Important signs to watch for if you are pregnant

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Bad cramps or stomach pains that don't go away
Bleeding or a trickle or gush of fluid from your vagina
Lower back pain/pressure or change in lower back pain
A feeling that the baby is pushing down
Contractions or change in the strength or number of them
An increase in the amount of vaginal discharge
Fever, chills, dizziness, vomiting or a bad headache
Blurry vision or spots before your eyes
Sudden or severe swelling of your feet, hand or face
A significant change in your baby's movements

Go to a hospital right away and contact your doctor/midwife if you have any of these symptoms!

Adapted with permission from:
Best Start: Ontario's Maternal Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre

Last Reviewed August 2011

Taking Care of Yourself

Smoking, drugs & alcohol

Be Safe have an alcohol-free pregnancy | Smoking & pregnancy | Medication use in pregnancy |

Smoking & pregnancy

If you smoke, now is a great time to quit!

Physical benefits to you after quitting:

Within 20 minutes	Blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature in your hands and feet return to normal
Within 8 hours	Amount of oxygen in your blood improves
Within 24 hours	Sense of taste and smell improve
Within 3 days	Lung capacity improves, airways relax if they are not damaged, breathing is easier
2 weeks to 3 months	Circulation improves, lungs begin to work better, walking is easier
At 1 year	Risk of heart disease is reduced by half
At 5- 15 years	Risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer continuously lowers
(Adapted from the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, 2004)

Other added benefits of quitting:

Decreased risk of developing:

Certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, circulatory problems,
Respiratory diseases (pneumonia, flu, colds, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Peptic ulcers, tooth loss, gum disease, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, menstrual problems

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Smoking has been shown to cause serious health problems to you and your baby

Smoking during pregnancy can cause placental problems, vaginal bleeding early or late in pregnancy, premature rupture of the membranes and preterm labour. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant death in Canada.
Smoking can also result in low birth weight and miscarriage. Pregnant women who smoke also face more problems in labour and birth and are at higher risk for delayed tissue healing following a caesarean delivery
Exposure to second-hand smoke has been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as crib death. Babies who breathe second-hand smoke have more colds, chest infections and asthma.

What you can do...

Speak with your health care provider for information that can help you quit smoking
Get help to quit smoking before you become pregnant
During your pregnancy, quit smoking. It can improve your baby's birth weight and your heath
Make your home smoke-free
Avoid exposure to second-hand smoke

For more information:

Region of Peel - Public Health
905-799-7700
Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
to speak with a Public Health Nurse

Caledon residents call free of charge at 905-584-2216

Secondhand Smoke
Peel Public Health

Making Your Home Smoke-Free
Peel Public Health

Smokers’ Helpline

Pregnets
Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy Toolkit

Healthy Pregnancy
Government of Canada

The Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline
Motherisk
1-877-327-4636

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