Something that many women worry about is feeling abdominal pain during pregnancy. While this can be one of the first signs of having a miscarriage, it is also the sign of other good things that are happening to your body.
Generally, as long as there is no blood, pain during pregnancy is nothing to panic about.
Pain during pregnancy in the first trimester
This is the most common time to feel some sort of pain while you are pregnant and is often the most common time that women worry.
A miscarriage is most likely to happen during the first 13 weeks – your first trimester. If you are worried about any pain that you are experience, you should speak to your doctor to settle your mind.
However, the pains in the first trimester are usually linked to two things. First of all, there is a chance that it is just an implantation cramp.
This usually happens during weeks three and four of your pregnancy, when you conceive. It is due to the embryo attaching itself to your uterus lining.
The second reason for the pains is due to the muscles in the uterus stretching. The body will start to prepare for a growing baby as early as four weeks into the pregnancy and there are chances that you will feel it.
Usually, the pain will be light and will be similar to a cramp that you feel in other parts of your body after working on the muscles. This is also a common reason to feel pain during the second trimester.
Acute pain during pregnancy
Of course, there are times when the pain is a sign that something is wrong. One in eight pregnancies end in a miscarriage and one of the symptoms is cramping – some women will experience excruciating pain while others will experience mild, period-like pains. A vaginal bleed is often noticed before any type of pain is felt.
An ectopic pregnancy is another reason why women feel pain during pregnancy. This is when the egg is fertilized outside of the uterus and gets stuck in the fallopian tubes. This is extremely serious if left untreated and it does become life-threatening. Bleeding is commonly associated with ectopic pregnancies as well as pains on one side and a high temperature.
Pain during pregnancy in second and third trimester
As the baby grows, it will start to push internal organs out of the way. This causes a lot of discomfort for some women. This is perfectly normal though and is a good sign. This commonly happens during the second month as the baby grows quickly during this time.
By the third trimester, most of the baby growth has finished; it will just start to get bigger as it puts on more weight and develops more. However, this is not as quick so the pushing of the organs does not happen too much – although many women still feel some discomfort.
The most common reason women feel pain in their first trimester is due to false labor pains. This is known as Braxton-Hicks contractions and is very common the closer you get to your due date. Most women will have this but not so many feel any pain or discomfort.
