During the early stages of pregnancy, many women experience abdominal pain, often due to the ligaments stretching to accommodate the growing uterus, according to BabyExpert. Other common contributors to stomach pain, according to Parents, include gas, constipation, pressure on the intestines and the added stress of the pregnancy.Know More
Most abdominal discomfort, experienced during the first trimester, results from normal pregnancy-related changes to the body. Sometimes, though, abdominal pain signals a more severe underlying condition, including possible miscarriage or placental abruption. According to Parents, 15 to 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, and one in 200 births experiences placental abruption in which the placenta separates from the uterine wall. Parents advises any woman experiencing bleeding, severe pain, fever or visual disturbances to seek consultation with her obstetrician immediately.
The March of Dimes states that abdominal pain might be the symptom of a condition unrelated to the pregnancy. Possible ailments include stomach virus, food poisoning, appendicitis, urinary tract infection, kidney infection, kidney stones or gallbladder disease. The March of Dimes also warns that abdominal pain in the first 3 months of pregnancy might indicate an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when the egg is fertilized outside of the uterus in the fallopian tubes. This is a potentially life-threatening condition.Learn More
During the early stages of pregnancy, cervical mucus is typically creamy, white and odorless, according to Registered Nurse Maureen Stephens with ConceiveEasy. Pink or brown blood may become mixed with cervical mucus, which is common. By week six, the cervical mucus turns completely white as more mucus is produced within the vagina.Full Answer >
A tubal pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus, generally in the fallopian tube. This type of pregnancy is sometimes also referred to as an ectopic pregnancy and cannot be successful, according to WebMD.Full Answer >
Dilation and curettage, better known as a D&C, is a procedure sometimes performed after a miscarriage to remove remaining pieces of placenta from the uterus, according to WebMD. As D&C is an outpatient procedure, patients are not admitted into the hospital. However, they may spend as many as five hours at the clinic or hospital after the procedure.Full Answer >
According to Pregnancy Week by Week, during the eighth week of pregnancy, a woman's uterus has expanded to about the size of a large orange or a small grapefruit. The uterus of a woman who is carrying twins is larger.Full Answer >