Benign Causes Of Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy

From constipation to round ligament pain, here are some common culprits that cause harmless abdominal discomfort during pregnancy. Keep in mind that if the pain you’re experiencing continues or feels intenseor if you have worrisome symptoms such as bleeding or strong crampingyou should check in with your OB-GYN right away.

Diagnosing Stomach Pain During Pregnancy

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms, check your blood pressure, and perform a physical exam. They will most likely look at the fetus with an ultrasound as well.

Additional tests will depend on what the doctor suspects may be causing the pain but may include blood tests and other imaging.

When To Call The Doctor

Don’t hesitate to call your doctor if you feel like something’s not quite right. “If you have anything that you’re concerned about, you should contact your OB-GYN or be seen,” says Rebecca Shiffman, M.D., director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, New York. “That’s what we’re here forto provide answers to pregnant women and to provide whatever care they need.”

In particularl, always call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms:

• Abdominal pain with or without bleeding before 12 weeks
• Bleeding or strong cramping
• More than four contractions in an hour for two hours
• Pain during urination, difficulty urinating, or blood in your urine
• Severe abdominal pain

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Pain In Your Lower Abdomen Or Groin

Most often, this happens between 18 and 24 weeks. When you feel stretching or pain, move slowly or change positions.

Mild aches and pains lasting for short periods of time are normal. But see your provider right away if you have constant, severe abdominal pain, possible contractions, or you have pain and are bleeding or have fever. These are symptoms that can indicate more severe problems, such as:

• Placental abruption
• Preterm labor
• Appendicitis

What Causes Mild Belly Pain In Pregnancy

There are different causes for mild achiness or pain in the abdomen during the different stages of pregnancy.

Early pregnancy

• Some women have low, period-like pain or cramps early in pregnancy. But if pain is severe or felt on one side, call your health care provider right away.

Later in pregnancy

• As your belly grows, the muscles and ligaments that support your uterus stretch. This can cause a dull ache across the belly or a sharp pain on one side. Many women feel this pain most severely when getting up from a bed, chair or bathtub or when coughing.
• Gas pains and bloating may be caused by hormones that slow your digestion, the pressure of your growing uterus, constipation and heartburn.
• You may feel irregular contractions or tightening of your uterus muscles, often called Braxton-Hicks or false labor. False labor is usually painless, but some women feel pain. False labor tends to increase in the weeks right before your due date and can be confused with true labor.

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Stomach Pain In Pregnancy

Stomach pains or cramps are common in pregnancy. They’re usually nothing to worry about, but they can sometimes be a sign of something more serious that needs to be checked.

It’s probably nothing to worry about if the pain is mild and goes away when you change position, have a rest, do a poo or pass wind. But if you have stomach pains and are worried, call your midwife or maternity hospital.

Harmless stomach pains, which can be dull or sharp, may be caused by:

• ligament pain this can feel like a sharp cramp on one side of your lower tummy
• constipation which is common in pregnancy
• trapped wind

When To Go To The Hospital

You should seek medical attention immediately if you feel persistent right-sided lower abdominal pain and fever, as these are signs of appendicitis. This condition can happen at any point during pregnancy and is best treated if identified early. In addition, you should also proceed to the hospital or call your obstetrician if you are pregnant and have any of the following symptoms:

• Abdominal pain that occurs before 12 weeks, with or without vaginal bleeding
• Vaginal bleeding with strong cramping
• Intense headaches
• Over 4 contractions within 1 hour for 2 hours
• Noted swelling in the hands, legs and face
• Pain or difficulty urinating, or bloody urine
• Fever and chills
• Abnormal vaginal discharge

These symptoms may indicate a more serious complication, like pre-eclampsia or ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, you should consult your obstetrician or go to the emergency room for treatment as quickly as possible.

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Treatment For Pain In Lower Right Abdomen

Image Source: Unsplash

Milder pains can be treated at home and require subtle tweaks to help you ease the discomfort. Expecting mums can try:

• Changing their position
• Using a hot water bottle or heat pads
• Taking a warm bath

However, if the pain is consistent and increases from mild to severe, you need to contact your doctor immediately. In some cases like appendicitis, gallstones and ectopic pregnancy, you may also need surgery.

While pains are a part of pregnancy, mums need to pay attention if its due to gassiness or something more severe. In most cases, little changes to your position or rest will help ease the discomfort. However, if the pain continues to increase in intensity, do not ignore it.

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How To Treat Right Side Pain During Pregnancy

Most pregnancy pains on the right side or left side that are associated with a healthy pregnancy can be treated using a heating pad.

According to Dr. Trina Pagano on WebMD, heating pads are great to relieve pregnancy pains in your abdomen, lower back, and getting rid of leg cramps.

It is very easy to ease right-sided pains, cramps, and aches during pregnancy by using a hot water bottle. This is what you should do:

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When To Call The Doctor About Abdominal Pain In Pregnancy

While musculoskeletal growing and stretching can be extremely painful in your bodys lower half, its not uncommon and theres not much a visit to your doctors office will do to bring about relief. Still, you should never hesitate to call your doctor or midwife about any abdominal pain during pregnancy.

Generally, in all trimesters, we take abdominal pain pretty seriously, says Terrell. It can be a sign of something underlying or other ongoing issues and we want to get people evaluated.

Your provider needs to know if your abdominal pain is severe, persistent and comes with any vaginal bleeding or fever above 100.4, says Rhonia Gordon, MD, an ob-gyn and clinical assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Health in New York City. Finding out that your pain isnt indicative of anything serious after youre examined is way better than leaving a potentially acute condition untreated, which could harm you and baby in the long run.

When Should You Call Your Health Care Provider

While some pain or achiness is normal, severe abdominal pain or cramps could be a sign of a serious problem. Many conditions can cause this type of pain, like ectopic pregnancy, urinary tract infection or preterm labor .

Contact your provider if you have:

• Severe pain
• Lightheadedness or faintness

Last reviewed: December, 2013

Some short-term pain in the belly is normal during pregnancy. But severe cramping or pain never is. Call your health care provider when you show signs of severe pain.

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Are Stomach Pains Normal During Pregnancy

Slight abdominal pain or cramps are normal during pregnancy . This is because a womans body tries to make space for the expanding uterus, resulting in some pain. A few gastrointestinal disturbances also add up to the cause. Harmless abdominal cramps during pregnancy usually fade out after resting or pooping. However, in rare cases, abdominal pain can indicate a serious condition that requires immediate medical care.

When To Worry About Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy

Minor causes of abdominal pain generally go away on their own after a little while, especially if treated with heat pads. But in some cases, pain is a sign of an emergency.

Reach out to your doctor immediately if you experience:

• Constant or severe pain in your stomach or back
• Pain thatâs worse at night or when youâre lying down
• Pain that has redness or swelling along with it
• Painful urination

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Ectopic Pregnancy And Right Sided Pain During Pregnancy

Severe uterine cramping on one side in the early stages of pregnancy could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies are serious complications that can cause internal bleeding.

Dr. Traci Johnson on WebMD says that ectopic pregnancies happen when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the fallopian tube rather than inside the uterus. However, its impossible for the fetus to grow outside the womb.

Dr. Johnson says that the first signs of an ectopic pregnancy are pelvic pain or cramping without a period and light vaginal bleeding. Usually, the abdominal pregnancy pain is felt on one side. So, if the fetus is growing in your right fallopian tube, you will experience sharp pains on your right side. Other signs are nausea and vomiting, weakness, and pain that spreads to your shoulder or rectum.11

Very often, you may not know you are pregnant when you show signs of an ectopic pregnancy. That is why severe one-sided abdominal cramping without a period is one of the types of pain you should never ignore.

What Causes Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy

Many women who experience abdominal pain during pregnancy automatically think that abdominal pain is indicative of miscarriage or some other serious problem. Rest assured that although it’s always best to remain vigilant and contact your physician with any concern, there are many other less serious causes of abdominal pain that commonly affect women who are pregnant.

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When To Call A Doctor

Abdominal pain during pregnancy warrants a call to the doctor if the following signs appear.

• Any pain or bleeding during the first and third trimester

• Accumulation of water or swelling of hands, face, or feet

• Severe pain with or without vaginal bleeding

• Vision problems sensitivity to light, blurred vision

• Fever, chills, headache, nausea, or vomiting

• Pain while urinating or foul-smelling urine

• Recurring and equally timed contractions that seem progressive.

Swelling In The Feet And Legs

Discomfort

Pressure from the growing uterus on the blood vessels carrying blood from the lower body causes fluid retention that results in swelling in the legs and feet.

Recommendations

• Drink plenty of fluids .
• Avoid foods high in salt .
• Elevate your legs and feet while sitting. Avoid crossing your legs.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Tight clothing can slow circulation and increase fluid retention.
• Dont wear tight shoes. Choose supportive shoes with low, wide heels.
• Keep your diet rich in protein. Too little protein can cause fluid retention.
• Notify your healthcare provider if your hands or face swell. This might be a warning sign of preeclampsia or toxemia, a pregnancy-related high blood pressure.
• Rest on your side during the day to help increase blood flow to your kidneys.

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What Stomach Pain And Cramps Should I Look Out For In Pregnancy

Most stomach pain and cramps in pregnancy are nothing to worry about. But there are some symptoms you should know about as they could be a sign of something more serious.

If you feel any of the following pains, even if you’re not experiencing any of the other symptoms listed, call your midwife, doctor or hospital immediately.

Severe pain on one side of the lower stomach in early pregnancyThis pain could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. Other symptoms may include:

• pain in the tip of your shoulder
• brown discharge

How To Relieve Pregnancy Cramps

Pregnancy cramp relief depends on the cause behind the pain youre experiencing. These tips can relieve the most common causes of abdominal cramps during pregnancy:

• Drink plenty of water, which may ease any cramping related to dehydration, bloating or constipation
• Soak in a warm bath, which can help ease pregnancy cramps related to increased uterine blood flow
• Wear a belly band, which can help relieve abdominal cramps linked to round ligament pain in the second half of pregnancy
• Change positions if you think youre having Braxton Hicks contractions

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What Is Round Ligament Pain During Pregnancy

You have two round ligaments in your pelvis, one on either side of your uterus. As your uterus grows during pregnancy, the round ligaments stretch and thicken to accommodate and support it. These changes cause occasional spasm-like pains that are uncomfortable but generally harmless.

You may feel round ligament pain as a short, sharp or stabbing pain if you suddenly change position, such as when you’re getting out of bed or a chair. You may feel it when you cough, roll over in bed, or get out of the bathtub. You also might feel it as a dull ache after a particularly active day, like when you’ve been walking a lot or doing some other physical activity.

Round ligament pain may feel like it starts deep inside your groin and moves upward and outward on either side to the top of your hips. The pain is internal, but if you were to trace it on your skin, it would follow the bikini line on a very high-cut bathing suit.

Causes Of Stomach Pain During Pregnancy

In addition to round ligament pain and cramps, other conditions may cause stomach pain during your pregnancy. Many women who are pregnant can experience:

• Urinary tract infection

Any of these conditions can cause sharp stomach pain. In addition, women may experience completely unrelated issues. For example, kidney stones occur as frequently in pregnant women as in women who are not.

While plenty of stomach pains are normal during pregnancy, if the pain is sharp and sudden, call a doctor. Sharp stomach pain is also one of the primary symptoms for the following serious pregnancy complications:

Ectopic pregnancy

In an ectopic pregnancy, the egg implants outside of the uterus, most often in the fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancies are not viable. If they are not caught in time, the eggs may cause the fallopian tubes to rupture, which can cause severe abdominal pain. A ruptured fallopian tube is a life-threatening emergency and requires immediate medical treatment.

Early pregnancy loss

Also known as a miscarriage or spontaneous abortion, early pregnancy loss can occur during the first trimester. The fetus may be damaged, have an abnormal number of chromosomes, or fail to develop correctly. Early pregnancy loss affects about one in ten pregnancies.

Preeclampsia

Placental abruption

Preterm labor

• A change in vaginal discharge
• Severe pain that makes it difficult to walk, speak, or breathe

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What Causes Round Ligament Pain

A womans body makes hormones during pregnancy to make ligaments loose and stretchy. This helps the body adjust to the growing baby. As a baby grows in the womb, it stretches the uterus and the round ligaments. This stretching can cause spasms in the round ligaments, leading to the pain.

Round ligament pain occurs almost exclusively in pregnancy. But rarely, round ligament pain may occur in women who are not pregnant. This could be a sign of endometriosis, when the uterine lining grows outside the uterus.

Severe Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy

If you are having severe abdominal pain during pregnancy, contact a physician immediately. Sometimes the source of severe cramps will be something perfectly normal, like round ligament pain, but other times there may be a condition requiring treatment or even a medical emergency, such as ruptured ectopic pregnancy or appendicitis.

In any case of severe abdominal pain, you should see a physician right away to find out the source. If the pain is so bad that you’re not able to conduct your daily routines, and cramps aren’t going away with rest, go to the emergency room.

Some amount of abdominal pain is normal during pregnancy. As your uterus grows and stretches, you may feel various types of abdominal cramps ranging from sharp twinges to dull aches that resemble menstrual cramps. The difference between an urgent medical problem and normal pregnancy cramps is that normal pregnancy cramps usually won’t involve extreme pain, and they will usually subside after a few minutes, especially with rest. With any pain that you would label severe, err on the side of caution and see a physician immediately.

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