Lower Abdominal & Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy: Causes & Relief

Question
I am currently 19 weeks pregnant and have two concerns:

1. I have major pains in my lower abdomen - they come and go and are more painful the longer I've been sitting down.  I also get severe pains in what feels like my pelvic bone between my vagina opening and my bikini line between my legs on the left hand side (sometimes the pain will shoot down my leg).  What could be the cause(s) of these pains and is there anything I can do to make them feel a little better?  I've already tried warm baths, ice packs, and changing positions but nothing seems to help.

2.  My blood pressure and heart rate have always been good and have actually dropped a little since I got pregnant.  They currently average about 106/60 and 75 bpm.  I did notice, however, that my pulse has gone from an average of 75 bpm to 85-90 bpm in a days time and has stayed in the upper range for the last few days.  I have not changed anything in my diet/eating habits, or anything else for that matter.  Is this normal to have such an increase in heart rate overnight?

Answer
Dear Courtni

For your first concern, provided that you are sure of your dates, it is most likely what is known as round ligament syndrome. This occurs in the form of sharp or tearing pain either uni or bilateral in the lower abdominal quadrant more commonly on the left side because of the normal right tilt of the uterus during pregnancy which puts the ligaments on the left side on stretch leading to pain. The onset of this pain or its aggravation is brought on by sudden movement which you should avoid. unfortunately, no specific treatment is known and the condition improves by advancement of pregnancy. However, local heat and support garment may help. It is important to be aware that such pain after 20 weeks may indicate preterm labor and accurate pregnancy age is therefore necessary for proper diagnosis.

There is nothing to worry about regarding your heart rate. It increases by 10-15 beats / minute during pregnancy and is a normal occurence as long as you have other syptoms such as dyspnea or cyanosis.

Good Luck