Why do I have stomach pain during my fifth month of pregnancy?

Babies are little angels that many female friends long for. Generally, after having a child, all expectant mothers are very careful in doing things. However, no matter how careful they are, some diseases will still come quietly with pregnancy. Some expectant mothers experience stomach pain during pregnancy. What is going on? Next, I will explain to you what causes stomach pain during the fifth month of pregnancy.

Abdominal pain during pregnancy is a common symptom encountered by expectant mothers. Expectant mothers should be cautious and not take it lightly, knowing which abdominal pain is a normal physiological reaction and which is a disease warning from the body.

1) Abdominal pain in early pregnancy

In the early stages of pregnancy, some abdominal pain is physiological, that is, a normal reaction caused by pregnancy, but some is pathological and may indicate the occurrence of crises such as miscarriage.

1. Physiological abdominal pain

In the early stages of pregnancy, many expectant mothers always feel some stomach pain, sometimes accompanied by early pregnancy reactions such as vomiting. This is mainly caused by increased gastric acid secretion in the early stages of pregnancy. At this time, you should pay attention to diet adjustment. The meals should be light and easy to digest. You can eat some toasted steamed bread slices or soda crackers for breakfast. The discomfort will disappear naturally as the first trimester ends.

2. Pathological abdominal pain

If you experience abdominal pain in early pregnancy, especially lower abdominal pain, the first thing you should consider is whether it is a pregnancy complication. Common complications include threatened miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.

① If expectant mothers experience paroxysmal lower abdominal pain or regular abdominal pain, back pain, or pelvic pain in the first few months of pregnancy, the problem may be more complicated. If it is accompanied by vaginal spotting or a noticeable feeling of abdominal heaviness, it may indicate threatened miscarriage. Expectant mothers should move less, stay in bed more, avoid sexual intercourse, avoid lifting heavy objects, drink water, and seek medical attention promptly. If pain worsens or bleeding continues, seek medical attention immediately.

② If you experience severe unilateral lower abdominal pain, accompanied by vaginal bleeding or fainting, it may be an ectopic pregnancy and you should go to the hospital immediately.

Some expectant mothers believe that abdominal pain in early pregnancy may be accidental and it is not a big deal and they just need to lie down in bed and rest. This blind measure of bed rest to protect the fetus is not advisable. You should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid delaying the disease.

2) Abdominal pain during mid-pregnancy

1. Physiological abdominal pain

① Around 4 months of pregnancy, the uterus enlarges and the round ligament of the uterus is stretched, and many expectant mothers will feel some abdominal pain. This type of pain is mostly located on one or both sides of the uterus in the lower abdomen, and is referred pain, dull pain or lack thereof. The pain becomes more obvious when walking a long distance or changing body position. Expectant mothers don’t need to worry, the symptoms can be relieved by resting in bed more.

② Exerting too much force during sexual intercourse in the second trimester can also cause abdominal pain in pregnant women.

2. Pathological abdominal pain

In the second half of pregnancy, the baby gradually grows and the pressure in the expectant mother's abdominal cavity also increases. If the expectant mother's esophageal hiatus (the hole through which the esophagus descends to connect to the stomach) widens, "esophageal hiatal hernia" may occur, causing abdominal pain. At this time, abdominal pain is often accompanied by symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, chest pain, acid reflux, and hiccups. The incidence of hiatal hernia during pregnancy is about 30-50%, and the symptoms are sometimes more obvious in the late pregnancy. Therefore, expectant mothers are advised to: eat small and frequent meals, and eat less sweet, spicy, or sticky food; avoid lying flat on the bed or lying too low after meals, and try to bend over as little as possible to reduce acid reflux; keep bowel movements open. If you find symptoms of gastric reflux, try to raise your upper body about 20 degrees.

3) Abdominal pain in late pregnancy

In the late pregnancy, as the fetus continues to grow, the burden on the expectant mother's abdomen and body gradually increases. In addition, as delivery is approaching, the frequency of abdominal pain will increase significantly compared to the second trimester.

The above is the relevant article about abdominal pain in the fifth month of pregnancy. I hope that after reading the above article, you can have a comprehensive understanding of abdominal pain in the fifth month of pregnancy, so that if similar situations occur in the future, you can understand it in time.