Abdominal pain during pregnancy is a common symptom that often causes great concern. However, in most cases this is unfounded, as slight abdominal pain in the lower abdomen is not unusual. The causes of the pain are very different and still require clarification by a doctor. Other symptoms such as bleeding, pain when urinating, fever and chills should also be examined by a doctor.
Causes of abdominal pain during pregnancy
Especially at the beginning of a pregnancy pain can occur due to a change in the body. This is caused by stretching of the various ligaments and muscles of the uterus, which adapts to the new situation. In addition, the uterus increasingly takes up space in the abdomen due to its growth, which can cause discomfort and cramps in the abdomen.
In addition, especially at the beginning, the pregnancy hormones (ß- HCG) are often not yet sufficiently present and the uterus tends to contract, which can cause pain in the abdomen. In later stages of pregnancy, kicks or an unfavourable position of the child can also cause pain. However, exercise contractions are also normal in the last trimester and only serve to prepare the uterus for the birth.
However, these exercise contractions have no effect on the cervix and are not used to induce labour. For this reason, they must be distinguished from birth-related pre-birth contractions, which can induce labour and cause premature birth. Apart from the harmless causes caused by the adaptation processes in the body, the cause can also have other origins.
Especially at the beginning of a pregnancy which has not yet been confirmed, it can be an ectopic pregnancy (extrauterine pregnancy). The symptoms of a normal pregnancy appear first: A pregnancy test also turns out positive in this case. However, due to the location of the fertilised egg outside the uterus, an inflammation occurs and the egg can burst as it grows.
In this case, the abdominal pain is acute and very severe. This is followed by a short symptom-free interval with then increasingly dull pain throughout the abdominal cavity. Since the entire abdominal cavity can become inflamed in this case, it is important to rule out such an ectopic pregnancy at the beginning of a pregnancy with the help of an ultrasound device.
If the pain occurs together with bleeding at the beginning of the pregnancy, a doctor should also be consulted, as in some cases the symptoms are accompanied by an abortion. – Menstruation stops
- Morning sickness and
- Chest tightness
Another possible cause of abdominal pain is pelvic inflammatory disease (inflammation of the fallopian tubes). It is an inflammation mostly caused by Chlamydia, which can rise up to the fallopian tubes and become symptomatic there.
Patients complain of pulling in the abdomen and pressing pain in the abdominal area. In addition, accompanying symptoms such as fever etc. can also occur.
An ovarian cyst can also be responsible for the pain. An ovarian cyst can go unnoticed and without symptoms for a long time before symptoms occur. In this case, abdominal pain can also be caused by the cyst.
Flatulence during pregnancy can also be a possible cause: the larger the child becomes, the more space is filled in the abdominal area. This also leads to different pressures, which are exerted on the gastrointestinal tract as well as on the blood vessels. While the so-called vena cava compression syndrome can be triggered in a pregnant woman lying on her back (reduced return flow of blood to the mother), the increasing pressure of the child on the mother’s abdominal organs can also lead to imbalances in the mother’s digestion.
This can lead to abdominal discomfort, which is not initially interpreted as flatulence, but whose medical significance is harmless. Furthermore, pain can also occur independently of pregnancy. For example, an appendicitis, a severe bladder infection or a gastro-intestinal upset can also lead to abdominal pain.
In this case you should always pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. Abdominal pains which are based on internal clinical pictures are manifold and often cannot be clearly distinguished. The most common diseases are inflammation of unnoticed intestinal sacs (diverticulitis), inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), biliary colic, renal colic, appendicitis, Intestinal obstruction (ileus), gastric or duodenal ulcer (ulcus ventriculi, ulcus duodeni), infarction of the blood vessels supplying the intestines (mesenteric infarction) and aortic aneurysm.
Depending on the underlying internal diseases that lead to the abdominal pain, the diagnosis and therapy are also different. In general, it can be stated that the complaints affect the abdominal area. The character of the pain varies and ranges from acute tearing to dull pain to wavy, colicky pain. Do you experience abdominal pain in the evening?
