To lower abdominal pain during pregnancyyou need to be very careful. Even in the early stages of pregnancy, such pains can indicate serious complications. Whether there is a complication or not, and the pain is simply a consequence of intestinal colic, only a doctor can say.
Ectopic pregnancy
Pain in the lower abdomen on one side can bea sign of an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is the development of an embryo in the fallopian tube, ovary, or abdominal cavity instead of its natural development in the uterine cavity. In the first weeks, such a pregnancy develops as normal, until the embryo grows so large that it ruptures the fallopian tube. This usually happens 1.5 months after conception. Therefore, it is advisable to see a gynecologist after a woman has taken a pregnancy test in order to rule out an ectopic pregnancy. An obstetrician-gynecologist can determine a normal pregnancy by the enlargement of the uterus, but sometimes, to clarify the diagnosis, he or she will send a woman for an ultrasound examination, which will determine exactly where the fertilized egg has attached. Signs of an ectopic pregnancy can vary, but pain is always present. Sometimes these are very sharp sudden pains, dizziness, and loss of consciousness - a sign of a sudden complete rupture of the fallopian tube and severe internal bleeding. In this case, the only way to save a woman is to go to the hospital and have surgery in a timely manner. Sometimes the pain is not very pronounced and is accompanied by slight bleeding - the bleeding is not very heavy. This is a sign that a partial rupture of the fallopian tube is occurring. This condition also requires immediate hospitalization, as it can be complicated by significant internal bleeding. If a woman has been diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy before the pain and bleeding appeared, then it is possible to remove the embryo endoscopically without removing the fallopian tube. This will allow the woman to preserve her reproductive function. If the surgery is performed for emergency reasons, that is, against the background of a rupture of the fallopian tube, then the surgery is performed in the usual way, the fallopian tube or part of it is removed and in the future the ovary on this side can no longer participate in the process of childbearing.
Risk of miscarriage
In some cases, a woman may begin toSpontaneous miscarriage. Most often, this occurs due to hormonal deficiency. The main pregnancy hormone is progesterone, which suppresses contractions of the uterine muscles. With insufficient production of progesterone, the uterus begins to contract and pushes the embryo out of its cavity. Therefore, many women are prescribed synthetic analogues of progesterone (Utrozhestan) in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Some women are prone to habitual miscarriage. Most often, this occurs with isthmic-cervical insufficiency (ICI). ICI is a condition in which the transition site of the body of the uterus to its cervix (isthmus) and the cervix itself cannot cope with the increasing load from the uterus and begin to open prematurely. The most common cause of ICI is trauma to the isthmus and cervix during previous births and abortions. The site of the injury becomes overgrown with connective trauma, loses its ability to stretch, which leads to a miscarriage. When there is a threat of spontaneous miscarriage, there is a nagging pain in the abdomen of increasing intensity, radiating to the lower back and groin area, and bloody discharge from the genitals, and sometimes full-fledged bleeding. If spontaneous miscarriage is suspected, the woman should be hospitalized as soon as possible. With timely assistance, the pregnancy can be saved.
Causes not directly related to pregnancy
Pain in the lower abdomen can occur with intestinalcolic. Despite the fact that intestinal colic is not directly related to pregnancy, it often occurs during pregnancy, since hormonal changes always reduce intestinal motility and women are bothered by constipation and bloating (flatulence) throughout pregnancy. Both of these causes can cause intestinal colic - abdominal pain that can be localized on one side. Abdominal pain in pregnant women may not be related to pregnancy at all. For example, pain that occurs with appendicitis. This pain can also occur suddenly in the right side of the abdomen and radiate down to the groin area. Similar pain can also occur with other diseases of the abdominal organs that require emergency surgical care. Only timely medical care and, possibly, surgery can help a woman.
A surgeon can make the correct diagnosis.If the pain does not go away within an hour or two, but only increases, do not attribute everything to an intestinal disorder and take drugs like "smecta", this is very dangerous. Surgery that is not performed in time can lead to peritonitis. Unfortunately, there are phenomena that can really become very alarming bells, indicating that the pregnancy is not going too smoothly. For example, doctors very often hear complaints that in the early stages of pregnancy, women notice brown discharge and feel pain in the lower abdomen.
Causes of bleeding
Of course, brown bloody discharge andpain in the lower abdomen at any stage of pregnancy is an alarm signal, including early ones. But does the appearance of blood always indicate trouble? Doctors say no. Although this does not mean that it is acceptable to ignore such a phenomenon - if you notice brown bloody discharge, seek medical help immediately! But let's take everything in order. And first, let's find out what can cause bloody discharge in the early stages.
- Implantation of the fetal egg
Sometimes bloody discharge appears at veryearly stages, when a woman does not even suspect that she is pregnant - a few days after conception. To be more precise - brown discharge can appear about a week before the expected date of the onset of menstruation. The discharge is dark brown and extremely scanty - it is impossible to confuse it with menstruation. And the reason for such spotting is the implantation of a fertilized egg into the mucous membrane of the uterus. This is a completely normal physiological process and you have nothing to fear in this case. But only if you do not feel any discomfort - pain in the abdomen and back, general weakness. And only if the brown discharge is scanty and lasts no more than a day. If the blood is red, or there is as much of it as during normal menstruation - sound the alarm! First of all, you need to do a pregnancy test to make sure that it is not just heavy and painful menstruation. And if the fact of your future is confirmed, immediately contact a doctor - there is a very high probability that you have begun to reject the fertilized egg. And if you are not given the appropriate help in a timely manner, you can lose the child. And for God's sake, do not listen to advisers who say that bleeding is just a simple washing of the fetus.
- Beginning miscarriage
You found out about your pregnancy, you were happyfuture dad and have just gotten used to the idea that you will soon become a happy mother. But only a few weeks pass and at one far from wonderful moment you notice brown discharge on your underwear. There is only one reason - the beginning of a miscarriage. Despite the rather unpleasant name, this process is reversible in most cases. But only if the expectant mother receives the necessary medical care as quickly as possible. Doctors successfully save thousands and thousands of such pregnancies.
- Frozen pregnancy
Sometimes brown discharge in early pregnancypregnancy may indicate a much more sad situation - a frozen pregnancy. In a frozen pregnancy, for one reason or another, in most cases remaining a mystery to doctors, the fetus simply stops developing and, naturally, dies. In the early stages of pregnancy, it is not so easy to notice and brown discharge is one of these signs. In a frozen pregnancy, brown discharge is not abundant, of a viscous consistency. In addition, a woman may experience a number of other symptoms - painful aching sensations in the lower abdomen and in the lumbar region, a sharp cessation of toxicosis, a decrease in previously swollen breasts. Only a gynecologist can definitely confirm or refute the fact of a frozen pregnancy. And then only after a series of studies - a blood test for hormone levels, an ultrasound examination of the uterine cavity. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the woman will need medical help. Unfortunately, it is impossible to save such a pregnancy, because, in fact, it is no longer there. And the only thing the doctor will do is remove the dead fertilized egg from the uterine cavity using curettage. It is impossible to do without this unpleasant procedure, because otherwise inflammation of the uterus and sometimes even sepsis are possible. Surviving a frozen pregnancy is very difficult, as it is a serious blow to the woman's psyche. But do not despair - in most cases, the woman gets pregnant soon enough and gives birth to a beautiful baby. Cases of repeated frozen pregnancy are extremely rare and the likelihood that you will be in this process is negligible.
- Ectopic pregnancy
The most unpleasant reason whybrown discharge in the early stages - this is an ectopic pregnancy. Moreover - if bleeding appears, you cannot hesitate for a minute - it indicates that the fetus has reached a critical size. This means that in the very near future the fallopian tube, in which the embryo develops, may burst. Such bleeding in almost all cases is accompanied by very intense pain, which is simply impossible not to notice. And if the woman is not given immediate assistance, the complications can be very serious, even fatal. But in fairness it should be noted that such a cause of bleeding in the early stages is extremely rare - of course, if the expectant mother regularly visits the doctor. The level of modern medicine is so high that it allows you to determine an ectopic pregnancy in the very first weeks. That is why doctors strongly recommend that a woman not wait until the last minute, but consult a gynecologist immediately as soon as she finds out about her pregnancy.
- Cervical erosion
If the expectant mother notices brown dischargeafter intercourse or a gynecological examination on a chair, most likely, there is no reason to worry. In the early stages of pregnancy, under the influence of certain hormones, the cervix begins to bleed easily even from the slightest touch. But such bleeding does not last long - a few hours at most. However, the doctor should still be warned - most likely, he will replace the manual examination with an ultrasound.
- Inflammatory process
It's quite rare, but there are still cases whenBrown discharge is a consequence of a severe inflammatory process in the pelvic organs. True, the shade of brown will be slightly different - closer to dark yellow. And besides, such discharge is almost always accompanied by a very unpleasant odor. In addition, pain in the lower abdomen, weakness, fever, general malaise are possible. For some reason, it is generally believed that during pregnancy, all gynecological diseases bypass the expectant mother. However, in fact, this is not true at all! It is during pregnancy that all existing chronic ailments are exacerbated, and new ones are just itching to cling to you. But even a harmless inflammatory process during pregnancy can have the most negative impact on both the course of pregnancy itself and the health of your future child. Therefore, you should never ignore ailments - the sooner treatment is started, the better for mother and baby.
What should I do with the discharge?
In any case, whatever the reasonbleeding in early pregnancy, it is very important to follow the correct algorithm of actions. Of course, you will not be able to provide competent help to yourself. But a lot depends on you - if your behavior is correct, doctors will have a much better chance of saving the pregnancy. Well, or at least reduce the damage to your health to the possible minimum.
- Do not panic
This advice may seem strange to you, butit is very important - stop panicking! It is quite natural that you are scared, worried about your baby. But remember - your panic will not stop the bleeding. But it can very well make it worse and with a high degree of probability it will do so. Try to relax, breathe deeply - in a couple of minutes you will feel much better.
- Call an ambulance
Noticed blood on your underwear?Regardless of whether it is a lot or just a few drops, lie down immediately or at least sit down if there is nowhere to lie down. Do not try to get to the clinic or hospital on your own - neither by car, nor even less so by public transport. Until the doctor allows, you must remain completely calm. Therefore, it is wiser to call an ambulance team, which, if necessary, will deliver the expectant mother to the hospital, observing all precautions.
- Follow the doctor's recommendations
So, the doctor found out the cause of the bleeding andprescribed you the appropriate treatment. Your main task is to strictly follow all the recommendations. If the doctor is trying to save the pregnancy, a large part of the success depends on your behavior. If a misfortune happened and you lost the baby, the treatment will be aimed at restoring your health so that after some time you can get pregnant again and give birth to a healthy baby. Very often women make the same mistake - as soon as they feel better, they stop taking the prescribed medications, violate the daily routine, etc. And as a result, they harm themselves - pain in the lower abdomen is to be expected.
- Refrain from sex
If the pregnancy was saved, it is very importantabstain from sexual relations for at least one and a half to two months, because sexual intercourse sometimes provokes termination of pregnancy. And besides, careless actions of a man can injure a very sensitive cervix, which can also lead to new bleeding. As a rule, men are understanding about this - the main thing is that you explain what is going on.
