Introduction
In medicine, maternal ligaments are the structures consisting of connective tissue that fix the uterus in its anatomical position. These include the round uterine ligament (Ligamentum teres uteri) and the broad uterine ligament (Ligamentum latum uteri). Especially during pregnancy, these ligaments can cause discomfort when they are stretched by the growing child and the uterus that grows as a result. In general, complaints in this area are rather unspecific and can indicate many different causes. Persistent complaints should therefore be clarified by a doctor.
Cause
The most common cause of pulling in the maternal ligaments is pregnancy. The growing uterus causes stretching pain in the ligamentous apparatus. The pain usually does not begin until the second third of the pregnancy, as the baby only then gains in size.
Before this time, the uterine ligaments are not exposed to strong traction forces. However, it is very different from woman to woman whether and when such pain sets in. Pulling in the abdomen can otherwise have many other causes that are not necessarily associated with the uterine ligaments. In principle, such symptoms should include cycle problems, ovarian cysts, inflammation of the ovaries, muscular problems, ectopic pregnancies and masses of the internal genitals. Diseases of other organs can also be considered, for example, an incipient appendicitis or diverticulitis of the colon, in which the intestinal mucosa bulges out and becomes inflamed in these places.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of pulling in the area of the mother ligaments can be made by a gynecologist. Pulling is a very typical symptom in pregnant women and usually does not require further clarification due to its harmlessness. If other symptoms are present, such as very strong and increasingly severe pain, bleeding, fever or other worrying signs, further clarification should be carried out urgently in order to rule out serious complications of the pregnancy.
The same applies to non-pregnant women with abdominal pulling. If no explanation for the symptoms can be found, a medical clarification is recommended. By means of a physical examination and, for example, an ultrasound image of the abdomen, serious diseases can usually be ruled out quickly.
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