Why can my stomach hurt in the second trimester? Why does the stomach feel tight at 18 weeks of pregnancy?

Pregnancy is an important and responsible period in the life of any woman. Carrying a baby, despite many happy and pleasant moments, may be accompanied by discomfort in the abdomen, back and lower back. Both natural and pathological factors can provoke nagging pain.

The main causes of nagging pain in the lower abdomen

Even during a normal pregnancy, a woman may be bothered by painful sensations in the lower abdomen throughout the entire period. Discomfort is caused by the growth of the uterus and the tension of the uterosacral ligaments, which fix its position in the pelvis.

Risk of miscarriage

Nagging pain in the abdomen can be a symptom of spontaneous abortion. Rejecting the fetus, the uterus begins to contract intensively. This condition is accompanied by sharp cramping pain, bleeding, and deterioration in general well-being.

Unpleasant sensations indicate a lack of the hormone progesterone or premature separation of the placenta. The child can be saved if immediate medical assistance is provided. If the area of detachment is small, the woman is placed in a hospital and measures are taken to preserve the pregnancy and fetus.

Frozen pregnancy

The cessation of embryo development and its death also cause pain in the abdomen. Fading pregnancy can be triggered by acute infections or chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

If pathology occurs, the woman suddenly stops feeling all the signs of pregnancy: the stomach stops growing, the breasts become soft, and fetal movements disappear. When performing an ultrasound and a blood test for hCG, a discrepancy between the main parameters and indicators and the actual gestational age is diagnosed.

A frozen pregnancy is accompanied by severe pain in the lower abdomen, spotting or uterine bleeding, fever, and deterioration in general well-being.

Intestinal dysfunction

During pregnancy, the enlarged uterus displaces the intestines, changing its natural anatomical position. This often causes constipation. Untimely bowel movements lead to the accumulation of toxins and the appearance of nagging pain in the abdomen.

Another cause of discomfort may be increased gas formation and bloating. In such a situation, the expectant mother needs to reconsider her diet and exclude baked goods, fresh white bread, cabbage, legumes and grapes from the menu.

Gynecological diseases

Inflammation of the urinary and reproductive organs is becoming one of the most common causes of the condition when the lower abdomen pulls. At 18 weeks of pregnancy, expectant mothers may experience cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder. The pathology is accompanied by frequent and painful urination, a feeling of a constantly full bladder, pain in the abdomen and back.

Infection of the body during unprotected sexual intercourse is another reason for unpleasant sensations. Such pathologies are accompanied by itching and redness of the external genital organs, nonspecific discharge with a strong unpleasant odor.

Surgical pathologies

Pain in the abdominal area may have nothing to do with the development of pregnancy or its complications. The cause of discomfort is often surgical pathologies: inflammation of appendicitis, pyelonephritis, cholecystitis or inguinal hernia.

In addition to nagging pain in the lower abdomen, surgical diseases are accompanied by fever, weakness, blood in the urine, frequent urination, or a bitter taste in the mouth. Unpleasant sensations are often localized not only in the abdominal area. The pain spreads to the back, lower back, side and right hypochondrium.

Alarming symptoms

If nagging pain in the lower abdomen at 18 weeks of pregnancy is limited to only a slight tingling in the area of the uterus and is not associated with physical activity, most often this does not indicate the presence of any complications or pathologies. By this time, the uterus has already significantly increased in size, the ligaments continue to stretch, and the internal organs are displaced. Mild periodic pain is normal.

You should consult a doctor if the following alarming symptoms appear:

increased body temperature;
intense pain that does not subside even at rest and intensifies when walking or pressing on the abdomen;
atypical discharge: bloody, gray, foamy, cheesy, with an unpleasant odor;
fainting;
pain during bowel movements or urination;
general weakness and deterioration of health;
signs of intoxication of the body.

Any of the above symptoms are not normal during pregnancy. They may be a sign of complications during gestation, the development of surgical or gynecological pathologies, infection or food poisoning.

Diagnostics

For the safety of the unborn child during pregnancy, almost all known methods of instrumental research are prohibited. At the appointment, the doctor first of all conducts a visual examination and interview of the woman. This allows him to determine the location of pain, its intensity and frequency, and the presence of discharge.

To make an accurate diagnosis at the 18th week of pregnancy, gynecologists use additional examinations:

general analysis of blood, urine and feces - allows you to determine the level of protein and leukocytes, identify the presence of an inflammatory process;
Ultrasound examination - makes it possible to examine in detail the condition of the fetus and internal organs of the expectant mother and identify the presence of pathologies.

During the examination, the woman must openly tell the doctor about injuries, miscarriages, abortions and operations performed in the abdominal area. Only a clear clinical picture will allow the doctor to accurately diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment.

Therapy methods

Take only as prescribed by a doctor

If the nagging pain is caused by normal processes in the body, the expectant mother will not be prescribed any medications. You can take a No-shpa tablet or inject Papaverine to relieve spasms and reduce the intensity of discomfort. The use of any medications must be agreed with your doctor.

If the cause of the pain is a threat of miscarriage, the woman is immediately hospitalized in a hospital. If there is a deficiency of progesterone, drugs of this hormone are prescribed: Utrozhestan or Duphaston. Strict bed rest and complete calm are indicated.

The cause of discomfort is often increased uterine tone, which can be caused by stress, bad habits and excessive physical activity. Swimming, yoga and performing special exercises aimed at relaxing the whole body will help alleviate the condition.

Your baby is very active: he tumbles, knocks on his mother’s tummy with his legs, plays, and explores space. At moments of highest activity, the tiny heart begins to beat faster, and the belly’s blood pressure rises. In addition, such intrauterine “physical education” has a beneficial effect on the development of his muscular system and brain.

Fetus at 18 weeks of gestation: movements, weight and size

The baby's hearing aid is becoming more and more improved. He hears well, and therefore sharp loud sounds that can frighten the baby should be avoided. The eyes also become more sensitive, although they are still closed: Lala reacts to the light directed at her mother’s belly.

Fetal adipose tissue continues to form and the brain develops. The baby's arms, legs, fingers, as well as the internal and external genitalia are fully formed, regardless of whether you have a boy or a girl.

In general, the growth rate at the 18th week of pregnancy slows down somewhat; there is still enough space in the tummy for free swimming. This week the fetus weighs almost 200 g and is more than 14 centimeters long (coccygeal-parietal size).

Listen carefully to yourself: if you have not yet felt movements, this may well happen now. Typically, pregnant women feel the first movements of the fetus at 17-22 weeks, but this could happen earlier. If the mother is plump, then the joy of this moment will most likely be pushed forward in time. But skinny people, on the contrary, feel the baby before others.

If, after all, the baby has already become “active,” it makes sense to start listening to his movements, or rather, their frequency, now. Usually the baby pushes on average 4-8 times per hour. If the frequency of movements increases, this may indicate a lack of oxygen reaching the baby. In addition, a child may push spontaneously when frightened by loud and sharp sounds - which, due to his well-developed hearing, he can now perfectly detect.

Future mom

The belly at 18 weeks of pregnancy can no longer be hidden: it has grown significantly and is noticeably rounded. And now a special bandage that supports the stomach and back will come in handy.

After all, as the belly grows, the center of gravity shifts: the mother’s shoulders move back, and she develops a characteristic “pregnant gait.” The load on the spine increases, and without a supporting bandage, back and lower back pain is possible.

You may also feel unpleasant pressure on the navel from the inside - the uterus reaches approximately this level at the 18th week.

Feelings at 18 weeks of pregnancy

Pigment spots may still appear or new sensations may appear: lower back pain, discomfort during sleep. Take several pillows with you to bed for comfort or buy yourself a special pillow for pregnant women - it will come in handy later for feeding.

Remember that your kidneys are working harder now, you have to run to the toilet more often. Do not tolerate or allow stagnation of urine; empty your bladder on time to avoid the development of infection. In addition, at this stage there is a tendency to retain sodium and fluid in the body. Outwardly, this is expressed by the appearance of slight swelling, which will be visible from rubber bands on socks or a ring on a finger. To avoid the accumulation of fluid in the body, it is advisable to limit the amount of salt in your diet. The amount of vaginal discharge increases. Do not forget about hygiene and wear underwear only made from natural fabrics. If the discharge becomes greenish, gray or cheesy and causes obvious discomfort, see a gynecologist. To prevent thrush, give up sugar and flour products, in the meantime, drink kefir and natural yogurts daily - and it’s good for intestinal function.

The cardiovascular system is now under great strain, and a slight drop in blood pressure is possible. In order not to aggravate the situation, you should get enough rest, do not get nervous over trifles, and do not get up from the position too abruptly, so as not to cause dizziness.

Now that impending motherhood can no longer be hidden, many people around will make it a habit to bombard the expectant mother in labor with advice. In principle, the help and care of loved ones is certainly necessary and pleasant for a woman, but when this care becomes intrusive and every second, it begins to make her “sick.” But remember: getting annoyed now is not the best solution to the issue; learn to simply ignore unnecessary advisers, having decided on the one whose opinion is really important and authoritative for you.

Don’t be surprised if you periodically catch yourself being a little “unbalanced,” “unconcentrated,” inattentive, or forgetful. Confusion in thoughts and slight “inhibition” are normal for this period, believe me, over time everything will return to normal.

In general, at 18 weeks of pregnancy you should feel quite well - your hormonal levels have stabilized by this time. The expectant mother's appetite is healthy, so control weight gain.

Belly at 18 weeks of pregnancy: tugs, hurts

And - watch your stool: irregular bowel movements, constipation, increased gas formation can soon “come back” with abdominal pain. Therefore, if the issue of proper balanced nutrition has not yet been resolved, the time has come to do it now.

Pain and pulling in the abdomen, or more precisely on the sides, may also be due to stretching of the ligaments holding the uterus. Pain in this case occurs from time to time, for example, when getting up from a chair or bed, during sneezing or coughing, or when straining the anterior abdominal wall of the abdomen. At the same time, the painful sensations do not last long and, rather, bring some discomfort rather than being classified as severe pain.

But an aching, nagging pain in the lower abdomen, long-lasting and regular, having a cramping character is a bad sign. Such symptoms are characteristic of increased uterine tone, which, in turn, poses a risk of premature spontaneous termination of pregnancy. If pain of this nature appears, you should lie down and rest, and if the situation does not improve for some time, go to the doctor. Moreover, one cannot ignore the nagging, cramping pain in the abdomen in the presence of brown or bloody discharge; moreover, such signs require an immediate call to the ambulance team, since they indicate the possible onset of a miscarriage.

Discharge at 18 weeks of pregnancy

By the way, spotting may not always be associated with a threat of pregnancy failure. But, at the same time, they definitely require consultation with a doctor. We have already found out that brown spotting, and even cream or pink, not to mention specifically bloody discharge against the background of abdominal pain is a symptom of increased uterine tone.

But you should also know that those that arise symptomatically - after examination by a gynecologist or sexual intercourse - are most likely associated with cervical erosion. Only in this case there are no abdominal pains. A low location of the placenta can also cause the appearance of blood. In any case, no matter what caused the bleeding, a doctor’s examination is necessary.

Normal for this stage of pregnancy are considered moderate, light or milky discharge of a uniform consistency, with a slight sour odor. By week 18, the amount of discharge, due to the increased level of estrogen in a woman’s body, may also increase slightly. But under no circumstances should the nature of the allocation be changed. Changes in their color towards yellow or gray-green, the appearance of an unpleasant odor, purulent, foamy or curdled discharge is a pathology. Such symptoms indicate the development of an infectious disease of the genital tract, which, moreover, is usually accompanied by itching and burning in the genital area.

Ultrasound

Between 18 and 22 weeks, the pregnant woman will undergo a second scheduled ultrasound. And, if an ultrasound examination is scheduled for the 18th week, mom and dad will already be able to find out the gender of their baby, if, of course, he turns the right way. Parents will also see the size of the baby, and how amusingly he “gets active” in his mother’s tummy.

Although, of course, ultrasound is primarily intended for diagnosing and assessing the development of the baby, possible congenital defects and chromosomal disorders, for example, Down's disease. Important components for obtaining the result will be the measurement of the circumference of the baby’s head and abdomen, the frontal-occipital size, the length of the femur, humerus, as well as the size of the forearm and lower leg.

During the ultrasound session, the doctor will also assess the condition of the pregnant woman’s uterus, the correspondence of the size of the fetus to the timing of pregnancy, and examine the placenta attachment site.

Fetus at 18 weeks of gestation: movements, weight and size

Listen carefully to yourself: if you have not yet felt movements, this may well happen now. Typically, pregnant women feel it at 17-22 weeks, but it could happen earlier. If the mother is plump, then the joy of this moment will most likely be pushed forward in time. But skinny people, on the contrary, feel the baby before others.

If, after all, the baby has already become “active,” it makes sense to start listening to his movements, or rather, their frequency, now. Usually the baby pushes on average 4-8 times per hour. If the frequency of movements increases, this may indicate a lack of oxygen reaching the baby. In addition, a baby may push spontaneously when frightened by loud and sharp sounds - which, due to his well-developed hearing, he can now perfectly detect.

Future mom

The belly at 18 weeks of pregnancy can no longer be hidden: it has grown significantly and is noticeably rounded. And now a special bandage that supports the stomach and back will come in handy.

You may also feel unpleasant pressure on the navel from the inside - the uterus reaches approximately this level at the 18th week.

Feelings at 18 weeks of pregnancy

Pigment spots may still appear or new sensations may appear: lower back pain, discomfort during sleep. Take a few pillows with you to bed for comfort or buy yourself a special pillow for pregnant women - it will come in handy later for feeding.

Remember that your kidneys are working harder now, you have to run to the toilet more often. Do not tolerate or allow stagnation of urine; empty your bladder on time to avoid the development of infection. In addition, at this stage there is a tendency to retain sodium and fluid in the body. Outwardly, this is expressed by the appearance of slight swelling, which will be visible from rubber bands on socks or a ring on a finger. To avoid the accumulation of fluid in the body, it is advisable to limit the amount of salt in your diet. The number is increasing. Do not forget about hygiene and wear underwear only made from natural fabrics. If the discharge becomes greenish, gray or cheesy and causes obvious discomfort, see a gynecologist. For prevention, give up sugar and flour products, in the meantime, drink kefir and natural yogurts daily - and it’s good for intestinal function.

In general, at 18 weeks of pregnancy you should feel quite well - your hormonal levels have stabilized by this time. The expectant mother's appetite is healthy, so control weight gain.

Belly at 18 weeks of pregnancy: tugs, hurts

And - watch your stool: irregular bowel movements, constipation, increased gas formation can soon come back to haunt you with abdominal pain. Therefore, if the issue of proper balanced nutrition has not yet been resolved, the time has come to do it now.

Discharge at 18 weeks of pregnancy

Normal for this stage of pregnancy are considered moderate, light or milky discharge of a uniform consistency, with a slight sour odor. By week 18, the amount of discharge, due to the increased level of estrogen in a woman’s body, may also increase slightly. But under no circumstances should the nature of the allocation be changed. Changes in their color towards yellow or gray-green, the appearance of an unpleasant odor, purulent, foamy or curdled discharge are pathology. Such symptoms indicate the development of an infectious disease of the genital tract, which, moreover, is usually accompanied by itching and burning in the genital area.

Ultrasound

Especially for- Elena Kichak

Often, expectant mothers experience stomach pain at the onset of the 18th week of pregnancy. This causes fear and panic!

Many women immediately sign up for additional examinations and ultrasounds.

Although most often, the cause of abdominal pain at week 18 has a physiological and understandable basis.

At the 18th week of pregnancy, the uterus becomes quite large and is almost at the level of the navel.

From the 20th week of pregnancy, the growth of the uterus will begin at an even faster pace. In general, the uterus is a muscle that begins to grow and stretch very quickly. The uterus is attached by ligaments to the pelvic bones and due to the fairly rapid growth of the uterus, the ligaments begin to stretch.

All these absolutely physiological changes cause a sensation and women complain that their stomach hurts at 18 weeks of pregnancy.

If you have a stomach ache at this time, and it is accompanied by cramps, acute pain, brown, spotting and bright discharge - this is a reason to go to the hospital as soon as possible! Such symptoms do not require delay and self-treatment!

If the abdominal pain is more of a pulling nature, it is quite possible to assume that the sensations are caused by the growth of the uterus.

What can you do to help yourself at 18 weeks?

Buy a bandage. This will relieve excess stress on the ligaments and reduce discomfort. The bandage should be worn only during long walks and household activities. During rest and sleep, the bandage should be removed.
Do some gymnastics. Special gymnastics for pregnant women helps strengthen muscles and prepares the body for childbirth. When choosing classes, look at the experience of the instructor and focus on your own well-being.
Unload your lower back. Get down on all fours several times throughout the day. You can bend your lower back - this will relieve pressure on the lumbar region. When you go to bed or rest, use all kinds of bolsters and soft pads to make you and your back comfortable and comfortable.
Avoid long walks. If you are currently experiencing abdominal pain associated with muscle strain, try to avoid long walks. Let the body get used to the increasing load.

Many women experience abdominal pain during the 18th week of pregnancy, but most often it is not pain, but temporary discomfort associated with the growth of the uterus. In a couple of weeks everything will change and there will be no trace of trouble left.