Duration
The duration of the symptoms depends largely on the time of pregnancy. Usually the pain occurs during the second half of the pregnancy. Depending on the size of the fetus and the individual constitution of the pregnant woman, the symptoms may also appear sooner or significantly later. From the time of the first pain, it is likely that it will occur from time to time during the course of the pregnancy until around the 38th week of pregnancy, when the position of the child’s body changes and the pain stops.
Pain at different localizations
Rib pain during pregnancy can occur on both sides. Depending on which cause is responsible for the discomfort, the pain occurs mainly on the right side of the body. This is the case, for example, when a general lack of space or movements of the child exert pressure on the organs located on the right side of the body.
For example, pain often occurs when pressure is applied to the liver and gallbladder. If overuse of the muscle attachments of the abdominal muscles is involved for the pain, the pain typically occurs on both sides. Nevertheless, even within the context of this cause, one side can cause more severe pain.
If the HELLP syndrome is responsible for the pain, the pain also usually occurs in the right ribs. This is due to damage to the liver, which is also located on the right side at the level of the ribs. Depending on the position of the child, the pain may occur more on the left than on the right.
However, pain that occurs mainly on the left side is usually less frequent than that which is mainly felt in the right ribs. This can be explained by the different distribution of the organs in the body. In general, there is slightly more space on the left side of the body than on the right.
Although the spleen, which is located on the left side, can also be affected by the lack of space and the movements of the child, pressure on the liver and gall bladder is usually felt much earlier. This is basically also due to the fact that the liver is larger and is therefore affected earlier by a lack of space. If the pain is of a muscular nature, it is normally felt in a relatively balanced way.
Individually, however, an increased perception of pain on one side can also occur. In the context of the discomfort that occurs on the ribs during pregnancy, back pain can also occur. These can be caused by several phenomena.
For example, the ribs are connected to a part of the thoracic spine and complaints can be transmitted to this area. An expansion of the ribs and overloading of the abdominal muscles can thus also be indirectly transmitted to the back, which is perceived as back pain. This type of pain then occurs in the area of the thoracic spine.
Very often, back pain is perceived towards the end of the pregnancy due to the higher weight that the child is carrying and that must be carried by the mother and her spine. This strain can also lead to complaints in the area of the back. If the high weight is the cause of the complaints, however, they usually occur in the area of the lower back.
The ribs extend over the entire chest area of the person. The first rib is located just below the collarbone. Typical during pregnancy are complaints that occur on the middle and lower ribs.
If the upper ribs are painful, blockages in certain joints may be responsible for the discomfort. The so-called Tietze syndrome, which causes complaints of the upper ribs, is also a possible cause. If the complaints occur below the ribs, this can have different reasons.
If the pain is on the right side, it is possible that the liver is the source of the pain. A lack of space or sudden movements of the child put pressure on this organ and may cause pain on the right side below the ribs. The same applies to HELLP syndrome, where the liver is also the cause of the pain.If the discomfort is in the middle of the abdomen, the cause of the discomfort is often overloading of the muscles and the stretched tissue.
Depending on which cause is responsible for the painful ribs during pregnancy, coughing can lead to an increased perception of pain. If this is the case, the complaints are usually caused by overloading the abdominal muscles and their attachments. Coughing leads to a short and strong strain on the abdominal muscles and therefore to an increase in pain. Mucolytic medication, medication to suppress the cough and a sufficient fluid intake should be considered when solving this problem.
