The news of getting pregnant is no doubt exciting and pregnant mothers should take the utmost care of their health so as to ensure a trouble free pregnancy. Usually the nine months of pregnancy isn’t as smooth as some people think. Pregnant mothers have to suffer from nausea , morning sickness and a lot of pains and aches. Experiencing pregnancy pain in upper abdomen and lower abdomen is a common issue with most expecting moms though. Usually this kind of pain is seen in the lower abdomen although experiencing pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen isn’t unnatural or rare.
Pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen may not always indicate a serious issue although it may hint at a severe problem. The best thing for a pregnant mother is to have as much as information possible regarding abdominal pain so that she can take preventive measures beforehand. When it comes to abdominal pain experiencing pregnancy pains in lower abdomen is more common. As most of the organs are located in the lower abdominal area , pregnant mothers feel uneasiness due to the growing baby. On the other hand having pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen should not be ignored.
Here are some of the causes that lead to pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen:
HELLP Syndrome:
This is a serious obstetric complication that causes intense pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen and usually occurs late in pregnancy. HELLP is an abbreviation of the main findings: Hemolytic anemia, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelet count. Some of the symptoms of HELLP Syndrome other than experiencing a band like pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen are blurred vision, vomiting , headache etc. Further complications in this case may lead to the rapture of the liver capsule and result in haematoma. In any case this is a serious case and poses a risk to both the mother and child.
Preeclampsia:
One of the primary reason behind pregnancy pain in upper abdomen is Preeclampsia which generally occurs during the second or third trimester. It is a medical condition in which a pregnant women suffers from pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) along with high amounts of protein in the urine. Apart from experiencing pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen other symptoms of it are severe headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea and sudden weight gain. Edema or swelling , particularly of face and hands accompanies Preeclampsia although it also occurs under normal circumstances.
Kidney Infection:
Urinary tract infection is another common cause of pregnancy pain in upper abdomen although in most cases expectant moms experience pregnancy pains in lower abdomen. But in some cases the infection spreads upto the kidneys resulting in pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen. A pregnant women affected with kidney infection and pregnancy pain in the upper abdomen may also experience a number of other discomforts such as fever, back pain , etc. The best way to avoid it is to do a urine test and get treated if infected.
These were some of the severe cases resulting in pregnancy pain in upper abdomen. Other than these some minor problems can also induce pregnancy pain in upper abdomen. Rib stretching is one such harmless reason. In order to accommodate the growing baby the ribs stretch resulting in pain in the upper abdomen. Other reasons such as excessive gas and bloating, constipation may also induce pregnancy pain in upper abdomen.
Remember as a general rule mild pain is less likely to cause any major problem than severe pain. So if you experience severe pain in any part during your pregnancy it is best to seek a doctor’s help.
