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Abdominal Pain at 35 Weeks

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I am 35 weeks pregnant. I am not a high risk pregnancy and have not had any bleeding or heavy discharge.

I am having abdominal pain moderate to severe on the right side which seems to subside when I lay down on my left side. I can not lay on my right side without severe pain returning. It seems to feel like a tearing pain then begins to cramp. I also feel stabs of this pain when I am standing up or sitting up. This pain came on suddenly and is going on 24 hours.

Could there be something wrong that is not associated with the pregnancy?

ANSWER

It sounds like you may have pulled a ligament. Or the baby did it for you one time when it kicked.

Ligaments can take a while to heal, and be very uncomfortable in just the ways you describe. If you must lay on your right side, be sure to have lots of pillows under your belly and enough pillows between your legs so that your top leg is horizontal with the mattress, not leaning down. All you can do for now is to try to avoid things that make it hurt worse if that is what it is.

You should also tell your provider about it at the next visit so they can check to see if it really is a ligament.

-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.