Do you have dull stomach pain at 24 weeks of pregnancy?

When women are pregnant, they are very happy because they think that the baby will be here in the near future. However, some women experience dull stomach pain at 24 weeks of pregnancy. In fact, if the stomach only hurts occasionally, don't worry. This is generally caused by the gradual enlargement of the uterus. But if it is severe pain, you must pay attention to it and go to the hospital immediately to avoid serious harm.

Why does a pregnant woman have a stomachache?

1. Normal pain during pregnancy. Pregnant women experience stomach pain because the uterus gradually becomes larger during embryonic development. At this time, pregnant women will feel discomfort and stomach pain, but this pain is often mild, so pregnant women do not need to worry too much.

2. Signs of threatened miscarriage. However, if the abdominal pain comes in waves, or is continuous pain in the lower abdomen, like the pain before or during menstruation, and is accompanied by vaginal bleeding, it may be threatened abortion and you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.

3. Eating spoiled or overly frozen food. Intestinal cramps caused by eating spoiled or too cold food can make pregnant women feel stomach pain.

4. Causes of disease. Diseases such as acute gastritis, gastroenteritis, acute pancreatitis and degeneration of uterine fibroids can also cause pregnant women to feel abdominal pain.

Stomach pain during pregnancy

1. Physiological stomach pain

Around 4 months of pregnancy, the uterus enlarges and the round ligament of the uterus is stretched, causing many expectant mothers to feel some abdominal pain. This type of pain is mostly located on one or both sides of the uterus in the lower abdomen, and is referred pain, dull pain or lack thereof. The pain becomes more obvious when walking a long distance or changing body position. Expectant mothers don’t need to worry, the symptoms can be relieved by resting in bed more.

Exercising too hard during sexual intercourse during the second trimester can also cause stomach pain in pregnant women.

2. Pathological stomach pain

In the second half of pregnancy, the baby gradually grows and the pressure in the expectant mother's abdominal cavity also increases. If the expectant mother's esophageal hiatus (the hole through which the esophagus descends to connect to the stomach) widens, she may develop a hiatal hernia and suffer from abdominal pain. At this time, abdominal pain is often accompanied by symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, chest pain, acid reflux, and hiccups. The incidence of hiatal hernia during pregnancy is about 30-50%, and the symptoms are sometimes more obvious in the late pregnancy. Therefore, expectant mothers are advised to: eat small and frequent meals, and eat less sweet, spicy, or sticky food; do not lie flat on the bed or lie too low after meals, and try to bend over as little as possible to reduce acid reflux; keep bowel movements open. If you find symptoms of gastric reflux, try to raise your upper body about 20 degrees.

Abdominal pain not caused by pregnancy

Some diseases during pregnancy may also cause stomach pain in expectant mothers, but these diseases are not directly related to pregnancy, such as appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, cholelithiasis and cholecystitis. Because abdominal pain is common during pregnancy, abdominal pain that is not caused by pregnancy is sometimes easily ignored by expectant mothers.

1. Acute appendicitis

It can occur in early, middle, or late pregnancy. Most people with acute appendicitis experience abdominal tenderness in the right lower abdomen. However, for pregnant women, due to the presence of the baby, the tenderness in the right abdomen gradually moves upward as the pregnancy progresses. Expectant mothers who experience abdominal pain due to acute appendicitis generally have a history of chronic appendicitis and are accompanied by symptoms such as increased body temperature. Because the disease will progress more rapidly after appendicitis occurs in expectant mothers, they should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time.

2. Intestinal obstruction

If the expectant mother has undergone abdominal surgery before pregnancy, intestinal adhesions that occur after the surgery are often the cause of intestinal obstruction during pregnancy. There are no typical symptoms for expectant mothers with intestinal obstruction, so if they feel stomach pain accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, they should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.

3. Cholelithiasis and cholecystitis

Due to the influence of physiological changes during pregnancy, if you have cholelithiasis before pregnancy, it is very easy to cause gallbladder inflammation if you are not careful. When the gallbladder is inflamed, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever may occur, and the pain may be triggered or aggravated by food or drink. Expectant mothers should chew their food slowly, avoid overeating at one meal, and eat less fat-rich foods.