What causes stomach cramps during pregnancy?
Abdominal cramps during pregnancy can be felt at any time during pregnancy, can be during the first, second, or third trimester.
The most common causes of abdominal cramps
1. Problems in the stomach
Gastric and bloating stomach can occur during pregnancy. This can be caused by an increase in the hormone progesterone, a hormone that makes your muscles relax, including the muscles in your digestive tract. As a result, your digestive system runs slower and you feel pressure in the uterus and intestines. This can cause you to feel a stomach tingling, bloating, or constipation. At this time, you may feel cramps in your stomach.
Defecating or gassing may help to get rid of your cramps a little. You also need to eat fibrous foods, eat little but often, and drink more water to help reduce constipation.
2. Cramps after orgasm
Cramps during or after orgasm are normal things you experience during intercourse. This is not dangerous and will not hurt your fetus in the womb. Cramps can also be caused by increased blood flow to the pelvic area or normal uterine contractions during orgasm.
3. Increased blood flow to the uterus
During pregnancy, your body will drain more blood to the uterus to supply blood to your fetus. This can cause you to feel pressure in the uterine area or cramps in the stomach. When you feel cramps, you can lie down or take a warm bath to help ease it.
4. Cramps because the mother's womb expands
Because the mother's uterus continues to expand during pregnancy, the mother sometimes feels cramps in the abdomen that can spread to the hip or groin. Usually cramps or pain starts in the second trimester of pregnancy. This cramping is often experienced when you exercise, after you wake up from a bed or chair, sneeze, cough, laugh, or when you make sudden movements or other activities.
5. Braxton Hicks contractions
This contraction usually starts around 20 weeks' gestation and this can be a preparation for the mother's body before delivery. These contractions are usually rare, do not last for a long time, are irregular, and usually do not hurt. Dehydration may cause Braxton Hicks contractions, so you need to drink a lot to prevent this.
Causes of abdominal cramps during the first trimester to the second pregnancy
1. Ectopic pregnancy (outside the uterus)
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube (the channel that connects the uterus and ovary). This causes you to feel cramps on one side of your stomach. This cramping can last a long time and gets worse. Check your pregnancy with a doctor if you also experience vaginal bleeding, shoulder pain, stomach pain that gets worse when you do activities, and fainting.
2. Miscarriage
Miscarriage can cause you to feel cramps in the abdomen, lower back and pelvic area. Sometimes, cramping in the stomach is difficult to distinguish whether because you have a miscarriage, implantation, or because your uterus is developing. However, cramping due to miscarriage usually lasts for several hours or days and is accompanied by mild or severe bleeding for several days. You also feel pain in the waist or pressure on your pelvis.
Causes of abdominal cramps during the second to third trimester of pregnancy
1. Urinary tract infection (UTI)
Urinary tract infections can usually cause pain when urinating, pressure on the pelvis or pain in the lower abdomen, more frequent urination, foul-smelling, cloudy or bloody urine. Untreated urinary tract infections can cause kidney infection and premature birth.
2. Abruptio placenta
It is a term that describes the condition of your placenta which is completely or partially separated from the uterine wall before the baby is born. This condition can also cause your stomach to experience severe cramps and can last a long time. In addition, you can also experience back pain, vaginal bleeding, and contractions in the uterus.
3. Preeclampsia
Marked by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Preeclampsia can also be one reason why you feel cramps in the upper abdomen. In addition, you can also experience severe headaches, visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting, swelling of the face, hands and feet, and shortness of breath.
4. Cramps as a sign of labor
You may give birth if you experience regular contractions, usually every 10 minutes or more. These contractions are usually not easily lost even if you have changed position. At this time, you will also experience stomach cramps. In addition, you also feel pressure in the pelvic area, experiencing changes or an increase in vaginal fluid, and vaginal bleeding. You can experience premature birth if you experience this before 37 weeks' gestation.
How do you deal with stomach cramps during pregnancy?
When you feel cramps, the first thing you have to do is rest. You can try the following things to relieve cramps in your stomach:
Lie down or sit down for a while. Lie on the opposite side of your pain. And straighten your legs.
Take a warm bath.
Compress your stomach cramps with warm water.
Try to relax and calm down.
Drink plenty of fluids, if cramps are caused by Braxton Hicks contractions.
Move or do a few slow movements to eliminate cramps that may be caused by a gastric stomach.