During pregnancy, the abdomen is subjected to a lot of changes and pressures. Some women may feel discomfort in this area during pregnancy that could be due to stomach problems that are common in pregnancy, or due to colic that is painful and causes vomiting or other symptoms. It’s important that your doctor knows your history and activities in order to be able to effectively treat you.  

Stomach and intestinal conditions

Heavy digestions during pregnancy are a common condition that can sometimes cause abdominal pain. Due to the action of pregnancy hormones, intestinal tissue relaxes, thus making the passage of food slower, which causes discomfort.  This also causes gas, that can sometimes be very painful. If nausea is very acute and causes vomiting, it can also be responsible for much of the abdominal discomfort.

Whatever the problem is, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible regarding any condition that causes abdominal pain, in order to rule out any condition that may require treatment.

Gall-bladder colic

Women of Mexican origin are especially affected by a condition that could be mistaken with the discomfort of morning sickness or nausea.  The gall-bladder stores bile, which helps us digest food, and can sometimes be affected by the action of pregnancy hormones.  

The function of the gall-bladder is to store bile in order to digest fats in the small intestine. In order for bile to reach the small intestine, the gall-bladder must contract. During pregnancy, the tissue of this organ is more relaxed, and the contraction is not as efficient. When the gall-bladder is unable to eliminate all the bile, the latter becomes denser and it can form stones that obstruct the release of bile. This gives way to colic which causes abdominal pain.

Usually, women who have not had gall-bladder problems can naturally compensate for the tissue relaxation, but if they have a history of gall-bladder problems, or if they are of Mexican origin, they may end up having colic.

Treatment of gall-bladder conditions

It is possible to find out, through an ultrasound, if you have gall-bladder stones or sediments. With proper diet and medication, you may continue with your pregnancy without requiring surgery. In the event of severe colic, or when the gall-bladder becomes infected, the doctor will determine whether the possible consequences of this condition on your pregnancy are riskier than undergoing surgery to remove the gall-bladder.  

If your nausea doesn’t subside in the first three months and if you experience abdominal pain, ask your doctor whether gall-bladder colic could be the problem, especially if you have a history of it.

Pelvic pain

A rather common discomfort of pregnancy is pelvic pain. This is usually due to what we know as the stretching of round ligaments. The uterus and ovaries are held by ligaments that run from the groin to the uterus. These ligaments, as pregnancy goes on, undergo a lot of stretching on the one hand, and the pressure of the baby’s weight on the other. This can sometimes cause intense pain.

This discomfort is different from what you feel when you are having contractions. However, if you cannot differentiate them, or if you are not sure whether the pain or discomfort you feel is due to the stretching of round ligaments, check with your doctor.