Stomach ache during pregnancy is often a normal thing. However, pregnant women need to be careful if stomach pain is followed by other symptoms or if the pain is very severe. In order not to be mistaken, Bumil needs to recognize the difference between normal and dangerous abdominal pain during pregnancy.
As pregnancy increases, the uterus will continue to expand to make room for the fetus to grow. Enlargement of the uterus can cause pressure on the muscles, joints, and blood vessels around the uterus, causing pain in the stomach of pregnant women.
Abdominal pain due to these conditions is normal and will not endanger the health of pregnant women and fetuses. Even so, abdominal pain during pregnancy can also be caused by a serious condition, so that a doctor is needed.
Abdominal Pain during Pregnancy that is not Harmful
In addition to the enlargement of the size of the uterus, abdominal pain which is categorized as not dangerous can be caused by:
1. Excessive gas in the stomach
Gas that accumulates in the digestive tract during pregnancy can make pregnant women feel sick to the stomach. This happens because of the increase in the hormone progesterone which causes the muscles in the digestive tract to relax and digest food more slowly.
When food is longer in the large intestine, more gas will be produced. In addition, the growing uterus can also provide additional pressure on the digestive tract, so that the gas in the digestive tract to accumulate.
Symptoms that arise when gas accumulates in the intestines are abdominal pain, chest pain, bloating, more frequent bowel movements, and cramps.
2. Ligament pain
There are two main ligaments or connective tissues that extend from the uterus to the groin and both function to support the uterus. When the uterus stretches, the ligaments also stretch. This is what makes pregnant women sometimes feel sharp pain in the abdomen, hips, or groin.
The emergence of pain that usually occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy can be triggered by changes in body position, sneezing, or coughing.
3. Constipation
Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can trigger constipation. Lack of fiber intake, lack of exercise, or anxiety can also be a cause of constipation during pregnancy. If you experience it, pregnant women may feel abdominal pain, bloating, and must push when defecating.
4. False contractions
When experiencing contractions, pregnant women will feel the uterus, lower abdomen, or groin tightened, then relax by itself. There are two types of contractions during pregnancy, namely fake and original contractions. The difference between the two types of contraction is in its intensity.
Fake contractions will not change to get worse over time. While the original contractions will feel increasingly heavy and more often appear, followed by signs of labor.
False contractions are part of a normal pregnancy and often occur in the final trimester of pregnancy. Usually this condition does not cause pain. But in certain cases, these contractions may also be painful.
Stomach aches that need to be watched for when pregnant
Even though it is normal, abdominal pain during pregnancy should not be underestimated, especially if it lasts for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Her skin has blood spots on her vagina
- Leucorrhoea
- Shivering and fever
- Headache
- Pain when urinating
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain in the lower back
The following are some of the dangerous pregnancy complications that are characterized by abdominal pain:
1. Miscarriage
Miscarriage is a sudden fetal death before 20 weeks' gestation. This condition can be characterized by blood coming out of the vagina accompanied by lumps of tissue, as well as pain or cramps in the abdomen and lower back.
2. Preterm labor
If you experience abdominal pain due to contractions (more than five contractions in an hour) or cramps such as menstruation that occur before 37 weeks of pregnancy, it may be that pregnant women will experience premature labor.
Other signs of preterm labor are vaginal bleeding, premature rupture of membranes, and pain in the pelvic area or lower back.
3. Preeclampsia
Pregnant women are said to have preeclampsia if their blood pressure continues to increase after 20 weeks of pregnancy and there is an increase in urine protein levels.
Symptoms to watch out for are swelling in certain body parts, rapid weight gain, headaches, vision problems, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
4. Urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections are characterized by pain in the lower abdomen, pain when urinating, often feel like urinating, and urine smells foul or mixed with blood.
If not treated immediately, this condition can increase the risk of pregnant women experiencing kidney infections or giving birth prematurely.
5. Chorioamnionitis
Chorioamnionitis is a bacterial infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid which causes amniotic fluid to fester and smell. Usually these bacteria originate from the vagina or urinary tract which spreads to the amniotic sac.
Chorioamnionitis is characterized by pain in the uterus or stomach, fever, and increased pulse in the mother and fetus. If not treated properly, this condition can cause serious health problems in the mother and fetus.
6. Ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus. This condition can be asymptomatic. But if you have problems, ectopic pregnancy can cause severe pain such as prickling. This pain often appears on one side of the lower abdomen, accompanied by bleeding from the vagina.
Pain usually gets worse after physical activity or when coughing. In addition, ectopic pregnancy sufferers can also experience sudden fainting.
This condition needs to be treated as soon as possible because of the risk of causing shock that can endanger the lives of pregnant women.
7. Placental abruption
Placental abruption is a condition in which the placenta is partially or completely separated from the uterus before the baby is born. This very dangerous condition can cause symptoms in the form of abdominal cramps or contractions that do not go away, bleeding from the vagina, and rupture of membranes accompanied by the presence of blood in the amniotic fluid.
If pregnant women find it difficult to distinguish whether the abdominal pain experienced is normal or not, or if abdominal pain during pregnancy is accompanied by other symptoms and is getting worse, pregnant women should immediately go to the obstetrician to get an examination and treatment.
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