Some women experience pain on the right side of their stomach during pregnancy, according to the March of Dimes and the Kids Health website. While some pregnancy-related stomach pain is ordinary, severe pain that feels more like menstrual cramps could indicate a number of potential pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, according to the American Pregnancy Association (APA). Learning how to distinguish ordinary from extraordinary pregnancy-related stomach pains can help ensure you and your future daughter get any prompt medical attention needed.
Ordinary Causes
Sometimes, sleeping the wrong way during pregnancy can cause pain on the right side of your stomach, according to Kids Health. In other instances, the pressure of your growing baby can cause gas-related pains that are usually nothing to be concerned with, according to the March of Dimes.
Potential Complications
Unfortunately, some pregnancy-related stomach or abdominal pain on the right side of the body indicates a potential miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic and the APA. An ectopic pregnancy means that the fetus has lodged itself into a fallopian tube and cannot be delivered as a full-term baby.
Identification of Potentially Serious Causes
If the pain on the right side of your stomach feels worse than menstrual cramps, you may be suffering a miscarriage, according to the APA. Stabbing or sharp pain, accompanied by thick mucus or bleeding, might also indicate a miscarriage. Ectopic or tubal pregnancies may also be indicated through bleeding, along with severe stomach pain, but they usually do not have clot-like tissue accompanied with the blood as is the case in a miscarriage, according to the Mayo Clinic and the APA.
Prevention/Solution
If you think you are having typical pregnancy-related stomach pain on your right side, you might want to make sure you sleep on the left side of your body at night, according to Kids Health. Sometimes, you can also end a ordinary pregnancy-related stomach cramp by bending toward the pain or doing light activities, like vacuuming the living room, according to the March of Dimes. Ectopic pregnancies must be medically treated with surgery or drugs; miscarriages in some cases may be stopped by medical treatment, including bed rest and medication, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Time Frame
Most serious pregnancy-related problems indicated by significant stomach pain happen in the first weeks after conception, according to the Mayo Clinic and the APA. Most miscarriages, as well as ectopic pregnancies, happen in the first three months of pregnancy.
Photo Credit
- pregnant image by Cora Reed from Fotolia.com
