Blood Clot Symptoms Pregnancy: What to Watch For and When to Act
When you’re pregnant, your body changes in ways that make blood clots, abnormal clumping of blood that can block vessels and lead to life-threatening conditions more likely. Pregnancy increases your risk because your blood clots more easily to prevent excessive bleeding during delivery. But that same protection can backfire—clots can form in your legs, lungs, or other organs without warning. Knowing the blood clot symptoms pregnancy can save your life.
One of the most common dangers is deep vein thrombosis, a clot forming in a deep vein, usually in the leg. Look for swelling, warmth, redness, or pain in one leg—especially if it’s worse when standing or walking. If you feel a sudden, sharp pain in your chest, can’t catch your breath, or start coughing up blood, you could be having a pulmonary embolism, a clot that travels to the lungs. These are medical emergencies. Don’t wait to see if it gets better. Call your doctor or go to the ER right away.
Some symptoms get confused with normal pregnancy discomfort—swollen feet, tiredness, shortness of breath. But if the swelling is only in one leg, or your breathing feels suddenly harder than usual, that’s not just pregnancy. Hormonal shifts, reduced movement, and pressure from the growing uterus all raise your risk, especially in the third trimester and after delivery. Women with a family history of clots, those over 35, or those who had a C-section are at higher risk. It’s not something you can ignore.
You won’t find every story here about every possible sign, but you will find real, tested advice from women who’ve been through it, doctors who’ve seen the patterns, and data that shows what actually matters. What you’ll read below isn’t theory—it’s what people lived through, what doctors confirmed, and what you need to know before it’s too late.
- By Percival Harrington
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- 18 Nov 2025
Blood Clots and Pregnancy: What Every Expectant Mother Should Know
Blood clots during pregnancy are rare but dangerous. Learn the real risks, warning signs, and what to do if you're at risk - so you can stay safe and informed.