Lower belly pain during pregnancy is a very common symptom during the wait.

If you have heard about it and have recently discovered you are pregnant, without a doubt you will have many questions.

The topic is vast and to clarify it is important to have a guide and scientific references available.

With this content, I am ready to take you by the hand and help you answer.

With this content, I am ready to take you by the hand and help you answer any questions you have about all that concerns lower belly pain during pregnancy.

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Lower abdominal pain in pregnancy can appear as early as the very first weeks.

In this case, it is more precisely called implantation pain, resulting from the invasion process by the blastocyst of the endometrium, the tissue lining the inside of the uterus.

During the blastocyst nesting process, the endometrium responds by becoming irritated, which causes muscle spasms perceived by the woman as discomfort in the lower abdomen.

In some cases, small blood spots may also appear, of a color different from the bright red of the period.

When faced with the combination of brown discharge and lower abdominal pain in pregnancy, if the former lasts only a few days, 3-4 at most, and is not continuous, it is likely to be implantation symptoms of the blastocyst.

It is also very useful to pay attention to timing. Indicatively, implantation pains appear around the twentieth day of the cycle.

The lower abdominal pain in pregnancy caused by blastocyst implantation, the life stage beyond the embryo, differs from the sensations women often experience before their period due to some peculiarities.

Here they are:

• Reduced frequency.

• Mild intensity.

Always keep in mind that every woman is different with the uniqueness of the messages her body sends her.

In cases where lower abdominal pain in pregnancy is due to blastocyst implantation, their duration ranges between 3 and 7 days. 

Lower abdominal pain in early pregnancy, if they meet the characteristics mentioned above, often represent a symptom of pregnancy before the test.

To confirm the actual start of pregnancy, you just have to wait for the missed period and, in the morning to ensure dense and concentrated urine, take the test.

As the second trimester progresses, lower abdominal pain in pregnancy is mainly caused by the stretching of the round ligament.

When involved, it is a fibromuscular cord characterized by a length that averages from 11 to 15 cm.

A ligament originating at the sides of the uterus, extending to the external genitals, is subjected to tension as the fetus grows.

Certainly, there is the action of estrogens and relaxin, hormones that increase ligament laxity, a detail, among many, fundamental to prepare the body for childbirth.

The impact of the growing uterus remains significant and can cause discomfort.

In some cases, it is a true pain, characterized by an acute nature.

Symptoms can be worsened by the presence of scars from abdominal surgery, from cesarean sections to laparoscopic operations.

Not everyone knows that, being made of inelastic tissue, they can prevent the skin from sliding over the muscles, leading to the onset of contractures and postural problems, particularly imbalances affecting the pelvis.

Osteopathy can prove to be an effective solution against lower abdominal pain in pregnancy during the second trimester.

As I mention in this video dedicated to treating a woman in her ninth month, due to small contractures like those mentioned above, the abdominal muscles may have difficulty relaxing.

The osteopath, after optimally integrating the postural pattern, begins by treating the back muscles, then moves up to the lateral abdominal muscles.

The osteopath, after optimally integrating the postural pattern, begins by treating the back muscles, then moves up to the lateral abdominal muscles.

The area where the abdominal muscles attach to the pubis is also obviously considered, always with significant pressure, crucial for the treatment to be effective.

If the scars are of significant size - an example to mention is those from a cesarean section - they can be massaged directly.

Paracetamol is considered the first-choice analgesic during pregnancy.

In case of lower abdominal pain in pregnancy, it is essential to consult your healthcare provider and avoid self-medication, in order to consider alternatives such as osteopathy, which act directly on the causes of the pain.

In the third trimester, the cause of lower abdominal pain in pregnancy is mainly due to Braxton-Hicks contractions or false contractions.

Caused by the action of oxytocin and aimed at strengthening the uterine walls in preparation for labor, they are not painful, last from 30 to 60 seconds - labor contractions, on the other hand, last longer - and have an intensity that decreases over time.

So far, we have talked about lower abdominal pain during pregnancy considering only physiological situations.

However, there are also cases defined as obstetric emergencies.

Here they are:

• Heavy and bright red discharge, among the signs of miscarriage.

• Fever.

• Chills.

• Pain during urination.

• Hard and tender abdomen to the touch.

• Lower back pain associated with low blood pressure, possible symptoms of placental abruption.

Other symptoms that, if associated with lower abdominal pain during pregnancy, should raise alarm are headache, blurred vision, nausea, and vomiting.

If these signs are accompanied by tinnitus, promptly contact your trusted doctor, as you may be dealing with gestosis or preeclampsia.

The aforementioned occurrences of fever and chills, if accompanied by acute pelvic pain, can be symptoms of ovarian torsion, a rare but very serious condition in which the ovary twists around the ovarian pedicle, risking necrosis.

If the pain occurs in the first trimester, is sharp, and is localized in the lower abdomen on one specific side, it is advisable to go to the emergency room because an ectopic pregnancy may have developed.

Sex during pregnancy is highly recommended (unless there are very rare medical contraindications).

In case of lower abdominal pain during pregnancy after intercourse, it is not necessarily a cause for alarm.

It is necessary, however, to observe the body.

If no signs like those listed in the previous paragraph appear, everything is fine and the pain is due to abdominal tension.