Period-Like Pain During Pregnancy: When to Worry and How to Manage It

1. Pre-eclampsia: Pre-eclampsia can occur any time after the 20th week of pregnancy. According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, 5 to 8 percent of all pregnant women are diagnosed with preeclampsia. In case of pre-eclampsia, severe pain can be felt in the upper-right part of the stomach. Due to this, the risk of sudden rupture of the placenta also increases. This is a condition in which the placenta breaks and separates from the wall of the uterus even before delivery. Doctors of women who have preeclampsia check their blood pressure and urine during every appointment until delivery. Protein found in urine can also be a sign of preeclampsia.

(Read more - How To Take Care During Pregnancy)

2. Ectopic pregnancy: If you experience abdominal pain or cramps along with spotting or bleeding during pregnancy, it may be a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is seen in 1 to 2 percent of women. In this, the fertilized egg remains in the fallopian tube instead of going to the uterus or in rare cases, the fertilized egg attaches itself to the ovary, cervix or even the stomach. If you experience severe abdominal pain that lasts for more than a few minutes, contact the doctor immediately.

3. Yeast or urine infection: Many times during pregnancy, women have problems of yeast infection in the vagina or urine infection (UTI) and due to this too, pain or cramps can be felt in the stomach. According to a study by BMJ, about 6 percent of mothers get UTI during pregnancy, which can also cause kidney infection. Due to this, the risk of premature delivery also increases.

For some women, abdominal cramps or cramping is the first sign that they are pregnant, because cramps are experienced when a fertilized egg sticks to the wall of the uterus. This is also called implantation cramping and during this time it feels as if your menstruation is about to start. Apart from this, due to the change in hormone levels during pregnancy, problems like gas, bloating and constipation also increase and due to this, period-like pain can be felt in the stomach. Most women may feel mild cramping or stomach pain during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.

(Read more - Pelvic pain during pregnancy)

The second trimester of pregnancy is the time when you experience the least symptoms like stomach pain, cramps or other discomforts. Here, those women can be an exception who are carrying more than one child in their womb because the uterus of those women grows rapidly and reaches the third-trimester proportion in the second trimester itself. (This is the reason why women who are carrying more than one child in their womb are at a higher risk of preterm labor i.e. premature birth of the child.)

(Read more - Every Mother Should Know : Pregnancy Problems)

Apart from this, the problem of abdominal pain or cramps in the second trimester is also seen in women who have round ligament pain during pregnancy. It starts around the 13th week of pregnancy (in round ligament pain, the ligaments supporting the uterus are stretched upwards as the uterus starts growing upwards). This kind of mild or mild pain is usually very sharp and one-sided. Sometimes mild urine infection also occurs during pregnancy and due to this too, there can be a problem of abdominal pain or cramps.

Another rare but serious cause of abdominal pain or cramps in the second trimester is the problem of fibroids or fibers in the uterus. The harmless overgrowth of tissues begins to break down in the second trimester because they do not get enough blood to maintain the growth of these fibers. When they break, there is severe pain and usually it occurs between the 15th and 18th weeks of pregnancy. 

Third trimester me pet dard ya cramps Just like the first trimester, it is normal to experience cramps in the third trimester of pregnancy and this is known as Braxton Hicks contractions. You will feel similar contractions during labor pains as well but the difference is that Braxton Hicks contractions do not turn into labor. However, cramps in the second or third trimester should not be taken lightly as it can also be a sign of premature labor. Get your cervix checked by a doctor to see if it has started to dilate or open. If these cramps are not a sign of early labor, then drink a glass of water or juice and rest so that the pregnancy cramps subside. 

(Read more - Headache during pregnancy)