What to do if your stomach hurts during pregnancy

Checklist for those who have stomach pain during pregnancy

Signs that everything in order: The pain is not too severe and goes away when you rest or change position or after going to the toilet. Therefore, the algorithm will be like this:

1. Take a comfortable position.
2. Take a rest and try to relax. Give yourself half an hour during which you will be busy finding a comfortable position.
3. Think about what could have caused the pain: remember what you ate and the last time you went to the toilet.
4. Check to see if you have any suspicious vaginal discharge.

When to call an ambulance

1. If you experience regular contractions or attacks of pain.
2. If the pain intensifies and does not go away after 30–60 minutes, and you have rested

If you are bleeding, it is important to discuss it with your doctor as soon as possible. Almost every second pregnant woman is normally accompanied by various bloody discharges. It is important to understand their volume, gestational age, and whether there were any manipulations (for example, taking a smear) the day before. Assess the volume of discharge: in the early stages, a slight spotting is absolutely normal in 90% of cases. If the period is already 16 weeks or more, then you may need an examination. Especially if the discharge is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen. Discuss all this with your doctor and decide to call an ambulance.

When to go to the doctor

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

Why does your stomach hurt during pregnancy?

Firstly, your stomach can hurt for the most trivial 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 dyspepsia (indigestion). Maybe you have untreated gynecological diseases – these are all those diseases that appeared before pregnancy and independently of it.

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

Thirdly, there are specific causes of pain that are associated specifically with the new position. And they can be divided into two large groups: non-dangerous and dangerous.

When abdominal pain is not dangerous

Pregnancy rearranges many processes in a woman’s body. The changes are concentrated in the abdominal area and sometimes cause pain.

Growing pains

When the fetus increases in size, the uterus stretched, which in itself can be unpleasant. But along with the uterus, the ligaments that support it also stretch. Some people are lucky enough not to feel anything like this for the entire nine months, while others have 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 over. 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 dilate, and there is no pregnancy not threatening. They are distinguished from real contractions by strength (training ones are quite soft) and regularity. Real contractions intensify and become more frequent, but training contractions come and go as they please.

When is abdominal pain most dangerous during pregnancy?

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

Ectopic pregnancy

When the test shows two lines, an ultrasound has not yet been performed, and the stomach suddenly and unbearably hurts, you need to go to the hospital as quickly as possible. Sharp pain at the beginning of pregnancy may be an indicator of an ectopic pregnancy.

Normally, the egg is fertilized while it is in the fallopian tube. Already in fertilized form, it “swims” to the uterus and there attaches to its inner wall (endometrium). Sometimes this process goes wrong and the fertilized cell attaches 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 embryo becomes too large for the tube, it ruptures, 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; it will have to be removed.

Therefore, in the early stages of pregnancy, do not refuse an ultrasound and be sure to monitor the hCG level. With a well-developing intrauterine pregnancy, the increase in hormone levels should be doubled every 72 hours.

All these points help to determine whether the fertilized egg is positioned correctly and to quickly detect an ectopic pregnancy.

Miscarriage

A miscarriage is the spontaneous termination of pregnancy. It can have a lot of reasons, ranging from fetal non-viability to unexplained cases. One way or another, only a doctor can prescribe treatment, so if the main symptoms of a miscarriage are pain and bleeding, you must urgently call an ambulance.

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

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 for growth. Normally, the placenta fits tightly to the uterus and is separated only after birth. But sometimes partial or complete placental abruption occurs earlier.

This is the state causes severe pain and can be dangerous for both the fetus and the mother. There is only one salvation – call an ambulance if the abdominal pain does not go away after resting and changing position. Bleeding during detachment is internal and easy to miss. Therefore, do not hesitate to seek medical help during pregnancy.

Appendicitis

In pregnant women, it is rare that the appendix becomes inflamed – approximately in one out of a thousand cases. 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 “pushes” the process of the cecum back. Appendicitis noticed in time, as a rule, does not pose a threat to pregnancy. Surgery and general anesthesia, of course, are not particularly beneficial for the fetus, but they do not mean that there will be anything wrong with its further development.