Fever in the first trimester: what to know

Early pregnancy symptoms can overlap with infection symptoms, and the source may be in the urinary tract, throat, lungs, stomach, or skin. A fever does not identify one diagnosis by itself. Your clinician will consider the reading, duration, accompanying symptoms, pregnancy dates, previous conditions, and medicines.

Write down when the fever began and whether you have chills, painful urination, one-sided back pain, cough, breathing difficulty, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, pelvic pain, or vaginal bleeding. Mention recent travel, sick contacts, and any medicine or supplement already taken.

Use a thermometer, rest, sip fluids, and keep the room comfortably cool. Contact your pregnancy care provider promptly for advice. Do not use leftover antibiotics or herbal fever products, and check combination cold medicines before taking them. A clinician may arrange urine testing or other assessment and can recommend a suitable treatment plan.

Go to urgent care for difficulty breathing, confusion, fainting, severe headache with neck stiffness, a seizure, severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, dehydration, persistent vomiting, or a rapidly spreading rash. Same-day advice is appropriate for fever with urinary pain, flank pain, or feeling increasingly unwell.

Ask whether the fever could come from a urine or respiratory infection, which tests are needed, which medicine is suitable at your stage, and whether follow-up or an ultrasound is advised. Ask how to record your temperature and when to seek help again.