Cellulitis when pregnant

Cellulitis may cause a warm, red, swollen and painful patch, sometimes with fever or feeling unwell. Pregnancy can bring normal changes in swelling and skin sensitivity, but a new hot, tender area should not be dismissed as a pregnancy symptom. A cracked heel, small wound or Athlete's Foot may allow bacteria into deeper skin. The infection affects the pregnant person, so both the skin and general health need review.

Contact your maternity team, doctor or urgent clinic promptly and mention how far along the pregnancy is, your allergies and every medicine or supplement you take. Do not use leftover antibiotics or start a new cream without advice. Keep the area clean, avoid picking at it, rest with a swollen limb raised if comfortable, and follow the prescribed course exactly if treatment is given. Ask what improvement should look like and when you should be reviewed.

Get urgent care for rapidly spreading redness, severe pain, high temperature, shaking, dizziness, confusion, fainting, breathing difficulty or a sudden marked decline in how you feel. These may indicate a serious infection such as sepsis. Seek prompt review for redness near an eye, a hand, a wound or a genital area, and tell the maternity team about any concern rather than waiting for a routine appointment.

Ask which antibiotic or skin treatment fits your pregnancy, whether the baby needs any additional monitoring, how to manage pain safely, how to protect the skin, and what symptoms mean you should go straight to urgent care.