Pregnancy and fever, when should I worry? 2026

Although medical emergencies are a public resource that, in general, Spanish society should make more responsible use of, there are special situations in which, if there is even the slightest doubt, it is advisable to do so. This is the exceptional case of pregnant women, who in addition to protecting their own health, like other citizens, have to do the same with the life that is growing inside them. And during the pregnancy process, the body experiences sensations that are absolutely unknown in many cases to the pregnant woman, so that in the event of any worrying and unknown symptoms it is advisable to seek advice from a specialist. But what happens when the symptom that appears is well known, such as a fever, for example?

Fever is one of those symptoms that can appear during the nine months of gestation that you do know well since it accompanies us practically from birth, appearing from time to time - in some people more than in others - in our lives. This is one of the symptoms that most disconcerts a pregnant woman, since she knows well that unpleasant sensation that causes a febrile process but not what triggered it. And that is where the brain, a very powerful tool when it is put to work at full capacity, begins to spin ideas, some more crazy than others.

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Worrying, sooner or later, is a direct consequence of this sea of ​​doubts in which you have entered due to the mixture of ignorance and worry that takes place inside you. So that this does not happen, or at least that uncertainty that can have worse consequences - nerves, anxiety, insomnia, etc. - than the fever itself can be limited as much as possible, it is advisable to know in advance of it appearing when it is really worrying for it to appear throughout the pregnancy.

Pay attention to the symptoms

Before entering into the two warning signs that are something to start worrying about when they occur in a pregnant woman with fever, we must clarify a detail that is often confused: fever as such does not affect the development of the baby; What can do it is the cause that provokes that reaction of the body, which in the end is what the fever is.

This is an unmistakable indicator that something abnormal is happening in the body. It could simply be a cold or the flu, but it is also possible that some type of serious infection is hidden behind it that can have consequences on the development of the fetus. That is why it is essential to pay attention to two factors in particular: the exact temperature and the symptoms associated with the febrile process.

As a general rule, experts recommend that if the fever rises above 38 degrees, it is a reason for a pregnant woman to consult a doctor. To avoid risks. This does not mean that as the mercury rises to the aforementioned degrees you have to rush to the emergency room - also remember that you can always go first, if the issue does not require the immediacy of a hospital emergency room, to the midwife who is handling your pregnancy at the health center - but it is a first indicator to consider if it does not go down quickly, especially if it is not associated with any clear symptoms, or these are even more worrying. There are exceptions that in principle encourage you to remain calm and wait a little for the evolution of the febrile process; for example, that it is a consequence of the aforementioned flu.

Warning signs

What is a worrying associated symptom? The fact that there are no clear symptoms associated with fever is already clear, and in this strange case it is advisable to rule out a major problem by putting yourself in the hands of a specialist. Furthermore, one of the most serious is persistent vomiting and nausea, especially in the first trimester, as midwife Rosabel Molina Olías told the Efela agency when mentioning this double symptom as one of the three causes that are a mandatory reason for an immediate visit to the emergency room.

A urine infection, loss of vaginal fluid, diarrhea, deep abdominal pain or prolonged and recurrent headaches are other symptoms that, if they appear in the company of fever in a pregnant woman, are an unequivocal sign to worry about what is happening.

Be careful, it may be nothing, but in these cases it is best to always act accordingly as soon as possible by going to the emergency room so that a medical specialist can diagnose the health problem that is causing this violent reaction of the body. In fact, the vast majority of the symptoms mentioned are a reason for a hospital visit on their own, regardless of whether the fever has also increased or not.