Pregnancy is a special time in the life of every woman. Every day is filled with exciting moments that will be remembered for a lifetime. And any pain is perceived in panic because of the fear of losing the baby.
It is worth understanding in which cases abdominal pain is a signal of a serious disorder in the body, and in which cases it is a variant of the physiological norm.
Why does my stomach hurt during pregnancy?
Why a pregnant woman’s stomach hurts or feels tight, gynecologists explain as follows:
- Natural pain associated with changes in a woman’s body.
- Obstetric, resulting from placental abruption, ectopic or frozen pregnancy.
- Non-obstetric pain is pain due to diseases of the stomach or intestines.
In the first trimester
The first trimester is characterized by great changes and adaptation of the body to a new regime. The fertilized egg is perceived by the uterus as a foreign body, and it may try to push it out.
Characteristic signs of this phenomenon:
- increased tone of the uterus, which is expressed by the hardness of the abdomen;
- pain in the lower abdomen, in the navel area;
- bloody issues.
The cause of painful manifestations at 1, 2, 3 months is a hormonal imbalance, expressed in increased levels of prolactin.
In the second trimester
The period of the second trimester is safer for a pregnant woman. The body has already rebuilt itself and become accustomed to the fetus. As the uterus grows, it puts pressure on the ligaments and muscles, thereby causing aching pain in the lower abdomen or on one side of the torso during sudden movements. This symptom in the second trimester usually occurs as a result of nervous stress or physical overload. Painful sensations also develop due to dysfunction of the stomach and intestines. Poor nutrition causes spasms of the digestive organs.
In the third trimester
The reasons why the stomach may hurt in the third semester of pregnancy are mainly related to the activity of the fetus. The already practically developed child moves, pushes off with his legs and arms, causing discomfort to the mother. But, as a rule, symptoms appear only when the baby moves. Prolonged and sharp pain indicates more serious pathologies - in particular, placental abruption, a very dangerous phenomenon for a woman’s condition.
If such signs appear, you should visit a gynecologist. Only a doctor can reassure a woman, or confirm her fears and prescribe treatment. In some cases, the woman is placed on preservation and prescribed complete bed rest.
Why does the stomach feel tight in the early stages?
When the fertilized egg attaches to the walls of the uterus, the woman can already be considered pregnant. From this moment the so-called embryonic pregnancy begins. The female body begins to rebuild and prepare for bearing a fetus. Some women claim that they felt this moment physically, as if something had changed inside.
Sometimes nagging pain in the lower abdomen is the only sign that makes a woman run to the pharmacy for a test. In most cases, they are not dangerous and do not require treatment, but consultation with a doctor is necessary in any case to exclude possible pathologies.
The causes of this type of pregnancy manifestations may be pregnancy-related (obstetric) or unrelated. Nagging pain can be concentrated in any area of the abdomen, vary in intensity and duration, bother only in the first weeks or accompany the entire pregnancy.
Abdominal pain as a symptom of serious illnesses
While carrying a child, as at any other time, a woman is susceptible to diseases, the symptoms of which are pain in the upper, lower abdomen, above the navel, on the right or left.
Appendicitis
Inflammation of the appendix, which is what the appendix is called, requires surgical intervention. It is difficult for a pregnant woman, especially in the later stages, to recognize this disease, since she experiences discomfort regularly. Therefore, it is very easy to confuse the signs of appendicitis with the characteristic sensations during pregnancy.
Oddly enough, pregnancy is a provoking factor for the development of appendicitis. The fact is that inflammation of the appendix occurs due to a disruption in its blood supply. The enlarged uterus puts pressure on the appendix, causing blood to flow into it slowly.
Signs of appendicitis during pregnancy:
- sharp pain in the upper abdomen, gradually moving to the lower right side;
- bloating;
- vomiting, nausea, upset stomach;
- temperature increase.
Symptoms manifest themselves in different ways and depend on the individual characteristics of the body: for some the symptoms are sharp, for others they are weak. Therefore, if you experience persistent pain symptoms, you should consult a doctor immediately. A specialist will quickly identify the disease using blood and urine tests or ultrasound.
Removal of the appendix can only be performed surgically. If it is cut out in the initial catarrhal period, the woman and child are not in danger. Destructive appendicitis is dangerous when the appendix is filled with pus and bursts. Pus penetrates into the abdominal cavity, causing peritonitis, which is life-threatening for the woman and baby. Complete removal of pus is necessary.
Cystitis
Cystitis is a very common disease among pregnant women.
Inflammation of the bladder walls has two origins:
- Infectious cystitis. The disease is caused by pathogens in the form of chlamydia bacteria, Trichomonas vaginalis, streptococci, staphylococci, and E. coli.
- Non-infectious cystitis. It occurs as a result of a weakening of the body's defense system, hypothermia, and irritation of the mucous membrane of the bladder with medications.
Cystitis is often the first sign of pregnancy, and a girl learns about her condition at an appointment with a doctor, whom she consulted precisely because of this disease.
Symptoms of cystitis:
- aching pain in the lower abdomen;
- pain when urinating;
- frequent urge to go to the toilet;
- difficulty urinating;
- blood in urine;
- heat.
The danger of cystitis is that if it is not treated promptly, it can develop into pyelonephritis - inflammation of the kidneys.
Cystitis is treated with medications. Modern medicine allows the use of medications without harming the health of the mother and unborn child, however, after drug treatment it is necessary to undergo a course of rehabilitation therapy.
Cholecystitis
Inflammation of the gallbladder is caused by stagnation of bile and infections.
There are several reasons why this disease occurs:
- Metabolic disease;
- Poor nutrition and, as a result, disruption of the stomach and intestines;
- Infections that enter the gallbladder from the intestines.
Characteristic manifestations of cholecystitis:
- bitterness in the mouth;
- diarrhea;
- nausea;
- pain in the abdomen or right forecourt.
During pregnancy, due to the enlargement of the uterus, all the internal organs of a woman are somewhat displaced. Therefore, it can be difficult to understand exactly where it hurts.
The main treatment is medication and diet. You need to give up spicy, sweet, fatty, salty and smoked foods.
Chronic gastritis
Inflammation of the inner mucous membrane of the stomach is associated primarily with poor nutrition. Also among the causes of this disease are mechanical damage to the stomach, burns from hot food, poisoning, and the appearance of bacteria.
Main features:
- the stomach hurts and feels heavy;
- no appetite;
- nausea and vomiting;
- weakness and dizziness;
- diarrhea;
- the temperature rises (not always).
Often girls do not notice the symptoms of gastritis, mistaking them for toxicosis. Some people think that their toxicosis lasts throughout pregnancy. As a result, when future mothers fall ill, they cannot eat properly, which has a negative impact on the development of the child.
It is important to remember that toxicosis lasts on average up to 14-15 weeks, and its manifestation is most often observed in the morning. Most of the time, a woman should feel good and eat right.
If symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor who, using the necessary tests, will identify the disease and prescribe treatment.
Pancreatitis
Inflammation of the pancreas is one of the common diseases among pregnant women. The symptoms are the same as for other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: pain symptoms - either on the left side or in the epigastrium, nausea, vomiting.
For pancreatitis, a prerequisite is a diet on the following conditions:
- During the first trimester, only steamed foods are allowed.
- The juice of fresh fruits, berries and vegetables has a negative effect on the pancreas, so even they need to be heat treated.
- Salty, sour, spicy, fried and smoked are strictly prohibited!
- You need to eat food every three to four hours in small quantities.
Monitoring the pregnancy of a woman with pancreatitis is performed by a gynecologist together with a gastroenterologist.
Signs of pregnancy threat with abdominal pain
Pain in the lower abdomen of a pregnant woman can be an indicator of serious diseases, including surgical ones, which should only be treated by doctors. Such pains are also considered signs of a threatened miscarriage.
During the initial stage of spontaneous miscarriage, pain occurs in the abdomen, in its lower part, as during menstruation - they can be pulling or pressing. Such pain usually occurs at 10-12 weeks.
The most dangerous pain is in the location of the pubis, in the pelvis, with pressure on the sacrum, if bloody discharge occurs from the genital tract, and urination becomes frequent.
Such signs may appear after stressful situations, after heavy physical exertion - but if the woman has rested and calmed down, they can go away on their own.
If preventive measures were not taken at the initial stage, the pregnancy may end in spontaneous abortion. The nature of the pain may change; it may turn into cramping pain, which is repeated with determined regularity.
From the middle of pregnancy, pain can be combined with uterine tone : the stomach becomes stone, or, more simply, it becomes hard. Against this background, uterine bleeding also occurs.
If such symptoms appear, you should immediately see a gynecologist to get qualified help!
To diagnose this condition, ultrasound is used - it can be used to detect uterine tone (if it is elevated), placental abruption or abnormalities in fetal development. During an ultrasound session, the baby’s developmental status is determined in order to determine the necessary treatment tactics.
In late gestation, cardiotocography, or CTG, is used to conduct diagnostics to determine the condition of the fetus and to promptly identify cramping uterine contractions, if any.
How to recognize an ectopic pregnancy and the threat of spontaneous abortion by the nature of the pain
An ectopic pregnancy will never lead to the birth of a child, because the egg is not implanted in the uterus, but in the fallopian tubes, appendages, and abdominal cavity. But at the same time, the condition is accompanied by all the signs of a normal pregnancy. The danger of an ectopic pregnancy is that as the egg grows, it can lead to rupture of the tubes or appendages. Therefore, it is important to diagnose pathology at an early stage.
It can be determined by the nature of the symptoms:
- periodic cramps in the lower abdomen;
- pain intensifies with movement, arises and subsides suddenly;
- as a rule, painful sensations are concentrated in one place – the location of the egg;
- there is bleeding - from spotting to heavy.
The threat of spontaneous abortion occurs for various reasons. It is important to recognize its symptoms in time in order to provide first aid before the ambulance arrives. In addition to bleeding, weakness and fever, the nature of the pain will tell you about a threatened abortion - it is pulling, moving to the lower back. Contractions may occur at intervals of 5 to 20 minutes. If these symptoms occur, seek medical help immediately.
Physiological reasons
Implantation of the zygote into the endometrium of the uterus occurs around the time when menstruation should begin. The sensations are similar: nagging pain appears in the lower abdomen, the chest becomes painful. The absence of menstruation is a possible sign of pregnancy.
So, the first reason is irritation of the uterine wall. In order to enter the endometrium, the embryo is forced to break the integrity of the organ lining, which can also cause discomfort in the abdominal area.
The second reason is increased blood circulation in the uterus. In order for the fetus to actively grow and develop, it needs nutrients and oxygen supplied by the blood. This condition needs to be controlled, because excessive blood circulation often leads to hypertension, which results in early miscarriage.
In the first months of pregnancy, the uterus rapidly increases in size. This creates additional stress on the ligaments, muscles and tissues of the organ, which are forced to stretch and adapt to the changes, while the uterus itself shifts.
Finally, a hormonal surge is another cause of nagging pain in the lower abdomen in the early stages. As a rule, the amount of progesterone increases, which is why pain can be localized not only in the abdomen, but also in the lower back and legs.
Prevention of aching abdominal pain during pregnancy
There are many reasons why abdominal pain may occur. Competent prevention can prevent them.
Diet
Proper nutrition is the key to good health and full development of the baby. Food should be balanced, healthy and easily digestible. Vegetables and fruits, dairy products, nuts, boiled meat and fish are foods that will provide the right amount of fats, carbohydrates and proteins throughout the day.
Physical activity
During pregnancy, it is useful to walk a lot in the fresh air, do light gymnastics, fitness (special complexes for pregnant women), and swimming. Yoga will bring great benefits for physical and spiritual development.
However, excessive physical activity and heavy lifting are contraindicated. If a pregnant girl’s work involves physical activity, then by law she must be transferred to light labor.
Lack of stress and negative emotions
Expectant mothers should try to avoid situations that will bring negative emotions. There is no need to watch news or heavy films; it is better to give preference to light romantic comedies or reading books. Visiting exhibitions, museums, and communicating with interesting people will have a beneficial effect on a woman’s emotional state. You need to devote more time to your family - loved ones are the most powerful support in such an important period of life.
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