Pregnancy is the most powerful feeling of having a life growing inside you. There can be no bigger gift than that but it’s during this journey women faces stomach pain in pregnancy. are most susceptible to a plethora of diseases especially gastrointestinal and liver disorders in fact gastrointestinal and liver function disorders.
In pregnancy Stomach pain or cramps during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are common and nothing to worry about .It is usually caused by your womb expanding, the ligaments stretching as your bump grows, hormones constipation or trapped wind all of which can cause stitch or mild period pain. In this Blog we are writing 9 causes of stomach pain in pregnancy so that you can know what’s normal and when to call your doctor.
1. Heartburn :
At some point during your pregnancy you may feel an uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest that could be heartburn.
Heartburn also called Acid indigestion or acid reflux is a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat. During pregnancy your placenta produces a hormone called progesterone relaxes the valves that separates your esophagus from your stomach allowing gastritis acids to seep up causing that burning sensation later in pregnancy your growing baby crows your abdominal cavity pushing stomach acids back up into the esophagus
Avoid carbonated drinks, chocolate acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes and spicier foods. Try to eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large ones try chewing gum after eating it , it stimulates you salivary glands and saliva can help neutralized acids
2. Constipation :
Constipation is really common during pregnancy. Over 50% of expecting mothers experience it at some point during their pregnancy. During pregnancy there is marked increase in the hormone progesterone. Progesterone helps to relax your body’s muscles , including the muscles of your bowels which slows the movement of food through your digestive tract.
Many women move less during pregnancy especially in the late stages when women carry all that extra baby weight. Less physical activity also slows the movement of food throughout your gastrointestinal system. when the digested food remains in your colon for a long time and ends up absorbing too much water. It makes your stool hard and dry , which further poses a problem for the rectal muscles ( where stools are stored ) which can make them too difficult to pass. The extra Iron from your prenatal vitamin supplements could cause constipation. If you take progesterone Injections in early pregnancy , then the muscles relax & slow down the digestion process thus causing constipation.
During late pregnancy increased water absorption in your body often leads to the hardening of stools. In this time the release of progesterone shifts from the placenta. These two combinations cause serious constipation.
There are some simple and effective strategies that you can utilise to help regulate your bowels .
Make sure that you are eating adequate fibre – i have to say that few women who are facing constipation issues are meeting the recommended fibre requirements so keep a food diary check that you are getting enough. Ane sure that choose fibre rich foods such as wholegrains , fresh fruits and plenty of vegetables everyday.
Keep your fluids up – Dehydration is a common cause of constipation during pregnancy , as pregnant women have significantly higher fluid requirements than other women. Keep drinking water and keep yourself hydrated.
Be active everyday – To make you feel fitter and healthier , gentle exercise can stimulate bowel muscles to help keep you regular. Walking is great activity that you should be able to do throughout your pregnancy
3. Hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness)
Morning sickness, also known as Hyperemesis gravidarum, is that nauseous, fatigued feeling that has been ruining days of pregnant women for all time. Morning sickness which is mostly happens in the first trimester by the third month of pregnancy the patients are more
comfortable the nausea vomiting decreases but it is not uncommon for the nausea to continue to the second trimester that is after 12 weeks though in some people it continues like that they have lot of nausea and vomiting , lose weight they cannot retain the food
it has adverse effects on the pregnancy the baby’s growth is impacted and there
are chances of developing sometimes small-for-gestational-age babies .
Avoiding morning sickness we would suggest that the pregnant women takes
small meals and takes it more frequently like every two to three hours if you
take your meals the acidity will be less
Avoid spicy and fatty foods. Eat bland foods such as bananas, rice, dry toast, plain baked potato, gelatin, broth, eggs, tofu, or applesauce.
Eat healthy snacks between meals, such as yogurt, peanut butter on apple slices or celery, cheese, milk, or nuts.
Smell fresh-smelling, pleasant scents such as lemon, orange, or mint.
4. Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) :
Pregnancy-induced hypertension means it is a new onset or a newly recorded high BP reading in previously normotensive pregnant women so it is induced due to certain changes which are happening during pregnancy in normal women the BP remains the same. Percentage of cases where we find a high BP reading during pregnancy is about 8 to 10 percent of the whole population. Pregnancy-induced hypertension is also called toxemia or preeclampsia. It occurs most often in young women with a first pregnancy.
In pregnancy-induced hypertension pregnant women have high blood pressure higher than 140/90 mm Hg or a significant increase in one or both pressures.
5. Gallstones and liver disease during pregnancy :
Gallstones are concentrated lumps of a substance called bile which is made up of water
fat cholesterol bilirubin and salt’s. Bile as normally released into your small intestine where it helps digest fats however bile can sometimes become
concentrated and form gallstones in general women are twice as likely as
men to develop gallstones during pregnancy the odds are even
Higher that’s because the estrogen you produce during pregnancy can lead to higher
cholesterol levels in your bile as a result about 5% to 8% of women will experience either gallbladder sludge or gallstones during Pregnancy. Gallstones may also form just after pregnancy due to hormonal changes and weight loss gallstones are more common in people who are obese and people who gain or lose weight rapidly.
Symptoms and diagnosis gallstones can cause significant symptoms including three nausea vomiting sudden sharp pain in the upper right quadrant which is the uppermost quarter of the right hand side of your body though pain may move depending on the stage of pregnancy
fever itching it’s important to note that not all women will experience the above symptoms with gallstones during pregnancy .
Based on your symptoms and test results, doctors may recommend that pregnant women have surgery to remove the gallstones or wait out. some doctors prefer to go ahead and operate because of the increased risk of a relapse which can be worse if you choose to wait it out you may also be given medications for the pain it is also often helpful to alter your diet like Eat more fiber-rich foods such as fruits vegetables and whole grains good fats , avoid saturated fats such as those found in animal products
like meat and whole milk and focus on Omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fats fewer carbs limit intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta
6. Appendicitis in pregnancy or just before becoming pregnant, also known as “toxic” appendix syndrome
Having appendicitis, an infection of the appendix during pregnancy, is the most frequent reason to need surgery in pregnancy. It is estimated that 1 in 500 people will need an appendectomy during pregnancy. one of the biggest problems of appendicitis during pregnancy as delayed diagnosis due to the physical changes in the pregnant body it can be quite difficult to diagnose appendicitis it is easier to diagnose in the first and
Second trimesters an important reason to get a diagnosis early is that the longer you delay the more likely you may have complications particularly the perforation of the appendix.
Symptoms and diagnosis lower right quadrant pain as the most common symptom
of appendicitis both for people who are pregnant and those who are not, however later in pregnancy pain may occur higher up in the abdomen or even in the upper right quadrant point you will most likely have an ultrasound if your doctor suspects appendicitis as causing your pain this is very good for determining what is wrong in the first and second trimesters
It may be more difficult to diagnose appendicitis in the third trimester. The doctor may suggest an MRI scan or a CT scan to help confirm clinical suspicion.
7. Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a transient form of diabetes mellitus some women may acquire during pregnancy. Diabetes refers to high levels of blood glucose, commonly known as blood sugar. Glucose is the major energy source of the body. It comes from digestion of carbohydrates and is carried by the bloodstream to the body’s cells. But glucose cannot enter the cells on its own; to do so, it requires assistance from a hormone produced by the pancreas called insulin. Insulin induces the cells to take up glucose, thereby removing it from the blood. Diabetes happens when insulin is either deficient or not used effectively. Without insulin, glucose cannot enter the cells; it stays in the blood, causing high blood sugar levels.
During pregnancy, a temporary organ develops to connect the mother and the fetus, called the placenta. The placenta supplies the fetus with nutrients and oxygen, as well as produces a number of hormones that work to maintain pregnancy. Some of these hormones impair the action of insulin, making it less effective. This insulin-counteracting effect usually begins at about 20 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The effect intensifies as the placenta grows larger, and becomes most prominent in the last couple of months. Usually, the pancreas is able to adjust by producing more insulin, but in some cases, the amount of placental hormones may become too overwhelming for the pancreas to compensate, and gestational diabetes results. Any woman can develop gestational diabetes, but those who are overweight or have family or personal history of diabetes or prediabetes are at higher risks. Other risk factors include age, and having previously given birth to large babies.
Gestational diabetes can be successfully managed, or even prevented, with healthy diets, physical exercise, and by keeping a healthy weight before and during pregnancy.
In some cases, however, medication or insulin injection may be needed.
8. Constipation and diarrhea during pregnancy, also known as the “gut rot” syndrome or pregnant lady poop disease (PLPD) :
Stomach and digestive issues are common during pregnancy. You may hear plenty about morning sickness and constipation but less about diarrhea although it may not get as much attention. Diarrhea is another gastrointestinal issue that pregnant women can face some women consider diarrhea an early sign of pregnancy , it’s true that hormone changes around the time of conception can cause stomach issues and even lead to diarrhea
However breast tenderness fatigue and nausea are much more common symptoms of early pregnancy. Diarrhea during late pregnancy may be a sign that delivery is getting closer. Some women report diarrhea, heartburn or nausea and vomiting right before they go into labor of course women get diarrhea for many reasons and it can develop at any time during pregnancy not just at the beginning or the end.
it’s important to stay hydrated especially when you’re pregnant diarrhea removes water from your body so drink lots of fluids especially water since you also lose electrolytes through diarrhea other liquids such as chicken or vegetable broth and electrolyte replacement solutions are helpful
avoid dairy sugary drinks coffee tea and energy drinks since they can make diarrhea worse watch your diet eat foods that are easy to digest and don’t irritate or stimulate the stomach and digestive tract
9. Food poisoning During pregnancy :
During pregnancy , food poisoning can cause anxiety. In addition to feeling ill, you’re worried about the safety of your unborn child. Food safety issue for pregnant women it has to do with a bacterial infection called Listeria now Listeria monocytogenes that’s a bacteria that can be found in contaminated foods and the issue is pregnant woman eats that contaminated food she gets an infection that infection can pass to her fetus and there can cause some really serious problems including preterm birth and even fetal death.
Pregnant women when they get this infection usually it’s a pretty mild thing it can be sort of some flu-like symptoms maybe some fever some gastrointestinal symptoms diarrhea nausea vomiting it can seem a lot like a lot of other infections so the key is to be aware of
the types of foods that could precipitate an infection to be aware and to notify your doctor so you could be tested right away now the symptoms can
start anywhere from the same day you ate the food to even one to four weeks later so you really have to keep this in mind.
Food Poisoning causes from eating undercooked meat, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk products, and other foods that contain harmful bacteria and parasites like listeria and toxoplasmosis can cause stomach pain in pregnant women by making them sick to their stomachs or causing vomiting or diarrhea; this is more common in food handlers who handle these types of food without wearing gloves or washing their hands after touching it to avoid getting sick themselves.
Food safety is important during pregnancy. To avoid getting sick, follow all of your doctor’s instructions for preparing food, and avoid foods that aren’t pregnancy-safe.There are several precautions you can take in order to minimize your chances of experiencing food poisoning while pregnant.
Call your doctor right away if you have one or more of these problems. They’ll do tests on your blood or stool to find out what’s making you sick. You may need treatment with antibiotics. They’ll also want to be sure your body has enough fluids.
