You’re in the middle of chopping up a delicious array of fruits for your afternoon fruit salad when you suddenly feel a sharp pang in your abdomen. You grip your belly and take a few deep breaths until the pain subsides.

It is absolutely normal to feel aches, pains or cramps in your abdomen during pregnancy and is usually nothing to worry about. However on rare occasions, these pains could indicate something more serious that needs to be checked, but we’ll share more about that later.

Before we suggest some ways you can ease your stomach pain, let’s take a look at what the causes may be.

What is the cause of my stomach pain?

As the ligaments connecting the womb to the pelvis stretch and lengthen, pressure on the nerves around your ligaments can cause you to feel some pain.

As your baby grows, it starts to put a lot of pressure on your muscles, joints and veins and can cause discomfort in your belly at times. Your growing baby tends to tilt your womb to the right causing the ligament that supports the right side of your womb to contract and spasm. This is why you may often feel the sharp pang on your right side.

Other causes of abdominal pain include constipation or trapped wind.

Now let’s take a look at other (more serious) causes of abdominal pain.

What are other possible causes of stomach pain?

If you think that you are experiencing any of the following, you must see a doctor immediately.

Other possible causes of stomach pain include:

Ectopic pregnancy

This is when a fertilised egg implants somewhere outside of the uterus (womb), most commonly in one of the fallopian tubes. Because the fertilised egg cannot survive, it may cause life-threatening bleeding if not removed.

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy usually appear between 4 and 12 weeks of pregnancy and include:

Pain when weeing and pooing.
Stomach (abdominal) pain in the lower abdomen, which may be felt on one side.
Vaginal bleeding that's different from a normal period. It may be darker, lighter, brighter or more watery than usual.

Early miscarriage

Unfortunately, miscarriage in early pregnancy is much more common than people think, affecting one in five pregnancies because the baby is not developing properly. Although light bleeding or spotting is common in early pregnancy, if the bleeding gets heavier then it could be linked to a miscarriage. If you are experiencing bleeding or pains that you are unable to deal with then you can get emergency help at your nearest hospital (A&E department).

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)

If you had IVF or other fertility treatment to get pregnant, the stomach pain you may be experiencing could be caused by the fertility drugs overstimulating your ovaries.

Pre-eclampsia

If you are having particularly intense pain on your right side under the ribs, it could be a sign of pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy). Pre-eclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy and symptoms include headaches, problems with vision and swollen hands, face and feet.

Premature labour

If you are less than 37 weeks and are having consistent stomach pains, this could be your body gearing up for labour too soon, so you’ll need to get in contact with your midwife immediately as you may need to be monitored at the hospital.

Now let’s take a look at what you can do to relieve your stomach pain.

How can I ease my abdominal pain?

The best way to relieve stomach pain is to rest:

Sit down and relax for a moment.

Lie down on the opposite side to where the pain is located.

Have a bath.

Use a hot shower or a heated wheat bag on the painful area.

Be slower with your movements and avoid sudden movements.

Avoid strenuous activities or activities that put pressure on the ligaments.

Avoid standing for too long and lifting heavy objects.

Do gentle, stretching exercises such as yoga.

How to deal with stomach pain during pregnancy

Unii suggests ways to cope with this common pregnancy issue.