Lower Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy: Causes & Relief

Question
The pain is in my lower abdomen and feels like it's ripping.  I am 28 weeks preg. with my 4th child.  I've never had these pains before.  They come and go with no specific reason.  I get them when I'm laying down, walking, sitting, I've also begun to get them after sex and can't stand up straight until they quit.  If I cough, take a deep breath, or clear my throat, they intensify.  Is this just simply my uterus stretching?

Answer
Dear Michele,

Since you've entered your third trimester, my initial reaction is that you may be experiencing some Braxton Hicks contractions, or "false" labor pains. Braxton Hicks are just the body's way of getting ready for the real thing. They normally come and go without reason, don't get closer together or get stronger over time as "true" labor pains do, and don't increase with walking. They are usually felt in the front of the belly or pelvic area. However, normally BH contractions do tend to go away when you change positions or walk around.

You may definitely start getting more ligament pain at this point in your pregnancy from the stretching of the uterus with the growing of the baby. So that is another possible cause. The coughing/clearing your throat would support this possibility. As well as the physical activity involved with sex.

My advice is this... as long as these pains do not become regular (every 10 minutes or more in an hour), and/or you begin experiencing pressure in your pelvis/vagina, bleeding, fluid leaking, or nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, I'd proceed as normal. Those would be the symptoms for which I would recommend calling your doctor right away. Since it definitely sounds as if the pains are affecting your activities of daily living to some extent, I would mention them to your doctor or midwife at your next visit. But in the absence of the symptoms I mentioned above, I would not panic.

In the meantime - get plenty of rest. Drink plenty of fluids (good fluids like water, juice, milk). Eat healthy and take those prenatal vitamins. And be ready to go when you get a bit closer to your due date. With this being your 4th baby, you more than likely won't have much time to waste! :-)

I hope I've helped! Good luck!!