Tight stomach during pregnancy, dangerous or not?

For those of you who are pregnant, there may be many complaints and changes that are felt, one of which is a tight stomach during pregnancy. Actually, what causes a tight stomach during pregnancy and is it dangerous for the mother and the fetus?

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Is it normal for the stomach to feel tight during pregnancy?

A tight stomach is one of the body's natural changes that occur when you enter pregnancy.

You usually feel this tight stomach during pregnancy in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Although it often makes you worry, actually a tight stomach is normal in early pregnancy.

Launching from Tommy's page, this tight stomach is usually felt at the gestational age of approximately 12 weeks or 3 months.

This feeling of tightness in the stomach is like menstrual pain, but in a mild degree.

As long as the feeling of tightness in the stomach during pregnancy is mild, this is fine and still normal.

Usually, complaints of a tight stomach in early pregnancy can disappear and arise when you change positions, defecate, fart, and sleep.

But sometimes, you may also feel complaints other than tight stomach, such as sharp pain in the side of the stomach.

Again, as long as the pain complaint is still in a mild level, you don't need to worry.

What causes a tight stomach during pregnancy?

The cause of a tight stomach during pregnancy is generally due to the fetus in the uterus that continues to develop.

The development of the fetus while it is in the womb will push your abdominal muscles to become more stretched, causing a tight and painful sensation.

Not only that, the cause of a tight stomach during pregnancy can also be due to stretching of the ligaments in the stomach, hormonal changes, or the presence of gas or wind in the stomach.

The presence of gas or wind trapped in the stomach can also cause you to experience flatulence during pregnancy.

How to deal with a tight stomach during pregnancy?

Even though it's still fairly normal, a tight stomach in early pregnancy may make you feel uncomfortable.

Even more so if this one complaint appears along with signs of pregnancy, such as morning sickness .

However, make sure beforehand that the complaints of a tight stomach during pregnancy that you feel are still in a mild level and do not show other medical symptoms.

If the feeling of tightness in the stomach is still mild, here are some treatments you can do:

1. Drink a glass of mineral water to keep your body well hydrated.
2. Move your body like walking or stretching stiff areas. It can also help see if changes in body position make the stomach more relaxed.
3. When you want to get up from a sleep position, you should avoid moving the position too quickly. This is useful for providing space for the muscles so that the stomach is not tense.
4. Apply a warm compress on the stomach or take a warm bath.

Is it true that a tight stomach during late pregnancy is a sign that you want to give birth?

It turns out that not only at the beginning of pregnancy, a tight stomach can also be felt at the end or the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

The stomach feels tight at the end of pregnancy. This can be a form of childbirth contractions which is one of the signs of childbirth.

However, it is important to distinguish the sensation of a tight abdomen caused by real labor contractions and false contractions before childbirth.

Unlike during early pregnancy, the contraction signs of childbirth that occur in the final trimester make the stomach feel tight, which is getting stronger over time.

Original labor contractions also occur with a frequent frequency. Usually, you will feel the frequency of the original labor contractions appearing every 3-5 minutes.

Each time you feel, the original contraction can last for 30-60 seconds and is accompanied by a cramp-like feeling, according to Kids Health.

Contractions can be even more convincing if they are accompanied by other signs of childbirth such as an opening and rupture of the amniotic fluid.

If this is indeed your first pregnancy, do not delay to immediately contact the doctor, midwife, or hospital.

Be aware of complaints of a tight stomach along with other symptoms

As mentioned earlier, the stomach that feels tight when pregnant is not a cause for concern.

However, there are some symptoms that you should not take lightly as they could be signs of a more serious medical condition.

The following are complaints of a tight stomach along with other medical symptoms that need to be checked immediately:

• Ectopic pregnancy, characterized by severe pain on one side of the abdomen early in pregnancy.
• Premature labor, characterized by repeated cramps or contractions before 37 weeks of gestation.
• Miscarriage, characterized by severe stomach cramps with or without bleeding that lasts for several hours.
• Placental abruption, characterized by abdominal pain that doesn't go away.
• Preeclampsia, characterized by severe pain just below the ribs, especially on the right side that occurs continuously.

A tight belly during pregnancy that is a sign of a miscarriage is usually accompanied by pain and occurs before 20 weeks of gestation.

However, in general, most cases of miscarriage occur before 12 weeks of gestation. Doctors usually recommend that you do a curette to clean the contents of the uterus.

The cause of a miscarriage is not always clear, but sometimes it may be blighted ovum or empty pregnancy.

When to see a doctor

Do not delay to see a doctor immediately if a tight stomach during pregnancy is accompanied by various unusual symptoms, such as:

• Bleeding out.
• Vaginal discharge that looks abnormal.
• Cramps or severe stomach pain that won't go away.
• There is pain when the stomach is pressed.
• A severe headache that doesn't go away.
• Swelling occurs on the face, hands and feet.

The doctor will later help find out the cause and provide treatment according to your condition.

Immediate handling is also needed to maintain the health of pregnant women and the fetus while in the womb.