The round ligament runs almost vertically along the uterus and stretches more as pregnancy progresses. Most women, at sometime or another, will feel round ligament pain during their pregnancies. It can feel like a sharp, cramping, stabbing, stretching, or burning pain on one side of their abdomen or the other. It can be worse when rising, walking, or other movements. It usually only lasts from a few seconds to several minutes.
What can a pregnant woman do about round ligament pain?
- Rise slowly
- Rest often (try resting on one side or the other, whichever feels better!)
- Application of heat
- Swimming
- A warm bath
- Massage
- Gentle stretches/pregnancy yoga
- Tylenol, if your provider says it's ok for you to take it (some women can't or shouldn't take tylenol)
If the pain gets worse, or is not relieved with rest/heat/massage, call your midwife or doctor.
9 comments:
To add one doula tip to your list: visit your local Webster-technique-certified chiropractor! Misalignment of the spine or pelvic girdle can definitely increase round-ligament pain, but a quick adjustment can make a world of difference.
I had some terrible round ligament pain with my first -- three days straight of constant aching, very uncomfortable. When it finally let up, I had "popped" and FINALLY looked pregnant and not just pudgy.
My pain radiated through my hips to my bum. After 24 hours, I went to the doc and all was fine with the pregnancy, but those three days were the worst of my pregnancy with him.
Didn't have that with my daughter, but my pubic bone was another story. Wonder what will happen with my third?
Have this more often with each baby, and it's likely my muscles that would hold the uterus in place (belly muscles...I'm not a nurse so I'm not technical) are gone from 7 full term pregnancies. If I rolled from one side to sit up, bam, I'd have that pain. Rise slowly is a good point, I learned to roll slowly on my side, use my arms to support me as I rise up on the side, swing legs over the bed, and slowly get up from the bed. If I was on the couch, I found rolling over onto the floor was easier (weird) and then standing from a crawling position. I wonder if wearing supported underwear up to the braline would help? If I ever have another one, I wonder if wearing supportive clothing would help not only the round ligament pain but also the position of baby (my last two have been OP)?
Dawn
I second the chiropractic adjustments suggestion. I had NONE of this with my second pregnancy, when I got regular (about every 3 weeks) adjustments that included ligament releases, and I had a nicely LOA, easy to birth baby at term.
Its informative, I learned very much from this post..
Thank you for the post..
Oh did I have this with my first pregnancy. It hurts. Wish we had the resource of the internet then. You are truly a wonderful educator!!!!!
Ahhh I think this is what I can blame for a stabbing pain so bad I actually *fell over* when I carelessly bent down to pick something up when ~8 months pregnant. I don't know that being informed really helps in this instance, but it's still interesting!
As a former lpn to bn now, I assist with many pregnant women especially special cases or unique case where one of the pregnant woman is in a wheelchair. She has suffered through a car accident and luckily her baby is fine but she has to do some rehabilitation with her feet. Being stuck in the wheelchair for most of the time, she always suffers from ligament pain. I apply warm compress to relax the cramping and stretching pain. The warmth of the compress relaxes her muscles and after sometime she no longer feel it. Right now, she is in her eight month and all vital signs of the baby is good as well as the mother.
Is it normal if its mainly on one side?
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