What to do if your stomach hurts during pregnancy

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A simple checklist will help you not to panic over trifles.

Checklist for those who have a stomach ache during pregnancy

Signs that everything is okay Stomach pain in pregnancy: The pain is not too severe, goes away when you rest or change position or after using the toilet. Therefore, the algorithm will be like this:

1. Get into a comfortable position.
2. Relax and try to relax. Give yourself half an hour during which you will be busy finding a comfortable position.
3. Think about what could be causing the pain: remember what you ate and when you last went to the toilet.
4. Check for suspicious vaginal discharge.

When to call an ambulance

1. For any bleeding from the vagina against the background of abdominal pain.
2. If you have regular contractions or bouts of pain.
3. If the pain gets worse and does not go away after 30-60 minutes, and you are rested.

When to see a doctor

1. Any unusual vaginal discharge.
2. If you feel pain when urinating.
3. If you feel lower back pain.

Why does the stomach hurt during pregnancy?

Firstly, the stomach can hurt for the most commonplace reasons that have nothing to do with pregnancy: you ate something wrong, or ate too much, or caught a mild infection, or you just have indigestion. Maybe you have untreated gynecological diseases - these are all those diseases that appeared before pregnancy and regardless of it.

Secondly, during pregnancy, the risk of constipation increases, which can also cause stomach pain. So you need to closely monitor your diet and eat more fiber (that is, fresh fruits and vegetables) for regular bowel movements. If the diet does not help, you should use laxatives that are allowed for pregnant women. For example, lactulose syrup or regular glycerin suppositories.

Thirdly, there are also specific causes of pain, which are associated precisely with the new position. And they can be divided into two large groups: non-hazardous and hazardous.

When abdominal pain is not dangerous

Pregnancy rebuilds many processes in a woman's body. The changes are concentrated in the abdomen and sometimes are painful.

Growth pains

Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy: Is It Gas Pain or Something Else?, which in itself can be frustrating. But along with the uterus, the ligaments that support it are stretched. Someone is lucky not to feel anything like that for all nine months, but someone has to constantly look for a comfortable position in the second half of pregnancy, when the fetus becomes large.

Moving organs

The uterus grows, occupies the abdominal cavity, and the rest of the organs have to move Baby Belly Aches: 13 Causes of Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy. This movement can also cause pain and discomfort in different parts of the abdomen.

Training contractions

They appear closer to childbirth, in the third trimester. With them, the cervix does not open, and nothing threatens pregnancy. Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy. What distinguishes them from real fights is their strength (training ones are rather soft) and regularity. Real contractions get stronger and more frequent, and training ones come and go as they please.

When abdominal pain during pregnancy is most dangerous

Dangerous cases are those that threaten the fetus or pregnant woman. But, as a rule, they both threaten.

Ectopic pregnancy

When the test shows two strips, the ultrasound has not yet been performed, and the stomach suddenly and unbearably hurts, you need to be in the hospital as soon as possible. Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy

Normally, the egg is fertilized when it is in the fallopian tube. Already in a fertilized form, it "swims" to the uterus and there is attached to its wall. Sometimes this process goes wrong and the fertilized cell attaches itself directly to the wall of the fallopian tube. But the tube cannot replace the uterus: it simply does not know how to stretch like that.

And when the fetus gets too big for the tube, it breaks, causing internal bleeding. This is a dangerous condition that requires immediate surgery. In this case, it is very difficult to keep the fallopian tube intact and may need to be removed.

Therefore, do not give up ultrasound in the early stages.

The procedure helps to determine whether the ovum is correctly located, and, if an ectopic pregnancy is detected, it is less traumatic to carry out the operation, while maintaining the functions of the fallopian tube.

Miscarriage

A miscarriage is the spontaneous termination of a pregnancy. It can have a variety of reasons, ranging from the failure of the fetus to unexplained cases. One way or another, only a doctor can prescribe treatment, therefore, with the main symptoms of a miscarriage - pain and bleeding - you need to urgently call an ambulance.

A miscarriage can happen in any trimester. Only after the 24th week is it already called premature birth. And the closer to childbirth, especially after the 34th week, the higher the chances that everything will end successfully Premature labor and birth for both the mother and the fetus.

Why miscarriages happen →

Placental abruption

The placenta is a temporary organ that connects the fetus to the uterus. It is through the placenta that the fetus receives everything it needs to grow. Normally, the placenta adheres tightly to the uterus and is separated only after childbirth. But sometimes partial or complete placental abruption occurs earlier.

This condition causes severe pain and can be dangerous for both the fetus and the mother. Baby Belly Aches: 13 Causes of Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy. There is only one salvation - to call an ambulance if the pain in the abdomen does not go away after rest and change of position. Detachment bleeding is internal and easy to miss. Therefore, do not hesitate to seek medical help during pregnancy.

Appendicitis

In pregnant women, infrequently, but inflamed appendix - in about one in a thousand cases Appendicitis in pregnancy: how to manage and whether to deliver. Perhaps the movement of internal organs is to blame.

The danger is that an inflamed appendix is difficult to diagnose. For example, if the uterus "pushed" the process of the cecum back. Timely noticed appendicitis, as a rule, does not pose a threat of pregnancy. Operation and general anesthesia, of course, are not particularly beneficial for the fetus, but they do not mean that something will be wrong with its further development.

How to recognize and cure appendicitis →