, you’re exhausted and foggy, and “I’m sure it’s fine” is the easiest thing to tell yourself. So the people around you need to know the list too.

The list comes from the CDC’s Hear Her campaign. It applies for a full year after birth, not just until the six-week appointment.

The CDC’s urgent maternal warning signs

Get medical care right away if you have any of these after giving birth:

1. A headache that won’t go away or keeps getting worse.
2. Dizziness or fainting.
3. Changes in your vision.
4. A fever of 100.4°F or higher.
5. Extreme swelling of your hands or face.
6. Thoughts about harming yourself or your baby.
7. Trouble breathing.
8. Chest pain or a fast-beating heart.
9. Severe nausea and throwing up.
10. Severe belly pain that doesn’t go away.
11. Vaginal bleeding or discharge after pregnancy (more on what counts as too much below).
12. Severe swelling, redness or pain in a leg or arm. The CDC flags this one for up to six weeks after birth.

Trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby: don’t wait on a callback. Call 911.

What “too much bleeding” looks like

You will bleed for weeks after birth, so “bleeding” alone isn’t the alarm. Cleveland Clinic and MedlinePlus give the lines:

• Soaking a pad every hour.
• Clots bigger than a golf ball.
• Discharge that smells foul or turns greenish.
• Bleeding along with fever or chills.

The normal version is in how long does postpartum bleeding last?

The quieter signs

MedlinePlus lists sudden weight gain of more than 2 pounds in a week as something to call about, because it can go with postpartum preeclampsia. The swelling, headache and vision items on the CDC list point the same way. Preeclampsia doesn’t stop being a risk the day the baby comes out.

If it’s your mind and not your body

Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby are on the CDC’s urgent list for a reason. They’re also a symptom NIMH lists for perinatal depression. They’re a medical problem, not a character flaw, and they’re treatable.

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988.
• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). Free, confidential, 24/7, English and Spanish.

How to tell normal baby blues from depression is in baby blues or postpartum depression?

How to say it so they listen

Start every call with “I gave birth on [date].” That one sentence changes how the person on the other end hears everything after it. The campaign is called Hear Her for a reason, and the first person who has to hear her is you. If something feels wrong, you don’t need a reason from this list to call. You just need to call.

Follow-up questions

How long after birth do postpartum warning signs matter?

The CDC's urgent maternal warning signs apply during pregnancy and for the year after delivery. Its leg and arm warning (severe swelling, redness or pain) is specifically flagged for up to six weeks after birth.

Can you get preeclampsia after giving birth?

Yes. MedlinePlus lists signs of postpartum preeclampsia to call about, including sudden weight gain of more than 2 pounds (1 kilogram) in a week. The CDC's warning signs that overlap with it include a headache that won't go away, vision changes and extreme swelling of the hands or face.

What do I say when I call?

Lead with the fact that you recently had a baby: 'I gave birth on [date] and I have [symptom].' Postpartum symptoms are easy to mistake for ordinary tiredness, and the date tells whoever answers to take them seriously.

Who can I call if I'm having thoughts of harming myself or my baby?

Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), which is free, confidential and open 24/7 in English and Spanish. If you or your baby are in immediate danger, call 911.