Round ligament pain in pregnancy
My belly aches sometimes. Is this normal?
Yes. While you’re pregnant, it’s quite normal for your lower tummy to hurt. It's likely to be caused by ligaments coming under strain as your baby grows.
Ligaments are tough tissues that connect your bones and tissues. Some ligaments support your organs so that they stay in the right place.
The round ligaments hold your womb (uterus) in place. You have two round ligaments. They stretch from the top of your womb down the front of your belly, through to the inside of your pelvis.
At the start of pregnancy, the round ligaments are short and thick. Pregnancy hormones make them more flexible so that, as your baby grows, they become long and thin. When your round ligaments are under strain, they can stretch and tense, like an elastic band.
If you suddenly change position, it may cause these ligaments to tense quickly, resulting in a jabbing sensation or a sharp, stabbing pain. It can sometimes feel like painful cramps, but they are different from the cramping sensations of contractions.
It's more common to feel round ligament pain on the right-hand side rather than the left, especially from the second trimester. This is because, as your womb expands and lifts up out of your pelvis, it rotates slightly to the right. As a result, the right-hand ligament comes under more strain.
Sudden movements, such as getting up from a bed or chair, coughing or getting out of the bath may trigger the pain. If you roll over suddenly in your sleep, you may even wake up with the pain. You may also ache when you exercise in the later stages of pregnancy.
When should I call my doctor or midwife?
The kinds of aches caused by your round ligaments straining and stretching are normal. However, if you have an aching belly as well as any of the following symptoms, call your doctor or midwife:
pain or burning when you wee
spotting or bleeding
fever and chills
fluid leaking from your vagina
vomiting
a feeling of faintness
What can I do to relieve my aching belly?
Round ligament pain is part of a normal change to your body, so there may not be a way to prevent it or to make it go away during pregnancy.
You could try the following:
Moving slowly and smoothly from a sitting or lying position. Getting up slowly gives your muscles and ligaments time to adapt and support you before you change position.
Try tilting your pelvis backwards by slumping your back before you stand up.
Using a hot water bottle or wheat bag to warm the area that hurts.
Lying on the opposite side to the side that hurts.
Relaxing in a warm bath.
Your midwife or a physiotherapist may have some other suggestions.
Could the pain be caused by something else?
Aching in your lower belly can sometimes be a symptom of a urinary tract infection. You may also have a fever and feel unwell, or find it painful to wee. See your doctor or midwife if you’re not sure. She will be able to test your urine for signs of infection.
If you feel pain on or around your pubic bone at the front, you may be suffering from symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). SPD is a condition to do with particular ligaments in your pelvis. If you think that this may be a problem, talk to your doctor or midwife, or ask to be referred to a physiotherapist.
There are other more unusual causes of abdominal pain, which may be unrelated to your pregnancy, such as appendicitis. For more information, see our article on abdominal pain in pregnancy.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a205/round-ligament-pain-in-pregnancy#ixzz3wFKzVyXQ