Pain during pregnancy

If pain in the abdomen occurs during pregnancy, the expectant mother can be very worried. Not all complaints in the lower abdomen are dangerous, many are even quite natural and normal. Especially in the first and second trimester of pregnancy, approximately up to the 20th week, pregnant women often complain about pain in the lower abdomen.

To make room for the growing baby, the uterus enlarges under the influence of the pregnancy hormones. The surrounding connective tissue and the associated ligaments and muscles are stretched and loosened. This leads to the typical pain in the abdomen during early pregnancy.

Try to counteract the pain with relaxation exercises or a warm bath, for example.However, if pain in the abdomen accompanied by bleeding and severe cramps occurs during the so-called critical phase, the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, when the body of the pregnant woman decides whether the embryo is viable or not, this can also be an indication of an impending miscarriage. If, in addition to the abdominal pain, a tense, hard abdominal wall occurs, this may be a so-called ectopic pregnancy. The fertilized egg has erroneously not nested in the uterus but in the fallopian tube.

Such a fallopian tube can burst due to the increase in size of the unborn child and cause internal bleeding. Both cases, the imminent miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, are medical emergencies. Therefore, one should consult a doctor immediately.

In late pregnancy, around the 20th week of pregnancy, there are different reasons for abdominal pain. In the 23rd to the 37th week of pregnancy, the pain, possibly accompanied by bleeding, can be an indication that the expectant mother is too quickly prepared for the birth and thus that premature birth is imminent. Consult a doctor urgently!

A few days before the planned birth, the cervix dilates and the associated pain in the abdomen occurs. These are the first contractions and the discharge of amniotic fluid. This is a natural process that announces the imminent birth of your child. In any case, ask for medical advice if you feel pain in the abdomen during pregnancy which you cannot reasonably classify for yourself. On the one hand, it can be a completely harmless cause of the abdominal pain, but on the other hand, it can also be a serious problem for your unborn child.