Why is my stomach so hard throughout my pregnancy?

After pregnancy, many women experience a lot of physical changes. Since everyone's physique is different, the degree of natural reaction will also vary greatly. Common reactions include nausea and vomiting, darkening of nipples and stretch marks, a particular preference for certain flavors of food, etc. However, some women will experience a hard stomach. Faced with this situation, many people are worried, thinking that there is something wrong with their body. So is it normal to have a hard stomach during pregnancy?

1. Why does a pregnant woman have a hard belly?

The reason why pregnant women in the late stage feel their stomachs hard from time to time is often due to frequent and irregular uterine contractions, also known as false labor pains. Starting from the 28th week of pregnancy, false labor will often occur in the abdomen. If the pregnant woman stands or sits in the same posture for a long time, she will feel her abdomen hardening from time to time. These are false labors.

Its characteristics are that the time of occurrence is irregular and the degree varies from time to time. Before delivery, the lower part of the uterus is stimulated by the traction caused by the descending fetal head. False labor will become more and more frequent. Uterine contraction is the contraction force of the uterus, which refers to the contraction of the smooth muscle of the uterine body. It is paroxysmal, with contractions and pauses alternating repeatedly, and is not controlled by the will of the mother. It plays a vital role in childbirth. Only through effective uterine contractions can the fetus continue to descend along the birth canal to complete delivery.

2. Is it normal to have a hard stomach?

By the time you're just a few weeks away from your due date, these contractions may become stronger, more frequent, and cause some discomfort. Those painless, occasional false labor contractions in the early stages will not cause obvious changes in the cervix. The contractions at this time may help your cervix become "mature": the cervix gradually becomes softer and thinner. It may even cause your cervix to start opening slightly. Sometimes this period is also called the pre-labor period. These are all rehearsals for the expectant mother's future delivery, and preparation is also a normal physiological process. As long as the pregnancy test is normal; there are not four to six consecutive contractions within an hour; and there is no severe abdominal pain, hard stomach and abdominal distension. As long as you pay attention to fetal movements, expectant mothers don't need to panic too much.

Through the introduction in this article, we can know that a hard belly in pregnant women is a relatively common problem. A hard belly in pregnant women is a common phenomenon for women. If you are a pregnant woman with a hard belly, you don't need to be nervous. This will allow you to get through the pregnancy easily. Relaxation of pregnant women is very important for the growth and development of the fetus.