Intestinal spasms during pregnancy: causes, symptoms and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pregnancy is an important stage in the life of every woman. At this time, significant changes occur in the body, which often cause malaise. One of the reasons for feeling unwell during pregnancy is intestinal colic. The nature of their occurrence can be very different. In the article, we will consider what causes intestinal cramps during pregnancy, what it is important for the expectant mother to know in order to take appropriate measures in a timely manner if necessary.

Causes of discomfort

Colic is a spasm caused by severe swelling and overexertion of the muscles of the large intestine. Most often, its cause is not fully cured gastritis, impaired digestion and poor intestinal motility.

If we talk about intestinal spasms during pregnancy, then this phenomenon is due to the movement of the egg into the uterus. Firstcolic symptoms can be observed one to two weeks after conception. It is worth remembering that many changes, including abdominal discomfort, are provoked by hormonal changes in a woman's body. Active growth of the fetus can cause systematic stabbing pains in the lower abdomen, as well as small bloody discharge.

In rare cases, pregnancy is accompanied by a constant feeling of anxiety, anxiety, stress and excitement. This condition causes physiological problems: colic, insomnia, poor digestion.

In case of persistent bowel spasms during pregnancy, it is important to notify your consulting physician. If colic accompanies eating, bowel movements, and the discomfort continues for a long time, your doctor may recommend observation in a hospital.

How does it hurt?

If a woman experiences pain and spasms of the intestines during pregnancy, it is necessary to find out what specific sensations the expectant mother experiences. As a result of a thorough diagnosis, the presence of pathologies associated with the intestines is revealed. Perhaps the reason lies in increased gas production or a changed hormonal background.

When intestinal colic occurs, you need to pay attention to such nuances as:

• is it spasms or pain;
• mild, moderate or severe;
• Location: in the hypochondrium, navel, side or lower abdomen;
• sudden and short attacks or long andregular pain.

To understand the nature of discomfort, pain and spasms of the intestines during pregnancy, it is important for the doctor to conduct an internal and external examination. It is necessary to determine what exactly causes cramps and how to eliminate them without harm to the child.

Physiology

During pregnancy, from the first trimester to the last days before childbirth, hormonal changes occur in the body. As estrogen and progesterone levels rise, muscles and ligaments relax, causing discomfort.

The digestion process worsens, due to the stressful state for the body, the muscles contract, which causes colic and intestinal cramps during pregnancy in the early stages, usually in the right or left side. Pain disappears after the stabilization of the hormonal background. In such a situation, it is advisable to contact your doctor and drink a vitamin-mineral complex for pregnant women.

Miscarriage

Drawing pains with spasms in some cases indicate premature birth or miscarriage. A more accurate diagnosis depends on the gestational age. Premature birth, as a rule, is accompanied by spotting, pain symptoms radiating to the lumbar region, an increase in the tone of the uterus and the opening of its cervix. If intestinal spasm does not go away for a long time during pregnancy, only the attending physician can decide what to do in this case.

If you do not start timely treatment, the result can be extremely deplorable, up to involuntarymiscarriage. Termination of pregnancy in some cases causes the risk of thrombohemorrhagic pathologies and infection in the woman's body. Therefore, you should be attentive to he alth, in the presence of pulling pains, immediately consult a specialist.

Placental exfoliation

When a future mother is injured, toxicosis or an acute viral disease, the placenta may partially exfoliate. As a result, the blood supply to the fetus is disrupted, nutrients are supplied in a smaller volume, the life and he alth of the child are endangered.

Placental exfoliation is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• pronounced pain in the abdomen and uterus;
• intestinal cramps in early pregnancy;
• opening light or heavy bleeding;
• fetal deterioration;
• if the placenta peels off in the center, there will be no visible bleeding, as the discharge penetrates the walls of the uterus.

Most often this kind of pathology occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. If measures are not taken in time, the deviation will progress and the fetus will die in the womb.

Intestinal diseases

Colic in the gastrointestinal tract may indicate a disease of the organ itself. This is usually associated with infectious or inflammatory pathologies. Non-compliance with the diet of the expectant mother causes disturbances in the digestive tract, accompanied by colic and intestinal spasm during pregnancy, the 2nd trimester is especially indicative - discomfort in the abdominal cavity manifests itself especiallysharp. If a woman had a stomach ulcer or gastritis before conception, this can also cause an exacerbation of the disease. A chronic inflammatory process is observed in the presence of Korn's disease and colitis.

Problems of an infectious nature arise from the ingestion of viruses or E. coli. They are expressed by the following symptoms:

• stabbing pains in the side or around the navel;
• gas formation and pain in the abdomen;
• diarrhea;
• temperature increase;
• feces excreted with bile formations, blood or mucus.

If this is only irritation of the intestinal mucosa, then there will be no stool disturbances, as well as discomfort during sleep.

Inflammation

The presence of pathological processes in the genitals of the expectant mother is most often indicated by pain in the lower abdomen and intestinal spasms. During pregnancy, the symptoms of such diseases are as follows:

• aching, pulling pains radiating to the intestines;
• pain syndrome during examination by a gynecologist and palpation of the abdominal cavity;
• temperature increase.

Severe abdominal pain in some cases indicates peritonitis, a serious inflammatory disease. Therefore, at the first manifestations of malaise, it is necessary to immediately undergo an examination and begin treatment in order to avoid complications.

Pathologies of the genitourinary system

It is not uncommon for bowel cramps and abdominal pain to be caused by problems in the urinary tract. In this case, res anddiscomfort appear in the genitals. Acute pain can occur against the background of KSD, with the development of cystitis.

Pathologies of the genitourinary system can be identified by the following signs:

• cloudy urine, the appearance of small particles or blood inclusions;
• frequent urination with pain.

Often, cramps and colic indicate pathological abnormalities, so it is urgent to take tests and undergo an examination, based on the results of which the doctor will prescribe therapy.

Treatment

Therapy of a future mother should be strictly under the supervision of a doctor, since the risk of harming the fetus increases many times over. First you need to consult with a gynecologist and gastroenterologist, undergo an examination to determine the cause of intestinal spasms during pregnancy. What to do in such cases, only a specialist can decide.

After making a diagnosis, the attending physician will prescribe medications that a woman in her position is allowed to take. All medicines must be used according to the instructions and in the prescribed dosage. To eliminate the symptoms of the disease are usually prescribed:

• "No-shpa" - as an anesthetic.
• "Espumizan" - to relieve spasms.
• Antibiotics and drugs that restore intestinal microflora.

In what dosage to take medicines, the consulting doctor should determine.

Diet

During the bearing of a child, it is very important for a future mother to eat properly and balanced. Products should be he althy, high in nutrients and vitamins.

The diet for pregnant women includes the following recommendations:

1. It is important to maintain the body's water balance, drink he althy drinks: fresh juices, smoothies and tea.
2. It is required to limit the consumption of s alty, spicy, fatty, smoked, fried foods and convenience foods. If a woman really wants something from the listed products, that is, it is desirable not more than twice a week in small portions.
3. The number of flour products and sweets also needs to be reduced. It is allowed to consume marshmallows, marmalade, dark chocolate in a minimum amount.
4. It is advisable to remove from the diet foods that cause increased gas formation: cabbage, grapes, legumes and others. They cause intestinal spasms during pregnancy. With multiple pregnancies, this is especially important, since the organs inside are strongly compressed, and the gases, expanding, cause pain.

Food should be steamed or baked in the oven, stewed or boiled. Pregnant women are prohibited from smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs. During this period, it is especially important to drink vitamins, eat fresh fruits and vegetables. It is better to give up citrus fruits for a while. During the day, food should be taken 5-6 times, in small portions. The last meal is allowed no later than two to three hours before going to bed. At the same time, food should be light and quickly digestible. It is also important to prevent spasms.intestines during late pregnancy, when gases can have a very strong effect on compressed organs.

Prevention

You can prevent the appearance of intestinal colic and not harm the child by regularly performing abdominal massage. Simple manipulations improve digestion, reduce gas formation in the stomach. To do this, every day the stomach is massaged with circular stroking movements clockwise for ten minutes.

Every two weeks it is recommended to have a fasting day to cleanse the intestines. At this time, they eat only porridge, fresh fruits and vegetables, drink as much water or tea as possible. It is useful to carry out acupressure of the body. It has a beneficial effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract, eliminates discomfort, improves well-being.

To reduce gas formation during the period of bearing a child, you should stop drinking alcoholic and carbonated drinks, as well as coffee. Among other things, it is recommended to follow a diet for pregnant women, walks in the fresh air, an active lifestyle. In this case, the risk of intestinal pathologies is reduced, the child develops correctly, the pregnancy proceeds well.

Intestinal cramps are a fairly common problem for expectant mothers. As a rule, it occurs due to malnutrition, hormonal changes or a sedentary lifestyle. Before you panic, you need to consult a doctor, undergo an examination and determine the causes of poor he alth. Toavoid he alth problems, you need to eat well, establish a good and restful sleep, spend more time in the fresh air.