Help Please! Abdominal Pain and Pregnancy.

[Trinity Bauer]

Ok, so Im 20 weeks pregnant and in severe pain by the end of work almost every other day for the last 5 days.  Ive called the doc about it 3 times bc it really gets so bad to the point I cannot walk or stand any longer. it brings me to tears and really really hurts.  once it acts up, itll even hurt to pee. it gets a little less sharp after about an hour of rest but starts up if i get up.  My doc dismisses it as round ligament pain.  granted i have a small frame and lost 15 lbs during the first trimester but i really did not think i would be in sooo much pain. does anyone have any thoughts or experiences in this area?  Its mainly stabbing pains in the lower abdomen, sharper when i walk, sharp if im standing up, unbearable about an hour after it starts-gets increasingly worse if i dont rest, goes to a dull pain after rest and sometimes takes a full day in bed to stop hurting.

thanks!

[Elena]

I have never experienced anything like that. I luckily had 2 super easy pregnancies. But I would definitely try to push the conversation with your doctor. Even if it isn't something to worry about, there may be some things you can do to avoid or stop the pain. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

[Teri F.]

I had the same thing, but not as bad as you are describing yours. Make sure you support yourself when you get up from sitting or from bed. Don't just quickly get up like you used to before you were pregnant. Mine used to hurt after I walked or during walking and I just would take a break and slow down. I wore a belly band from time to time for support, but it didn't help that much.
I asked my Mom, MIL and SIL's if they had the round ligament pains and only 1 of my SIL's had it. Just take it easy as much as you can.

I still had it after pregnancy and I STILL sometimes have it from time to time. Everyone is different and has a different experience when pregnant. But it is normal to have this pain.

I did exercise starting at the end of my first trimester. I did a lot of squats and lunges and walked a lot which really helped with my labor.

PS. I saw your other posts about eating. Please make sure you eat enough protein at least 70 grams. Increased dietary protein has been suggested to reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia. Drink lots of water too!!!

Also, I made sure I took either DHA either plant based or as fish oil. This is extremely important!!

[Julie M]

You mentioned the pain is in your lower abdomen. Depending on where exactly in the lower abdomen your pain is, it can mean different things. If the pain is low enough in your lower abdomen and reaches near your middle pubic region, it could possibly be an issue with your bladder. You mentioned that it hurts to urinate when it acts up, which may be an indication of a bladder infection or even kidney stones in the bladder. Kidney stones are common during pregnancy, even for women who may have never experienced them before. I had my first ever kidney stones at 25 weeks pregnant and it took me about a week to pass them. My doctors office didn't see any abnormalities with my urine when they did the in-office dip stick tesing, but sent it to the lab to be on the safe side. They found no infection, but found blood in my urine indicating I would pass stones. I recently had another kidney stone attack about a week ago (29 weeks pregnant) and am currently undergoing observation from the doctor.
If the pain is on the sides of your lower abdomen, it very well could be ligament pain. The uterus stretches making room for the baby, and unfortunately puts a lot of strain on your ligaments. If this is the case, be sure to get enough rest, but be sure to at least get up and move around ever two hours during the day to keep good circulation flowing throughout the body.
Be sure when you speak to your doctor that you tell them as many details as you are able to about your pain to help with proper diagnosis.

[Becky]

If it IS round ligament pain, consider seeing a chiropractor who knows the Webster's Technique. It GREATLY reduces round ligament pain (I was getting them really badly at about 12-14 weeks and now after getting this technique done twice a week, haven't had it since. I am currently 18 weeks pregnant) The added bonus of this technique is that is makes it easier for the baby to "drop" when the time comes because it loosens the ligament that causes the pain.