Cramps during Pregnancy

 

Normal cramps

Pregnancy has tight relationship with cramps in your lower abdomen. The cramps could happen anytime starting from you not getting period in the beginning of the pregnancy, until the time of labor. Cramps when you do not get any period again during pregnancy indicate some embryo growth in your uterus. This is a good sign that the embryo is developing perfectly. The rest of the follicles that released the egg, or usually called corpus luteum, develop and grow bigger. This corpus luteum will later produce progesterone hormone that will help during pregnancy. Progesterone hormone production by corpus luteum will stop when the placenta starts producing its own progesterone hormone. This will cause cramps in one side of your stomach. Muscles that support the uterus will stretch and widen during pregnancy. This could also be one of the causes of cramps during pregnancy. Cramps at the ending of pregnancy or before labor could be the sign that the mother is ready to give birth. This one particular cramp is not a scary thing, but it is the one thing that a mom to be is waiting for. Light cramps indicate there are some irregular light contractions happening. Light contractions are some process where the uterus is warming up for a labor.

Note cramps that happen at the beginning of pregnancy!

A few examples above are some harmless cramps. But actually cramps could be a sign that the pregnancy is troubled. Cramps that happen during the beginning of pregnancy a moment after you miss your period could be a sign that there are some mistakes in embryo development. If you are experiencing this, contact your doctor immediately. This needs some treatment and handling as fast as possible. To make sure if your embryo is fine and developing like it needs to be, you need to do some check-up with the ultrasonic waves. Cramps that get worse during the beginning of pregnancy until the mid of pregnancy could also be a sign of miscarriage. Especially if the cramps are also accompanied with bleeding, quoted from the American Pregnancy Association.

Cramps during pregnancy could also indicate an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is where the embryo doesn’t develop inside the uterus. In ectopic pregnancy, the embryo usually places itself and grows in the tuba fallopi part. Tuba fallopi doesn’t have enough space for the embryo to develop. As the result, the mom to be will feel some great pain from the widening and stretched tuba fallopi. This could endanger the mother if it’s not detected and handled soon. The mom to be could die from the stretching of tuba fallopi. (Read: Ectopic Pregnancy and What Causes It)

Cramps that happen after the 20th week is apparently dangerous

Severe cramps that happen in a short period and happen between 20th until 37th week could indicate a premature labor happening. Some medicines are known for stopping the breakage of amniotic fluids and helping the lungs of the baby to get ready even more, if the premature labor has to happen. Cramps that happen at the ending of pregnancy, besides telling you that the labor is close, could also indicate the baby is tangled in placenta. A baby tangled in placenta can endanger both the mother and also the baby. If it happens, a labor needs to be done immediately.

Treatment for normal cramps

If you get cramps during pregnancy, it is suggested to sit down with both knees on a line in front of you. Other than that, drink as much as possible and take a warm bath or shower.

Caution

Never underestimate cramps, even though you are sure of what caused it. Some dangerous and harmful things like ectopic pregnancy were not indicated by the emergence of pain. So when you start getting cramps, contact your doctor immediately. Prompt handling can save the baby and also your tuba fallopi. Cramps that happen more than 8 times in an hour or 4 times in 20 minutes period at 20th week of pregnancy indicate that you might go into labor prematurely.