What causes abdominal pain during pregnancy? Abdominal pain caused by non-pregnancy reasons

There are many physical problems during pregnancy that need everyone's attention. Abdominal pain during pregnancy is a normal phenomenon. It is a normal reaction caused by pregnancy, but if the abdominal pain is severe or occurs frequently, you should pay attention.

What causes stomach pain during pregnancy

1. Normal pain during pregnancy. Pregnant women have stomach pain because the uterus gradually grows during the development of the embryo. At this time, pregnant women will feel uncomfortable and feel stomach pain, but this pain is often mild, so pregnant women do not need to worry too much.

2. Signs of threatened abortion. However, if the abdominal pain comes in waves or lasts for a long time, like the pain before or during menstruation, and is accompanied by vaginal bleeding, it may be a sign of threatened abortion, and you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.

3. Eating spoiled or overly frozen food. Eating spoiled or overly cold food can cause intestinal cramps and make pregnant women feel stomach pain.

4. Causes of disease. Acute gastritis, gastroenteritis, acute pancreatitis, and uterine fibroid degeneration can also cause pregnant women to feel abdominal pain. Therefore, if it is acute abdominal pain, you should go to the hospital in time for symptomatic treatment to avoid worsening of the disease or miscarriage.

Abdominal pain not caused by pregnancy

Some diseases during pregnancy can also cause stomach pain in expectant mothers, but these diseases are not directly related to pregnancy, such as appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, cholelithiasis and cholecystitis. Because stomach pain is more common during pregnancy, sometimes stomach pain caused by non-pregnancy reasons is easily ignored by expectant mothers.

1. Acute appendicitis

It can occur in the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy. Most people with acute appendicitis experience abdominal tenderness in the right lower abdomen, but because of the presence of the baby, the tenderness in the right abdomen of pregnant women gradually moves up as the pregnancy progresses. Expectant mothers who experience abdominal pain due to acute appendicitis generally have a history of chronic appendicitis and are accompanied by symptoms such as elevated body temperature. Because the condition of expectant mothers will develop more rapidly after appendicitis, they should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time.

2. Intestinal obstruction

If the expectant mother has undergone abdominal surgery before pregnancy, intestinal adhesions after the surgery are often the cause of intestinal obstruction during pregnancy. There are no typical symptoms of intestinal obstruction in expectant mothers, so if you feel abdominal pain accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, you should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.

3. Cholelithiasis and cholecystitis

Due to the physiological changes of pregnancy, if you have cholelithiasis before pregnancy, it is very easy to cause gallbladder inflammation. When the gallbladder is inflamed, there will be upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and the pain will be caused or aggravated by diet. Pregnant mothers should pay attention to chewing slowly, not eating too much at one meal, and eat less foods with high fat content.

Why does a pregnant woman feel pain around her belly button?

From the second trimester, the fetus will grow very fast and the belly will be stretched, so you will feel that the area around your belly button is stretched. It is recommended to use moisturizer to moisturize the skin on your belly at this time, otherwise it is easy to grow stretch marks. Please rest assured that pain around the belly button of pregnant women will not affect the baby in the belly. There is another possibility of pain around the belly button of pregnant women: in the early stage of pregnancy, there will be occasional cramps in the lower abdomen, sometimes only one side of the pain, sometimes the whole lower abdomen will hurt, but it will not be too painful, only a slight cramp. This is mainly because the ligaments supporting the uterus are pulled up because of the swelling of the uterus during pregnancy. No special treatment is required, just rest. If the pain is severe and unbearable, or the pain is continuous instead of occasional cramps, you need to see an obstetrician and gynecologist.

Causes of abdominal pain during pregnancy

Abdominal pain in early pregnancy

In the early stages of pregnancy, some abdominal pains are physiological, that is, normal reactions caused by pregnancy, but some are pathological and may indicate the occurrence of crises such as miscarriage.

1. Physiological stomach pain

In the early stages of pregnancy, many expectant mothers always feel some stomach pain, sometimes accompanied by vomiting and other early pregnancy reactions, which is mainly caused by increased gastric acid secretion in the early stages of pregnancy. At this time, you should pay attention to diet adjustment. The diet should be light and easy to digest. You can eat some toasted steamed bread slices or soda crackers for breakfast. As the early stages of pregnancy end, the discomfort will naturally disappear.

2. Pathological stomach pain

If expectant mothers have paroxysmal lower abdominal pain or regular abdominal pain, back pain, or pelvic pain in the first few months of pregnancy, the problem may be more complicated. If accompanied by vaginal punctate bleeding or a noticeable sense of abdominal falling, it may indicate threatened abortion. Expectant mothers should move less, stay in bed more, avoid sexual intercourse, avoid lifting heavy objects, and replenish water and seek medical attention in time. If the pain worsens or bleeding continues, you need to see a doctor immediately. If there is severe pain in the lower abdomen on one side, accompanied by vaginal bleeding or fainting, it may be an ectopic pregnancy and you should go to the hospital immediately. Some expectant mothers think that abdominal pain in early pregnancy may be accidental, and it doesn't matter, just lie in bed and rest. This blind measure of bed rest to protect the fetus is not advisable, and you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid delaying the condition.

Stomach pain during pregnancy

1. Physiological stomach pain

Around 4 months of pregnancy, the uterus enlarges and the round ligament of the uterus is stretched, causing many expectant mothers to feel some stomach pain. This pain is mostly located on one or both sides of the uterus in the lower abdomen, and is referred pain, dull pain, or dull pain. The pain becomes more obvious when walking a long distance or changing body positions. Expectant mothers don't need to worry, and they can be relieved by resting in bed more. Exercising too hard during sex in the second trimester can also cause stomach pain in pregnant mothers.

2. Pathological stomach pain

In the second trimester, the baby gradually grows, and the intra-abdominal pressure of the expectant mother also increases. If the expectant mother's esophageal hiatus (the esophagus goes down through this hiatus and connects to the stomach) widens, a hiatal hernia may occur, resulting in stomach pain. At this time, stomach pain is often accompanied by chest tightness, shortness of breath, chest pain, acid reflux, hiccups and other symptoms. The incidence of hiatal hernia during pregnancy is about 30-50%, and the symptoms are sometimes more obvious in the late pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommended that expectant mothers: eat small meals frequently, eat less food that is too sweet, too spicy, and too sticky; do not lie flat on the bed after a meal, and do not lie too low, try to bend over as little as possible to reduce stomach acid reflux; keep the bowels open. If you find symptoms of gastric reflux, try to raise your upper body about 20°.

Abdominal pain in late pregnancy

In the late pregnancy, as the fetus continues to grow, the burden on the expectant mother's abdomen and body gradually increases. In addition, as delivery is approaching, the number of abdominal pains will increase significantly compared to the second trimester.

1. Physiological stomach pain

As the baby grows, the expectant mother's uterus also gradually expands. The enlarged uterus constantly stimulates the lower edge of the ribs, which can cause dull rib pain in the expectant mother. Generally speaking, this is physiological and does not require special treatment. Lying on the left side is conducive to pain relief. In the late pregnancy, when the expectant mother rests at night, she sometimes experiences lower abdominal cramps due to false labor, which usually lasts only a few seconds, with an interval of up to several hours, without a feeling of falling, and the symptoms can be relieved during the day.

2. Pathological stomach pain

Placental abruption: It often occurs in the third trimester. The expectant mother may have pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, chronic hypertension, or abdominal trauma. Tearing pain in the lower abdomen is a typical symptom, often accompanied by vaginal bleeding. The degree of abdominal pain is affected by a combination of factors such as the size of the abruption area, the amount of blood, the level of internal uterine pressure, and whether the uterine muscle layer is damaged. In severe cases, the stomach pain is unbearable, the abdomen becomes hard, the fetal movement disappears, and even shock occurs. Therefore, in the third trimester, expectant mothers with high blood pressure or abdominal trauma should go to the hospital in time to prevent accidents. If the expectant mother suddenly feels persistent severe pain in the lower abdomen, it may be premature birth or a threatened uterine rupture. Go to the hospital in time and do not delay.