Pregnancy guides: care, symptoms and warning signs

What usually happens at each stage, what’s safe to eat and take, and which symptoms mean calling your midwife or maternity unit now.

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4 min read After a positive test: the first weeks How to arrange your pregnancy care, get ready for your first appointment, and get help with early symptoms. Includes when to get help, with UK and US notes.
4 min read Alcohol, smoking and caffeine in pregnancy Clear advice on alcohol, smoking, vaping and caffeine, with practical support and how UK and US guidance differs. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Antenatal care: what’s usually offered Compare NHS appointments, US prenatal care planned around you and WHO contacts, with ways to plan visits and get help in between.
4 min read Common pregnancy discomforts Practical help for heartburn, constipation, piles, aches, cramps, swelling and sleep, and signs that you need care soon.
4 min read Food safety in pregnancy Which foods need care, why preparing them properly matters, and how UK and US advice differs for cheese, meat, eggs and fish.
4 min read Gestational diabetes Who is offered a test, how gestational diabetes is managed, and the follow-up checks to arrange after the birth. Gestational diabetes often has no symptoms.
8 min read Going past your due date and induction of labour What going past 40 weeks means, when induction is offered in the UK and US, how it's done, how it can feel and what you can choose.
8 min read Infections in pregnancy that can affect your baby, including group B strep How group B strep testing differs between the UK and US, signs of infection in a newborn, and which infections to tell your midwife about early.
4 min read Labour: signs, stages and when to call Spot possible signs of labour, understand the stages, and know when to call your maternity team without waiting for a timing rule.
4 min read Medicines in pregnancy How to go through your medicines with a pharmacist or doctor, including the different advice on paracetamol and acetaminophen.
4 min read Mental health in pregnancy Depression, anxiety and fear of giving birth: what support can look like, reviewing medicines, and where to get urgent help.
4 min read Planning for birth: choices to think about Think about where to give birth, pain relief, support, and decisions about induction or a caesarean, while leaving room for change.
4 min read Pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure in pregnancy Why blood pressure and urine checks matter, symptoms that need urgent help, and care during pregnancy and after birth. Includes when to get help.
5 min read Pregnancy and work: your rights in the UK and US General information, not legal advice: antenatal appointments, changes at work, maternity leave, pay and US protections.
4 min read Pregnancy scans and screening tests What scans, blood screening and diagnostic tests look for, how UK and US offers differ, and the choices you can make. Scans can’t find every health condition.
4 min read Pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum What can help with sickness in pregnancy, how severe sickness is treated, and when to get help for dehydration. Includes when to get help, with UK and US notes.
5 min read Pregnancy symptoms that need help Which symptoms need emergency help, a call to your maternity team now, or advice today, with UK, US and local contacts. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Staying active in pregnancy How to adapt exercise during pregnancy, which activities to avoid, and the warning signs that mean stop and get help. Includes when to get help.
8 min read Stillbirth and losing a baby later in pregnancy When a baby dies later in pregnancy: the birth, time with your baby, tests, your body afterwards, paperwork, grief and where to find support.
4 min read Unplanned pregnancy: your options Continuing a pregnancy, adoption or abortion: practical next steps, how access differs by place, and questions about privacy.
4 min read Vaccines in pregnancy Whooping cough, flu, RSV and COVID advice by region, including recent changes and questions to ask your maternity team. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Vitamins and supplements in pregnancy Folic acid, vitamin D, iron and iodine: what the advice says, how it differs by country, and what to check on the label.
4 min read Your baby’s movements Getting to know your baby’s pattern of movements, why a change needs a call straight away, and how UK and US advice on counting differs.

Written by the Ruva team from the sources listed in each guide. They aren’t medical advice. If you’re worried about a symptom, talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.