Abdominal or tummy pain is common during pregnancy. In the first trimester (weeks 0 to 12) it is common to feel mild pains in the lower tummy area. These are caused by hormonal changes and by your growing womb.
Urgent advice: Contact your midwife or GP urgently if:
- the tummy pain is severe
- the tummy pain feels like tightening. Tightening of your tummy could be a sign that you are having a contraction and may be going into labour. During a contraction your womb often goes hard to touch, and your abdomen can feel very tight
- you have any bleeding from your vagina
- the pain is in your upper tummy area, especially if it is on the right hand side, as this could be a sign of pre-eclampsia
- you have symptoms like pain on passing urine (peeing), high temperature, needing to pee more than normal and cloudy or smelly wee. These are all signs of a urinary tract infection.
What causes severe or sharp tummy pain in pregnancy?
In the first trimester (weeks 0 to 12) sharp or severe tummy pain could be due to:
- an ectopic pregnancy
- a miscarriage
- a urinary tract infection
- constipation or trapped wind
In the second and third trimester, severe tummy pain could be due to:
- urinary tract infections or constipation
- placental abruption
- premature or preterm labour if you are less than 37 weeks pregnant
- pre-eclampsia if you are more than 20 weeks pregnant. Other symptoms are a headache, swelling of hands, feet and/or face, blurred vision or seeing flashing lights or spots in front eyes and nausea or vomiting.
Information:
Other warning signs during pregnancy
There are other warning signs to watch out for during pregnancy. They could mean you're experiencing pregnancy complications or a medical emergency.
They can also be signs of a common ailment during pregnancy.
Warning signs include:
Emergency action required: Contact your midwife, GP or obstetrician immediately if
- you are worried about any aspect of your pregnancy
