Is it normal to have pain on right side during early pregnancy

Sharp Pregnancy Pain – Causes and Symptoms

It can be stressful, especially for first-time mothers, to discern between normal pregnancy pains and when there is a possible complication from a sharp pain during pregnancy. During pregnancy, your body will undergo many changes as it adapts to the growing life inside of you. You will gain weight and your body will grow to accommodate your new baby. While this is natural and necessary, it can cause some discomfort.

Possible Causes of a Sharp Pain During Pregnancy

One of the most common sharp pains that women report is a stabbing pain in and around the uterus, stomach or groin area. While this can be uncomfortable, in many cases it can be explained by normal changes that occur during pregnancy.
Some common causes include:

• Cramping – You may experience sharp pain due to the cramping that occurs from the uterus expanding
• Gas and Bloating
• Constipation
• Round Ligament Pain – Round ligament pain can occur during the second trimester and can cause a sharp pain in the abdomen on either or both sides. The pain is caused by the stretching of the ligament that supports the uterus as the uterus grows.

Although the above conditions are part of normal pregnancy, they typically don’t cause sharp pain. If the sharp pain you are experiencing is localized on one side, it could be indicative of an ectopic pregnancy. This is a serious condition and requires urgent medical attention.
A pending miscarriage can also result in a sharp pain from the cramping. This raises concerns for expecting mothers who want to know the difference between normal cramping associated with the expanding uterus and cramping from a pending miscarriage.
Contacting your healthcare provider to discuss your symptoms is always the right choice.

Warning Signs/ Symptoms for a Sharp Pain During Pregnancy

• If pain is accompanied by vomiting, fever, chills, heavy bleeding/blood flow, or change in vaginal discharge
• If the sharp pain is continual after resting or adjusting (round ligament pain shouldn’t last more than a few minutes)
• If the pain makes it difficult to breathe, walk or speak

If you experience any of the above symptoms contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Coping With Pregnancy Pains

If you are experiencing sharp or stabbing pain during pregnancy, there are some possible solutions that you can try to alleviate the pain:

• Pregnancy safe stretches
• Breathing exercises/controlled breathing
• Experiment with sleeping and sitting positions
• Go on a walk

Again, if the pain becomes too intense or prevents you from doing day-to-day activities, contact your health care provider immediately. Consult with your doctor for more pregnancy-safe pain management ideas.

Want to Know More?

• Medical Terms to Know
• Treating Muscle Cramps Naturally During Pregnancy
• Pregnancy and Leg Cramps

Get the Fetal Life App for Apple and Android endorsed by the American Pregnancy Association. It features meal recommendations, kicks counter, blood glucose tracking, and more.
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Gibbs, R. (2008). Prenatal Care. In Danforth’s obstetrics and gynecology (10th ed., p. 18). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Harms, R. (2004). Mayo Clinic guide to a healthy pregnancy (1st ed.). New York: HarperResource.
Jordan, R. (2014). Exercise, Recreational and occupational issues, and intimate relationships in pregnancy. In Prenatal and postnatal care: A woman-centered approach (pp. 274-279). Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Some short-term pain in the belly is normal during pregnancy. But severe cramping or pain never is. Call your health care provider when you show signs of severe pain.

What causes mild belly pain in pregnancy?

There are different causes for mild achiness or pain in the abdomen during the different stages of pregnancy.

Early pregnancy

• Some women have low, period-like pain or cramps early in pregnancy. But if pain is severe or felt on one side, call your health care provider right away.

Later in pregnancy

• As your belly grows, the muscles and ligaments (tough bands of tissue) that support your uterus stretch. This can cause a dull ache across the belly or a sharp pain on one side. Many women feel this pain most severely when getting up from a bed, chair or bathtub or when coughing.
• Gas pains and bloating may be caused by hormones that slow your digestion, the pressure of your growing uterus, constipation and heartburn.
• You may feel irregular contractions or tightening of your uterus muscles, often called Braxton-Hicks or false labor. False labor is usually painless, but some women feel pain. False labor tends to increase in the weeks right before your due date and can be confused with true labor.

When should you call your health care provider?

While some pain or achiness is normal, severe abdominal pain or cramps could be a sign of a serious problem. Many conditions can cause this type of pain, like ectopic pregnancy, urinary tract infection or preterm labor (when labor begins too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy). 

Contact your provider if you have:

• Severe pain
• Pain that lasts more than a few hours
• Bleeding or discharge from your vagina 
• Fever 
• Lightheadedness or faintness 

Last reviewed: December, 2013

Some short-term pain in the belly is normal during pregnancy. But severe cramping or pain never is. Call your health care provider when you show signs of severe pain.

What causes mild belly pain in pregnancy?

There are different causes for mild achiness or pain in the abdomen during the different stages of pregnancy.

Early pregnancy

• Some women have low, period-like pain or cramps early in pregnancy. But if pain is severe or felt on one side, call your health care provider right away.

Later in pregnancy

• As your belly grows, the muscles and ligaments (tough bands of tissue) that support your uterus stretch. This can cause a dull ache across the belly or a sharp pain on one side. Many women feel this pain most severely when getting up from a bed, chair or bathtub or when coughing.
• Gas pains and bloating may be caused by hormones that slow your digestion, the pressure of your growing uterus, constipation and heartburn.
• You may feel irregular contractions or tightening of your uterus muscles, often called Braxton-Hicks or false labor. False labor is usually painless, but some women feel pain. False labor tends to increase in the weeks right before your due date and can be confused with true labor.

When should you call your health care provider?

While some pain or achiness is normal, severe abdominal pain or cramps could be a sign of a serious problem. Many conditions can cause this type of pain, like ectopic pregnancy, urinary tract infection or preterm labor (when labor begins too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy). 

Contact your provider if you have:

• Severe pain
• Pain that lasts more than a few hours
• Bleeding or discharge from your vagina 
• Fever 
• Lightheadedness or faintness 

Last reviewed: December, 2013

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