In 60 seconds
Your short plan for this week
Save three contacts in the phone: routine maternity care, urgent maternity assessment and emergency services.
Ask where you should go outside office hours and whether the route changes before or after a particular gestational week.
Do not use a consumer Doppler, smartwatch or home blood-pressure reading to overrule symptoms that need professional assessment.
What you may notice
Your body and how you may feel
Sleep positions and supportive pillows may become more relevant as the abdomen grows.
What is happening
Baby’s development this week
Rapid brain, hearing and movement development continues.
Plain-language examples
What this means in real life
A contact plan is useful before the third trimester because urgent symptoms do not arrive according to an appointment schedule.
A short checklist
What to do now
- Save three contacts in the phone: routine maternity care, urgent maternity assessment and emergency services.
- Stay active in ways that feel stable and are appropriate for your pregnancy.
- Learn what movement changes should prompt a call later in pregnancy.
Pause and check
What not to do—or what to ask first
- Do not use a consumer Doppler, smartwatch or home blood-pressure reading to overrule symptoms that need professional assessment.
What may be coming up
Appointments, tests and decisions
Ask where you should go outside office hours and whether the route changes before or after a particular gestational week.
For the support person
One useful thing a partner can do
- Store the same numbers and know the route, parking or transport plan without relying on the pregnant person to direct you under stress.
Contact your care team
Contact your doctor or maternity team promptly
Some concerns need advice before the next routine appointment even when they do not feel like an emergency. If a symptom becomes severe, sudden or frightening, use urgent care instead.
See when to contact careUrgent or emergency
Urgent signs during pregnancy or within a year after birth
Get medical care immediately for these symptoms. The list is not exhaustive; if something feels seriously wrong, seek help.
Open urgent warning signs