Pregnancy brings on a whole mix of physical, psychological, and emotional issues, but what most women likely don’t expect are the aches and pains that can come with being pregnant.

Today, I’ll focus on abdominal pains that can pop up during pregnancy, some serious others not so serious.

Ligament pain: The ligaments are strong tissues, connective tissues, that connect bones together. They also hold organs in place inside the body. When a woman is pregnant, the ligaments that hold the uterus in place has to stretch and help support the uterus as it grows. Usually starting when you’re in about your second semester (when most women begin to show a little), the changing ligaments can cause pain. The pain can either be stabbing and sharp or it can be more like a dull ache. Although the pain is not serious, it can be quite sharp for some women, particularly after moving your body in such a way that the abdominal muscles are being used, like rolling over in bed or coughing. If you’re concerned, it’s best to get it checked though.

Constipation: One of the not-so-fun parts of being pregnant is how your body takes normal, every day things and turns them into uncomfortable issues. Many women experience constipation, sometimes for the first time in their life, when they’re pregnant. It’s not unusual beause of the hormones in your body, your changing habits, and the baby’s presence, which takes up room inside your abdomen. Unfortunately though, constipation can be quite painful. If you are having problems and can’t resolve them with a healthy diet (lots of fiber, drinking water, and so on), speak with your doctor or midwife to see what you may be able to do.

Gas: Although gas is often joked about, it’s no laughing matter when the pain of gas seems to be stabbing right though you. Like constipation, some women experience gas for the first time when they’re pregnant. If it’s severe and really limiting what you can do, speak to your doctor or midwife to get some suggestions to help relieve it.

False labor or Braxton-Hicks contractions: While these types of contractions don’t realy hurt, they can be worrisome if you don’t know what they are. It’s important to know the difference between BH contractions and premature labor. BH contractions are irregular, seemingly random types of contractions. Premature labor is more intense, can spread to the back and happen more regularly.

Pain that could indicate something serious:

Cramping and bleeding during the first half of a pregnancy could mean that the baby is being miscarried. Some women experience only a menstrual cycle-like cramping, while others report pain that has gone through to their back and/or pressure in the pelvic area. If you suspect a miscarriage, you should be seen by your doctor to be assessed. If the cramping begins after the 20th week of pregnancy, it could be what is called preterm labor. If the cramping is regular, like contractions, if you hve any spotting or bleeding, or any other type of vaginal discharge, you should contact your doctor or midwife as soon as possible.

An ectopic pregnancy is an emergency (Ectopic pregnancies). This occurs when a fertilized egg doesn’t go down into the uterus but implants itself outside of the uterus, most often in a fallopian tube. There is no room for the egg to grow and it will cause abdominal pain, pain that can radiate up or into the back, or overall tenderness in the pelvic area. You could have some spotting or bleeding. This is an emergency because if the fallopian tube ruptures, you will likely experience very heavy bleeding, severe pain, and you may go into shock. This all happens very early in the pregnancy and sometimes the woman doesn’t even know she’s pregnant yet when it happens.

Another emergency is called placental abruption. As you carry your baby, the placenta is attached to the uterus and all the nutrition from you and elimination from the baby is exchanged through this marvelous organ. The placenta is attached with a large number of blood vessels to help support it. Sometimes, the placenta can detach itself from the uterus, sometimes partially, other times completely. This is an emergency situation because you can begin to bleed heavily and the baby’s health is compromised. Women with placetal abruption may have some cramping or contractions and back pain.

Another unpleasant issue that you might experience for the first time is a urinary tract infection (UTI). It is important to treat UTIs seriously because the infection can travel up to your kidneys. If you’ve ever had a UTI, you know what it feels like. The signs and symptoms usually include a very strong urge to urinate, even if there isn’t much urine in the bladder, needing to urinate frequently, burning along the urethra whie urinating, and cloudy and/or foul smelling urine. Speak to your doctor as soon as possible to have this cleared up before it spreads.

There are, of course, other reasons for abdominal pain, but these are the most common.

If you would like to read more about pregnancy and health, please visit my other blog: Womb Within.

Image: iStock

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Pregnancy brings on a whole mix of physical, psychological, and emotional issues, but what most women likely don’t expect are the aches and pains that can come with being pregnant.

Today, I’ll focus on abdominal pains that can pop up during pregnancy, some serious others not so serious.

Ligament pain: The ligaments are strong tissues, connective tissues, that connect bones together. They also hold organs in place inside the body. When a woman is pregnant, the ligaments that hold the uterus in place has to stretch and help support the uterus as it grows. Usually starting when you’re in about your second semester (when most women begin to show a little), the changing ligaments can cause pain. The pain can either be stabbing and sharp or it can be more like a dull ache. Although the pain is not serious, it can be quite sharp for some women, particularly after moving your body in such a way that the abdominal muscles are being used, like rolling over in bed or coughing. If you’re concerned, it’s best to get it checked though.

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Image: iStock

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