Recognizing Abnormal Pain During Pregnancy

Pregnancy should be one of the most celebrated events in a woman’s life. It is the fulfillment of a miracle that only women can perform — the ability to bear and deliver life from the womb. Seen in this perspective, pregnancy can be said to be very empowering for women. However, not all pregnant women enjoy this phase in their lives. Several reports and studies have already been made about women who undergo extreme feelings of stress and anxiety during their pregnancy. As a result, the babies of those stressed and anxious mothers are also affected by their mothers’ negative disposition. A stressful pregnancy can actually cause the infants to be born prematurely or become underweight. It is also said to eventually affect an infant’s mood and behavior.

Minor back pain during pregnancy is quite normal and is often the result of the progesterone hormone and the discs and ligaments softening in anticipation of the extra weight you will be carrying. In addition, as the baby grows in the womb, this will put some pressure on the spine because your center of gravity is changing to accommodate the new life.

Abdominal pain during pregnancy can be quite normal in many cases and can be due simply to your diet, growing uterus applying pressure inside the body and even gas or bloating. As your baby grows, many of your bodily functions from digestion to elimination of body waste is affected so it stands to reason that your body will rebel a bit.

During the course of pregnancy, the woman might feel various complications that are considered normal when pregnant. Cramps during pregnancy can be mild to severe, depending on the mother’s health status. During the first trimester, women can experience cramps during implantation, which usually happens from eight to ten days after the ovulation period. Another cause for cramps would be the stretching of the uterus. The woman’s body will prepare for the baby by expanding and stretching the uterus, therefore causing mild cramps. Unfortunately, cramps can be accompanied by bleeding or spotting when there is a possibility of a miscarriage. Other causes of cramping during the first trimester would be due to gas pains and constipation, often leading to feelings of discomfort. In the course of the second and third trimester of pregnancy, cramps can also occur during pre-term labor and during early labor. These cramps are often accompanied by back pain.

Abnormal pain during pregnancy can be the result of a variety of things from premature labor to high blood pressure to preeclampsia. Pre-existing health conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes can also complicate matters. Bleeding during pregnancy is one of those times which warrant an immediate trip to the doctor or hospital. This bleeding can be an indicator to a whole host of health problems from miscarriage to placenta previa to even an ectopic pregnancy.

Back pain with contractions, dizziness, bleeding, fever, headaches or any other symptoms can signal conditions like placental abruption where the placenta tears away from the uterine wall. Urinary tract infections are not uncommon in pregnant women and may cause pain during pregnancy. Pain while urinating, blood in the urine or even foul smelling discharge can be a sign of an infection that needs treatment before your kidneys shut down.

The bottom line is if you have pain during pregnancy, enough so that it scares you, go to the doctor. Do not wait and hope that it will go away because it if is truly something serious, acting fast can save not only your life but that of your unborn child.