Pregnancy-Related Conditions: See a Doctor Online

What is worrying you in your pregnancy?

Choose what fits best. Each page explains what is normal, what helps, what a doctor can do online, and the signs that need your maternity unit.

• Spotting around the time your period is dueImplantation bleeding→
• Bleeding or cramps in the first 13 weeksMiscarriage→
• Pain low down on one side in early pregnancyEctopic pregnancy→
• Bleeding later in pregnancyBleeding in pregnancy→
• Feeling sick or being sickMorning sickness→
• Being sick so often you cannot keep fluids downHyperemesis gravidarum→
• Sharp twinges low in the bump or groinRound ligament pain→
• Tightenings that come and goBraxton Hicks contractions→
• Pain at the front or back of the pelvisPelvic girdle pain→
• Heartburn, constipation or pilesDigestive problems in pregnancy→
• Itchy palms and soles, without a rashCholestasis of pregnancy→
• A rash, eczema or itchy skinSkin and allergy problems in pregnancy→
• A severe headache, vision problems or sudden swellingPre-eclampsia→
• Swollen ankles, feet or fingersSwelling (oedema) in pregnancy→
• Breathlessness, a racing heart or dizzinessHeart and lung symptoms in pregnancy→
• Pain or burning when you peeUTI in pregnancy→
• Itching or a thick white dischargeThrush in pregnancy→
• Sore, growing or leaking breastsBreast problems in pregnancy→
• A cold, earache, sinus pain or sore throatEar, nose and throat problems in pregnancy→
• Low mood, anxiety or sleepless nightsMental health in pregnancy→

Gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, blood clots and every other page are in the full list of pregnancy conditions.

Pregnancy conditions at a glance

The table lists every pregnancy page on Mobi Doctor: what each condition usually looks like and how much of its care works online. 28 of the 41 are usually treated or managed online, hyperemesis gravidarum is partly treated online, and 12 are assessed online, with the diagnosis and treatment given by your maternity team.

What each online-care label means is explained under online care in pregnancy.

Pregnancy warning signs: when to get help

Heavy bleeding, sudden severe pain, chest pain, sudden breathlessness, a seizure or collapse mean 112. Your baby moving less, a severe headache with vision problems or sudden swelling, leaking fluid or regular tightenings before 37 weeks mean your maternity unit straight away, at any hour.

Where to go depends on how far along you are

• Up to 12 weeks: a doctor or an early pregnancy unit.
• From 12 to 19 weeks: your midwife or an early pregnancy unit.
• From 20 weeks: your midwife or maternity unit, at any hour.
• At any stage, in an emergency: 112.

An online doctor can help you judge how urgent a symptom is and where to go, but never stands between you and these services.

Common pregnancy problems, trimester by trimester

Sickness, tiredness and sore breasts are most common in the first trimester; heartburn, ligament twinges and skin changes in the second; and tightenings, pelvic pain, swelling and poor sleep in the third. Most are normal, but each has a warning version.

First trimester: weeks 1 to 12

• Feeling sick or being sick, which affects around 8 in 10 pregnant women: morning sickness, and its severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum.
• Spotting around the time your period is due: implantation bleeding. Bleeding with cramps, or pain on one side, needs checking for miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
• Tiredness, especially in the first 12 weeks: tiredness in pregnancy.
• Sore, heavy breasts: breast pain in pregnancy.
• Needing to pee more often, which is normal; pain or burning is not: UTI in pregnancy.
• Headaches, which are common early on and usually improve as the pregnancy goes on.
• Mild cramps from stretching ligaments, constipation or trapped wind.

Second trimester: weeks 13 to 27

• Sharp twinges low in the bump or groin: round ligament pain.
• Heartburn and indigestion, more common from 12 weeks: indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy.
• Constipation and piles: constipation and haemorrhoids in pregnancy.
• Darker patches of skin, a dark line down the bump, and stretch marks.
• Feeling faint when you stand up quickly: dizziness and faintness.
• Your baby's first movements, which you start to feel between 16 and 24 weeks.
• A glucose test at 24 to 28 weeks if you have a risk factor for gestational diabetes.

Third trimester: weeks 28 to 40

• Tightenings that come and go: Braxton Hicks contractions.
• Pain at the front or back of the pelvis: pelvic girdle pain.
• Swollen ankles, feet and fingers, worse by the evening: swelling in pregnancy. Sudden swelling of the face or hands is different: pre-eclampsia.
• Itching, and the pattern of itchy palms and soles without a rash: cholestasis of pregnancy.
• Poor sleep: insomnia in pregnancy. From 28 weeks, go to sleep on your side, because going to sleep on your back can double the risk of stillbirth.
• Breathlessness, and when it needs checking: breathing problems in pregnancy.
• Bulging leg veins: varicose veins in pregnancy.

Serious pregnancy complications: how common are they?

The serious complications of pregnancy include miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, severe sickness, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, cholestasis, blood clots, placenta praevia, premature labour and mental illness. Each has its own warning signs, and several are picked up at routine antenatal checks and scans.

Deaths in pregnancy are rare: between 2021 and 2023, about 13 in every 100,000 women giving birth in the UK died during pregnancy or in the 6 weeks after it. Blood clots remained the leading cause, and mental health problems, including suicide, were the leading cause of death from 6 weeks to a year after birth. That is why sudden breathlessness, a painful swollen leg and thoughts of self-harm are never something to wait on.

Medicines in pregnancy: what is usually safe?

Paracetamol is usually the first-choice painkiller in pregnancy. Ibuprofen is not advised unless a doctor prescribes it, especially after 20 weeks. Folic acid and vitamin D are recommended, vitamin A supplements are not, and a prescribed medicine is never stopped without advice.

Is paracetamol in pregnancy linked to autism?

There is no evidence that it causes autism. In September 2025 the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, said there is no evidence that taking paracetamol in pregnancy causes autism in children, that paracetamol remains the recommended pain relief in pregnancy when used as directed, and that untreated pain and fever can themselves pose risks to the baby.

An online doctor checks every medicine against how many weeks pregnant you are and what you already take. Controlled medicines are never prescribed online.

Infections, food and vaccines in pregnancy

A few infections matter more in pregnancy, among them listeria, toxoplasmosis, chickenpox, rubella and CMV. Simple food and hygiene habits lower the risk, and the whooping cough, flu and RSV vaccines protect you and your baby.

Food and drink

• Avoid unpasteurised milk and dairy, and cook soft cheeses with a white rind and soft blue cheeses until steaming hot; hard cheeses are fine.
• Avoid raw or undercooked meat, and cook cured meats such as salami and chorizo until steaming hot.
• Avoid liver and liver products, which contain high levels of vitamin A.
• Avoid raw shellfish, and swordfish, shark and marlin; eat no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week.
• Wash fruit and vegetables well to remove any soil.
• Avoid alcohol: the safest choice is none at all.
• Keep caffeine low: no more than about 2 mugs of instant coffee a day, counting tea, cola and energy drinks too.

Infections

• If you have not had chickenpox, or are not sure, and you are in contact with someone who has it, speak to a doctor or your midwife immediately: a blood test shows whether you are immune.
• Contact with rubella (German measles), or a new rash: speak to a doctor or your midwife as soon as possible. The MMR vaccine cannot be given in pregnancy.
• Contact with slapped cheek syndrome: a doctor can test whether you are immune, and in most cases the baby is not affected.
• Toxoplasmosis: avoid emptying cat litter trays, or wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards; wear gloves for gardening; and avoid lambing ewes and newborn lambs.
• CMV: wash your hands often, avoid kissing young children on the face, and do not share their food, cutlery or drinks.

Vaccines

• Whooping cough: usually at 20 weeks, possible from 16 weeks, and best before 32 weeks.
• Flu: the inactivated seasonal flu vaccine is recommended in pregnancy.
• RSV: offered around your 28-week appointment, and possible later, up to labour.

To see how much flu, COVID-19 and RSV is going around, check the flu tracker.

When should I see a doctor in pregnancy?

Book a consultation if:

• it burns or stings when you pee
• you have itching, soreness or a change in vaginal discharge
• sickness is stopping you eating, drinking or working
• heartburn, constipation or piles are not settling with pharmacy remedies
• you have a rash, eczema, or itchy skin with a rash
• a cold, cough, earache, sinus pain or sore throat is not getting better
• pelvic or back pain is making walking, stairs or sleep hard
• low mood, anxiety or poor sleep is affecting your days
• you want to know whether a medicine is suitable to take, or to keep taking
• you want a result explained, such as a glucose test or a blood pressure reading

An online consultation adds to your antenatal care: your midwife and maternity team still do your checks and scans, and the doctor tells you when you need them sooner.

Can an online doctor help in pregnancy?

What the doctor can do online

The doctor listens, looks at any photos you share and decides with you what helps. If a medicine is the right answer, the doctor prescribes it. If you need an examination, a test or urgent care, the doctor tells you where to go.

• Medicines checked for pregnancy Every prescription is chosen for your stage of pregnancy, and what you already take is reviewed.
• Everyday problems treated Sickness, heartburn, constipation, piles, urine infections, thrush, skin problems and colds.
• Urgency judged Whether a symptom can wait for your midwife, or needs your maternity unit now.
• Support for your mind Low mood, anxiety and sleep, with a route to perinatal mental health care when you need it.

What still needs in-person care

• your antenatal checks, scans, blood tests and blood pressure monitoring
• bleeding, which needs an early pregnancy unit or your maternity unit
• care for pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and cholestasis, led by your maternity team
• physiotherapy for pelvic girdle pain
• any emergency: call 112

What the online-care labels mean

Pregnancy health tools

Free tools on Mobi Doctor:

• Symptom Navigator→Pick a body area or type a symptom to find the right page
• Fit-to-fly checker→Whether your airline needs a certificate after surgery or a fracture, or in pregnancy
• Flu tracker→How much flu, COVID-19 and RSV is going around
• Medicine Shortage Tracker→Live shortage reports for medicines across Europe, from official registers

All pregnancy-related conditions

Many of these can be assessed and treated online. Each page covers what is normal, what helps, and the signs that need your maternity unit.

Each group also has an overview page:

Allergies and skin conditionsBreast problemsDigestive problemsEar, nose and throat problemsGynaecological problemsHeart and lungsMental health

How Mobi Doctor works

1. Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
2. Speak to a licensed doctor about your pregnancy: say how many weeks pregnant you are, what is happening, and the medicines and supplements you take; show any rash on camera.
3. Leave with a plan: what is suitable to take, what you can do yourself, and which signs mean your midwife or maternity unit. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.

Frequently asked questions about pregnancy conditions

Related conditions

UTI Thrush Back pain Sciatica Melasma Postpartum hair loss Birth control All conditions