What Stomach Pain And Cramps Should I Look Out For In Pregnancy
Most stomach pain and cramps in pregnancy are nothing to worry about. But there are some symptoms you should know about as they could be a sign of something more serious.
If you feel any of the following pains, even if you’re not experiencing any of the other symptoms listed, call your midwife, doctor or hospital immediately.
Severe pain on one side of the lower stomach in early pregnancyThis pain could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. Other symptoms may include:
- pain in the tip of your shoulder
- brown discharge
When Should You Call Your Health Care Provider
While some pain or achiness is normal, severe abdominal pain or cramps could be a sign of a serious problem. Many conditions can cause this type of pain, like ectopic pregnancy, urinary tract infection or preterm labor .
Contact your provider if you have:
- Severe pain
- Lightheadedness or faintness
Last reviewed: December, 2013
Some short-term pain in the belly is normal during pregnancy. But severe cramping or pain never is. Call your health care provider when you show signs of severe pain.
Does Your Stomach Hurt Two Weeks Into Pregnancy
Many women will notice that they feel uterine cramping as an early sign and symptom pregnancy. You could even feel period like cramps or even pain on one side. The most common reason for this kind of cramp is that your uterus is growing. This is normal pain and should be expected in a healthy pregnancy.
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Pregnancy Bleeding And Swollen Gums
You may not have expected pregnancy to affect your mouth. But your blood circulation and hormone levels can make your gums tender and swollen, and you may notice they bleed more easily. You may also develop nose bleeds.
Recommendations:
- Get a dental checkup early in your pregnancy to make sure your teeth and mouth are healthy. See your dentist if you notice a particular problem.
- Brush your teeth, floss regularly and rinse daily with an antiseptic mouthwash.
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How Can Finger Detect Early Pregnancy
Instructions on how to examine your cervix.It is feasible to evaluate the location of your cervix as well as its hardness from the comfort of your own home.Putting a finger inside your vagina and feeling around for your cervix is one way to do this.Because it is the longest of your fingers, your middle finger can be the most effective finger to utilize, but you should pick whichever finger is most convenient for you.
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What Do You Need To Know About Missed Period And Stomach Cramps
WebMD Symptom Checker helps you find the most common medical conditions indicated by the symptoms missed or late menstrual period and stomach cramps including Ectopic pregnancy, Irritable bowel syndrome, and Gastroenteritis. There are 18 conditions associated with missed or late menstrual period and stomach cramps.
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Figuring Out Your Due Date
Your doctor will typically use the first day of your last period to calculate your due date by adding 40 weeks to that date.
This only works if you have normal menstrual cycles, though. It assumes that you conceived 14 days after your last period started. If your cycles are shorter or longer than the average 28 days, you might not have conceived around day 14 of your cycle. In that case, the calculated due date will be inaccurate.
If you know precisely when you conceived and it wasnt around day 14, you can talk to your doctor about adjusting your due date. However, they may not feel its necessary unless you have reason to think the numbers are way off.
If you know your cycles skew closer to 35 or 40 days, your doctor may order an early ultrasound to more accurately date your pregnancy.
Remember, even if you didnt conceive exactly on day 14, as long as your cycles are average length, your due date will be close enough its only an estimate, anyway!
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How Soon Can I Take A Pregnancy Test
Pregnancy tests work by detecting a certain level of human chorionic gonadotrophin in your pee. You can take a pregnancy test as soon as youve missed your period. However, its best to wait at least one week after youve missed your period to get the most accurate results. While some tests claim to give you accurate results before a missed period, taking a test too soon can result in a false negative .
Your healthcare provider can take a blood sample to test for pregnancy as early as one week before a missed period.
About That Belly Bloat Or Baby
The pee stick on your pregnancy test is barely dry, but you swear theres already a baby bump bulging over the top of your skinny jeans. Is it for real?
Yes and no! Yes, you probably do have some abdominal swelling, but its most likely caused by first trimester bloating, not the size of your uterus.
Just like when you get all puffy right before your period, the increase in progesterone that happens with conception can cause bloating.
At this stage, your uterus is starting to expand but is still pretty small, so its not likely to be the reason for your tight-fitting pants.
That is, unless this isnt your first baby, in which case you could be seeing the makings of a baby bump this early: Because your abdominal muscles are weakened from your previous pregnancy, theyre ready to fall right back into saggy shape as soon as any kind of uterine growth happens.
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What Does 1 Month Pregnant Really Mean
Youre 1 month pregnant, but your baby is only, like 14 days old? How does that work?
Welcome to the first often confusing thing about pregnancy: your gestational age. Pregnancy is measured, or dated, from the first day of your last period.
No, you werent pregnant then, and yes, it can seem odd that it works this way, but the actual date of conception can be pretty hard to pin down.
Besides, before we knew so much about conception, we knew through observation that people tended to give birth about 40 weeks after the start of their last period.
So if youre 1 month pregnant, it means your last period started about 1 month ago, but since you probably didnt conceive your baby until about 14 days later, theyre only 2 weeks old. Your baby will always be younger than your pregnancy.
Dont freak out, though: The whole world of obstetrics and fetal development revolves around gestational age, so sticking with that number means youre in line with everyone elses milestones and expectations.
My Stomach Feels Weirddoes Your Stomach Hurt In Early Pregnancy
It depends on what you mean by hurt.
In general, the kinds of pain youll experience in your belly or lower abdomen in early pregnancy are related to:
- Nausea usually happens between two and eight weeks after conception2
- Cramping these can feel similar to pre-menstrual cramps and can be a sign of implantation2
- Bloating and abdominal discomfort similar to PMS symptoms
Below I talk a little more about nausea, which is common in early pregnancy .
So in the sense of feeling nauseous, yes, your stomach can hurt. Some women also feel some light cramping at the very beginning of their pregnancy, which may or may not be accompanied by spotting . This usually occurs around the predicted time of the period or a couple of days before.
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What Are The Earliest Signs Of Pregnancy
Some symptoms to watch for before you miss your period are sore breasts, fatigue, sensitivity to smell, food aversions, nausea, and more frequent urination. Keep in mind, however, that it’s very likely you will have no symptoms.
One study found that 50% of women showed no symptoms at five weeks after conception, 30% had none six weeks after conception, and 10% still didn’t have any at two months after conception!3
Below there are three tables.
- One is the signs of pregnancy you might experience before you miss your period.
- The next is the most commonly reported first signs of pregnancy, so you can get a sense of how common these symptoms are.
- The third shows 14 signs of pregnancy you might experience within the first three weeks after conception to get a better look at some other symptom possibilities.
When Should I Call My Doctor About A New Pregnancy
If youve missed your period and gotten a positive pregnancy test, your next step will be to call your healthcare provider for your first appointment. While scheduling, your provider may ask if you have already started taking a prenatal vitamin containing folic acid. Prenatal vitamins are important in early pregnancy because they help in the development of your babys neural tube. The neural tube will become your babys brain and spine. Many healthcare providers recommend that anyone who could become pregnant take folic acid at all times.
If youre planning a pregnancy, a preconception appointment with your healthcare provider is a good place to start. A preconception appointment is especially important if you take medication for a chronic illness or have other medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or lupus.
During this appointment, your provider will discuss any current medical conditions, as well as your general health before pregnancy. This appointment is meant to get you into the best place for a new pregnancy.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/26/2022.
References
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What Causes Abdominal Pain In The Second Trimester Of Pregnancy
In the second trimester of pregnancy, the round ligament is often the source of the majority of cases of stomach discomfort. However, the discomfort may begin early for some women, namely when the pregnant belly first makes an appearance. The pain starts in the lower abdomen and may go all the way up to the hip region.
Video: Common Discomforts In Your First Trimester
This video discusses some discomforts you will encounter in early pregnancy.
From the validation of conception, the wholefertilization process happens right in a tube known as follicle tube. After thesemen and the fertilized egg goes in the uterus, it gets attached to theuterine walls.
All the changes that later occurs in thepregnant body sets off from this point. The physical, emotional, mental andgeneral alterations a woman begins to experience afterwards has just begun.
Varying according to individual differences,the first trimester is usually tough for most expectant mothers. It could alsobe just like every other day for some.
The actual trigger for all the changesexperienced during pregnancy is owing to hormonal changes occurring in thewomans body. As soon as you get pregnant, everything changes into a totallydifferent scenario.
Gases might start to fill up in the stomach, lowercramps could follow, and retention of fluid. On some days, your emotions couldbe all over the place and dont get us started on the weird cravings at veryodd timing.
Round ligament discomfort will come and gowhich can give rise to some sharp to moderate pain around the lower stomach.This is simply aided by the ligaments being stretched to support the growinguterus.
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Normal Cramps In Early Pregnancy
During your first trimester, you experience cramps as your body prepares for the pregnancy. You may initially experience cramping in your lower abdomen or lower back even before you know youre pregnant. This is due to implantation, which is the process of the fertilized egg implanting in the uterus. You may feel a small twinge or sharper cramps that may double you over at times. After you know youre pregnant, cramping is due to your uterus growing and expanding to accommodate your growing baby. Its perfectly normal and happens to all women. Cramps often feel similar to your normal menstrual cramps. Once you pass your first trimester, you might experience occasional cramping. Its important to remember that the uterus is a muscle, which means it can contract and cause pain or discomfort. The same can happen when you have gas, constipation, bloating, or even a full bladder.
Loss Of Appetite For Favourite Foods
Pregnancy can really mess with your eating habits, thats for sure. As well as pregnancy symptoms such ascraving foods you may not usually like, you can actually lose a taste for some foods and drinks that are usually a big part of your normal diet, sometimes put off by their smell. People sometimes go off staples such as coffee, tea, or fatty foods. Changes in tastes and a heightened sense of smell are very common and can persist throughout pregnancy but do tend to be strongest early on, Dr Knight explained.
What else could it be?
People often experience a loss in appetite when theyre feeling anxious or stressed. This is because anxiety triggers emotional and psychological changes in your body to help you deal with the pressure. These triggers can often affect the stomach and digestive tract and can make you lose your appetite. When youre feeling more relaxed, your appetite should return back to normal.
I went off coffee. Which, considering I was a three-cups-before-noon girl, this was a huge sign that something had changed for me, even before I took a test this kick-started my suspicions.
Mum-of-twins, Kelly
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Pain In Lower Abdomen During Pregnancy First Trimester
In the first trimester, lower abdominal pain can have different forms: dull, intense, with cramps or tightness, or acute. The diagnosis can be oriented depending on the kind of pain you experience.
Generally, such pain feels like cramps similar to those seen before periods. Many pregnant women also notice painful pressure or pulling under their umbilicus, this usually happens about a week after conception and lasts a few weeks.
Often, these pains are not pathological and may occur on either side of the lower abdomen. They are mainly related to ligament disorders caused by increased uterus volume.
But no stress: The majority of these symptoms are normal and can be explained by ordinary changes that arise in early pregnancy. A little rest and relaxation usually helped to ease and eliminate the discomforts.
General Abdominal Pain In Pregnancy
If you are having general pain in the abdomen but not specifically in the stomach, it could be due to a benign cause or it could be of concern. Your abdomen is growing and your organs are shifting, so some dull pain and an occasional sharp jab are normal.
The usual causes are:
- Braxton Hicks contractions: Often without pain, Braxton Hicks may cause discomfort or pain during the second and third trimester when experiencing these âpracticeâ contractions.
- Cramping: Cramps may be felt due to the expansion of the uterus. These are usually not severe and subside after a few minutes of rest.
- Gas, bloating, or constipation: These symptoms are common due to the high levels of the hormone progesterone during pregnancy, which slows down digestion.
- Round ligament pain: You may feel this in the second trimester as the ligament that runs from your uterus to your groin is stretched. This can be a sharp stabbing pain when you make a change in position or it can be a dull, achy pain.
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How To Tell If You’re Pregnant Right Away
The only way to tell if youre pregnant right away is by taking a home pregnancy test according to its instructions. Waiting can be difficult, but you can usually take a test three to four days before a missed period though youre more likely to get a false negative if you test too soon. If its negative, wait a couple more days and test again if Aunt Flo doesnt come to visit.
Be sure to test first thing in the morning, when your urine and the hormone that the test is measuring are most concentrated. If you see a line indicating a pregnancy, youre almost certainly pregnant . Pregnancy tests with false positives are rare.
Which Pregnancy Books Should I Buy
If you are expecting or trying for a baby, you might want to buy some pregnancy books to help you prepare for motherhood. Weve put together some recommendations below, along with descriptions to help you decide whether or not these books are suitable for you or not.
First-Time Parent: The honest guide to coping brilliantly and staying sane in your babys first year, by Lucy Atkins
This includes surviving the first few days, adapting to your new routine, why your baby is crying, sleep advice, and so much more. Her guide also includes information on single parenting, and on adopted, multiple and special needs babies.
The Modern Midwifes Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond, by Marie Louise
Senior Midwife Marie Louise created this book to share up-to-date findings and expert insights into pregnancy, and this book is suitable for any women. Whether youre planning a pregnancy, you are pregnant, or youre well into your third trimester, this book is packed with facts and advice.
From incredible facts about breast milk to educating about labour, Maries guide is designed to help women understand more about their body and their growing baby, and what they can do to support them.
Were Pregnant! The First Time Dads Pregnancy Handbook, by Adrian Kulp
If youre a Dad whos expecting, or someone who wants to prepare their partner for what to expect, then this seems like the book for you.
How to Grow a Baby Journal, by Clemmie Hooper
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