I have menstrual cramps in my lower abdomen at midnight at 37 weeks of pregnancy. What's going on?

A woman is in the late stage of pregnancy when she is 37 weeks pregnant. As the pregnancy progresses, her body will undergo certain changes. For example, some women may feel pain in the lower abdomen when they are 37 weeks pregnant, just like dysmenorrhea. This situation must be taken seriously. For some sudden abdominal pain, we still have to consider certain pathological causes. So why do I feel menstrual-like pain in the lower abdomen in the middle of the night at 37 weeks of pregnancy?

1. Dull pain in the lower abdomen at 37 weeks of pregnancy, which feels like dysmenorrhea, is usually a sign of impending labor. Impending labor is more common after full-term pregnancy and can occur at any time. The clinical manifestation of threatened labor is dull pain in the lower abdomen, accompanied by a small amount of vaginal bleeding. The pain has no obvious regularity, sometimes occurring at night and disappearing during the day. In addition, the pain intervals are relatively long, with no obvious pattern, and there is no shortening of the cervical canal or dilation of the cervical os. If the pain continues to worsen and becomes regular uterine contractions with gradually shortened intervals, up to three uterine contractions in ten minutes, and vaginal bleeding gradually increases, and examination reveals that the cervical canal is gradually shortening and the cervical opening is dilating, then labor is imminent.

2. At 37 weeks of pregnancy, there is a feeling of heaviness and pain in the lower abdomen, which is similar to dysmenorrhea, and may also be physiological uterine contractions. Physiological uterine contractions occur in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. The symptoms for pregnant women are a tightness in the lower abdomen, sometimes accompanied by mild pain, no vaginal bleeding, no shortening of the cervical canal, and no dilation of the cervical opening. Physiological uterine contractions during pregnancy do not require any special treatment, just observation. Physiological uterine contractions will occur after activity and ease after rest. Sometimes they will appear at night and disappear during the day.

3. If you have lower abdominal pain like menstrual pain in the middle of the night at 37 weeks of pregnancy, you should go to the hospital to see if there is an increase in vaginal discharge. If there is watery discharge, it is considered to be closely related to childbirth. You should seek treatment under the guidance of an obstetrician and gynecologist to see if the fetus is delivered. At the same time, you should pay attention to getting more rest, increase your water intake appropriately, and promote metabolism. At the same time, you should also keep warm.