38 weeks pregnant, stomach pain like diarrhea?

Pregnancy is a very special period for women. If you are not careful, the baby and adults in the belly may be in danger. It is normal for women to have abdominal pain in the early stages of pregnancy as long as there is no bleeding. This is because the fetus is slowly growing, causing the uterus to slowly grow larger. However, if you have diarrhea-like stomach pain in the late stages of pregnancy, you must go to the hospital as soon as possible to find out the cause. It may also be a sign of delivery.

Abdominal pain in late pregnancy

1. Physiological stomach pain

As the baby grows, the expectant mother's uterus also gradually expands. The enlarged uterus constantly stimulates the lower edge of the ribs, which can cause dull rib pain in expectant mothers. Generally speaking, this is physiological and does not require special treatment. Lying on the left side can help relieve pain.

In the late stages of pregnancy, expectant mothers may sometimes experience lower abdominal pain due to false labor when resting at night. The pain usually lasts only a few seconds, with intervals of up to several hours. It is not accompanied by a feeling of falling, and the symptoms will be relieved during the day.

2. Pathological stomach pain

Placental abruption: It often occurs in the late pregnancy. The expectant mother may have pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, chronic hypertension, or abdominal trauma. Tearing pain in the lower abdomen is a typical symptom, often accompanied by vaginal bleeding. The degree of abdominal pain is affected by a combination of factors such as the size of the abruption area, the amount of blood, the internal pressure of the uterus, and whether the uterine muscle layer is damaged. In severe cases, the abdominal pain is unbearable, the abdomen becomes hard, the fetal movement disappears, and even shock may occur. Therefore, in the late stages of pregnancy, expectant mothers with high blood pressure or abdominal trauma should go to the hospital in time to prevent accidents.

If an expectant mother suddenly feels persistent severe pain in the lower abdomen, it may be premature birth or a sign of uterine rupture. You should go to the hospital for treatment in time and do not delay.

Does abdominal pain in late pregnancy affect the fetus?

As mentioned above, if it is physiological abdominal pain, then the impact on the fetus and the expectant mother will not be that great. But if there is a sign of uterine rupture, the baby and the expectant mother are in a gray area. At this time, a caesarean section should be performed to rescue the expectant mother quickly and stop the bleeding quickly. When a caesarean section is performed later, if the baby still has a fetal heartbeat, then his chances of survival are high.

Placental abruption may also lead to the death of the baby. If the placental abruption exceeds 50%, the expectant mother's coagulation mechanism will be abnormal, and the fate of the fetus can only be left to fate. Of course, the chance of placental abruption is very low, only 0.5~1%, so expectant mothers don’t need to worry too much. However, if the expectant mother has high blood pressure, has a smoking habit, and is carrying multiple babies, then placental abruption is likely to occur.

If the stomach pain is caused by physiological reasons, expectant mothers don’t need to worry too much. Fetal movement can also cause stomach pain, but the baby can still play happily, which proves that he is still quite energetic. If it is a false labor, the expectant mother must be prepared to welcome the birth of the baby.