when not to worry

It’s easy to worry about every new sensation in your body. But remember that the vast majority of babies are born perfectly healthy.

wetness When a pregnant woman sees wet sheets, she thinks, My water has broken! But more likely, that little wetness on your sheets or underpants is only urine. Because pregnancy can put pressure on the bladder, many women leak urine without realizing it. When to call the doctor: If the wetting persists or seems like a lot, call your doctor. She’ll want to be sure you’re not leaking amniotic fluid, which is a concern before the 37th week because such leakage could trigger labor or lead to infection.

swelling Pregnant women retain excess fluid because of the extra water-retaining hormones in the body. In addition, a woman’s blood volume increases by 30 to 50 percent in preparation for labor and delivery. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about the puffiness. “It has nothing to do with how much or how little water or salt you ingest,” Frieder says.
    If you’re swollen, keeping your legs up will help; so will swimming. Even sitting in a pool up to your chin will help redistribute the water in your body. When to call the doctor: Sudden swelling accompanied by a headache may be a sign of preeclampsia, a dangerous condition of pregnancy. Call your doctor if you experience this after your 28th week.
    Despite the myriad concerns that attend pregnancy, it’s important to remember that the vast majority of babies come out just fine. Besides her bleeding scare, Schuler admits she had other worries during her three pregnancies, including chronic vomiting with one and lack of movement with two. “Now that I’ve had three perfectly healthy babies,” she says, “I look back and realize I could have worried a lot less.”