When to call your health care provider

Call your health care provider right away if:

• you are bleeding from the vagina more than just spotting
• you have constant, severe pain with no relief between contractions
• you have symptoms of high blood pressure including headache, changes in your vision, increased swelling (such as your hands or face) or an elevated blood pressure (130/80 or higher)

Call your health care provider if:

• your water breaks (gush or trickle of fluid)
• your contractions are five minutes or less apart and have been that way for at least one hour or if your contractions become longer, stronger and closer together
• you have a temperature higher than 100.4 F
• you have any problems you know or think are related to your pregnancy
• you notice a decrease in your baby's activity.

Health care providers differ in how to report that you are in labor. Your health care provider may want you to call the office any time of the day or night. Or, you may be asked to go to the hospital and have the hospital call when you are admitted.

If your health care provider doesn't return your call within 30 minutes, call the clinic again and have the answering service page your health care provider or have an on-call health care provider call you back.