An Overview of Pregnancy Complications
While most women have perfectly healthy pregnancies with only minor discomforts, it never hurts to know the warning signs of complications that can cause serious health problems for you and your baby. There is a range of different symptoms you can experience, both during and after pregnancy, from minor discomforts like nausea and leg cramps, to more severe problems like bleeding.
Every woman and every pregnancy is different, and some women have a problem-free experience. But you should be prepared to notice any changes in your body as your pregnancy advances.
Some of the complications that can occur with pregnancy include:
An ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube.
Symptoms of this pregnancy complication include:
- Slight, irregular vaginal bleeding that often is brownish
- Pain in the lower abdomen, often on one side, followed by severe pelvic pain
- Shoulder pain
- Faintness or dizziness
- Nausea or vomiting.
Because the embryo of an ectopic pregnancy cannot survive, it is removed surgically; or the woman is treated with a cancer drug, methotrexate, which dissolves the pregnancy.
