Stomach ache during pregnancy

Stomach pain is quite frequent in many pregnant women. This condition is not usually dangerous, but in order to prevent any potential complications women should always consult their doctor.Various Conditions affect Stomach in Pregnancy

Pregnant women often complain about constipation, which might provoke stomach pain in pregnancy. The increasing uterus is pressuring the rectum, slowing the food passage, leading to constipation. Stomach ache during pregnancy is common because pregnancy changes the hormonal status of a woman’s body, additionally slowing the movement of the food through the stomach and intestines. Bladder infections are often present in pregnant women. Many of the affected women experience stomach pain, changes in the smell and color of the urine and a frequent need to pee, which all indicates bladder infection. If left untreated, this condition might also affect the kidneys and provoke further medical issues, such as nausea, vomiting, shaking, fever and excessive sweating. Pregnancy is often accompanied by round ligament pain. It usually occurs in the second trimester, and the affected women feel sharp or brief stomach pain. Pain might get even worse when a woman moves or just coughs and sneezes. Preeclampsia is a medical condition caused by the retention of water in the body. First symptoms are usually changes in the blood vessels of the heart, kidneys, brain and placenta. After some time, changes start to affect the stomach, causing stomach pain, and also headaches, vomiting, nausea and eye problems. Ectopic pregnancy is caused by implantation of the fertilized egg on different female organs and not in the womb where implantation is supposed to take place. This condition might also cause stomach pain in pregnant women, and should be quickly addressed, before it gets more complicated. Early pregnancy loss symptoms are stomach pain and vaginal bleeding or spotting. If it happens in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the condition is called miscarriage. Braxton-Hicks contractions are induced by tightening of the uterus in late pregnancy. In most cases, these contractions are not painful, but they might sometimes cause lower back and abdominal pain during pregnancy.Premature childbirth is the childbirth that happens before 37th week of pregnancy. Frequent contractions, vaginal bleeding, changes of vaginal discharge, stomach and back pain are all characteristics of premature labor. Placental abruption is a rare complication, when the placenta separates from the uterus before the childbirth. Patients will notice bleeding, stomach cramps, back pain and often contractions.

Pain from Carrying Low should not be Ignored

Pregnant women are often exposed to stories based on the shape of their belly, usually by old aunties and nosy neighborhood ladies. One of the most popular story assumes that carrying low means carrying a baby boy. The science has proven ages ago that baby’s sex has nothing to do with the shape of the belly. There are dozens of theories about baby’s sex and baby’s future life based on the shape of the mother’s belly. Some women carry low and some high, some have a wider and some a more narrow shape of the belly.

The fact is that the shape of a pregnant woman’s belly is determined only by the position of the fetus. Position of the fetus depends on the location of uterine and pelvic muscles. If a woman carries high, the fetus is located in the upper part of the womb, and if she carries low, the baby is at the bottom part, closer to the pelvis.

Women who have stronger and tighter uterine and abdominal muscles usually carry high, sometimes just below the breasts, while those whose muscles are somewhat weakened, probably due to age, tend to have a lower baby bump.

What Carrying Low Really Means?

Carrying low basically means that the baby is located closer to the pelvis. The pregnant women who carry low need to be extra careful, because that particular location carries certain risks, like premature birth or even a miscarriage. Women who carry low should refrain from physical strain, like heavy lifting and sudden movements, because they can push the baby closer to the pelvis and increase the risk of complications.

On the other hand, since the baby is close to the pelvis, the path he or she has has to pass on the way out of the womb is much shorter, which can mean faster and less painful delivery.

Flatulence during Pregnancy can be Painful

Many people have problems with excessive gas. Unfortunately pregnant women tend to go through this problem a lot more frequently along with having to put up with all the other issues and discomforts of pregnancy. Women need to know that flatulence is only one cause of stomach aches during pregnancy.

There are lots of reasons for having gas. Most of the time it can be due to simply swallowing air whilst chewing food. Pregnant women will also contain more progesterone in their system thus causing more flatulence. Progesterone will actually contribute to slowing down of the digestive system which inevitably makes a pregnant woman feel uncomfortable and bloated. In addition to this, the baby will also press the digestive tract contributing to slowing down the stool's passage another reason behind flatulence.

How to Cure Flatulence in Pregnancy

Most people know that the food they consume affects the level of gas regardless if the person is carrying a baby or not. Staying away from artificial sweeteners like the ones present in diet sodas is essential. Some foods that should be avoided if a person is suffering from flatulence are cabbage, onions, brussel sprouts, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, pears, apples, peaches, and prunes. Additionally, people should avoid milk, ice cream and cheese. It is important to know that it usually takes around five to six hours for a particular food that has been eaten to be turned into a gas.

Exercise is very important. Half an hour walk will encourage the gas to pass through the digestive tract. This will not prevent the gas from forming but will prevent its build-up and associated discomfort.