Little Pains

The cramp like pains are COMPLETELY normal. When I was pregnant with my first son I had cramps that were at times worse than with my cycle. There is A LOT going on in that region! Congratulations!
M.

Doesn't sound like much, but try to lay off the gassy foods for awhile and see if it helps. Pepto IS NOT SAFE while pregnant, so DO NOT USE for tummy trouble.

Write your questions down and keep a list for your doctor. I kept a notebook for all my doctor questions, and everytime I thought of one I would jot it down and then asked a bunch of questions each time I went in. It was much easier than trying to remember everything I was going to ask about when I got in there and was a jumble of nerves.

Hi Susan-Congatulations on becoming a mommy. Make sure to have alot of fiber in your diet and drink lots of water to help keep you regular. Constipation is normal during pregnancy but if you don't have enough fiber in your diet it can be oh so painful when you finally do have to go to the bathroom. Trust me I know!! As far as having no insurance, I was in the same situation (my insurance doesn't cover pregnancies). Hospitals(in KS anway)have plans where you can pay in advance and it's pretty reasonable. The sooner you pay the cheaper it is. They charge by trimester. The 1st trimester is cheaper than paying during the 3rd. We paid about $2500 for my hospital stay which included everything but the epideral, that was $400.00. Some hospitals were cheaper than that, but my Dr. didn't deliver at the other hospitals. My Doctor also had the same type of plan, so check w/ Hospitals and Dr.s. Good Luck!!

Hi Susan,

Congratulations! As a mom of three and being a nurse, I would just suggest that you get to your Dr. ASAP for a checkup and to get started on prenatal vitamins. If your Dr. is out, I'm sure you could get in to see another Dr. that is in the same practice with him/her.

oh good luck girl! i remember those first few weeks :) scary. i went through something similar (although i was a couple months along) and it turned out i was dehydrated. i thought about 3 bottles of water a day was fine - i ended up drinking about 6 or 7 after my scare! and THEN everything got better. i assume you have a dr's visit in your future - talk to them, but assuming everything else is okay, the water will help with every symptom you described.

Sounds like you've gotten lots of advice. Can be uterus, round ligament, gas - so many little things - it'll becomoe elbows and fingers and toes too!! You can get prenatal vitamins over the counter (with other vitamins at walgreens, shopnsave....) but certainly seeing a professional should be part of your prenatal care. There really is no emergency to get there. Now is definately time to think about how you'd like to birth your baby. Make sure your doctor embraces all that you do! The best gift you can give yourself and your baby is healthy eating, exercise, vitamins and peace. If you can make a habit soon of laying down for 30 min.-hour each day your body and baby will thank you later! Checking with a midwife might be an option you'd like to check out; as they are the experts at natural, normal births. Dr's are great at the complications part! Go momma and enjoy every moment - even the discomforts - it won't last and you'll miss it later!

I had some cramping and even a little spotting around that time also. It turned out to be nothing, but I would call your doctor ASAP to be safe. I called about every ache and pain and each time they told me not to hesitate. Good luck!

round ligament pain. pretty common and sometimes uncomfortable. if no spotting or actual cramping just go with it...the ligaments that support the uterus are stretching and growing and it feels kind of like a pulled muscle. good luck!

I had menstrual cramp like symptoms with both pregnancies. I would say it is totally normal as long as there are no other signs, like colored discharge, etc. If you are concerned, call your OB, in my experience they are used to these kinds of questions and it may relieve some anxiety.

It probably is gas and constipation. Drink plenty of water and eat high fiber foods as much as you can tolerate. Be sure to mention this to your dr. when you go for your first appointment.

I am expecting my third and had round ligament pain with them all. If you notice that it happens when you move certain ways, such as sitting to standing or when rolling over in bed, then that is probably it. However, constipation definitely can cause mild cramping probs, too, and since your uterus is pushing upward, the pains seem to happen in different areas than usual. Hope all is well!!

Hi. I am a stay at home mom with a wonderful baby boy my husband and I adopted. He will be 1 in August.

My first suggestion is you need to contact your doctor immediately and tell him/her what is going on. Rather than guessing if your pregnant, you need to make sure that is the case. If so, definitely mention the mild cramping. It can occur, but shouldn't be left to chance.

I experienced it with both my previous pregnancies and was told it was normal. When the embryo attaches to the uterus, you can have some cramping and bleeding. However, if it occurs longer than the first 2 weeks, you should report to the doctor. Unfortunately, we lost both babies, so I am not a woman who believes in taking chances with this. I don't say any of this to scare you, but the best thing you can do is to go to the doctor right away.

Good luck and I hope everything is fine.

D. F

Susan,
I remember feeling that same way when I was first pregnant with my daughter. I had taken 3 tests and they were all positive. I felt some cramping that was kind of like light menstrual cramps. I kept feeling and thinking I was going to start my period even though the tests were positive. I think it is normal to some extent because the egg has to plant itself and there are so many changes already going on inside your body. It could be some from constipation as well. I feel your pain on that because I was constipated lots during my pregnancy. I would start taking some stool softeners and you can take Milk of Magnesium as well.

When I was pregnant I always had those mild cramps in the beginning because I remember always thinking it felt like I was going to start my period. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Also constipation can cause cramps like you're experiencing.

A lot of times it's your uterus stretching. It really freaked me out at first and my doctor reassured me. I bet it's something like that. A lot is going on in there:)! I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy!!! Gods blessings.....

Congratulations on your pregnancy, Mom! Looks like others have told you my thoughts already, so I"ll just recommend this...."What to Expect When You're Expecting."

I loved this book when I was pregnant. It tells you month-by-month what is normal, what is cause for concern, etc. It was a fun book and a useful reference. I bought "...the First Year" and "...the Toddler Years" when the time was right!

CONGRATULATIONS! And you will have a million more questions being a first time Mom! If you are not taking over the counter Prenatal Vitamins then you will want to see your dr. ASAP or just grab some vitamins at any drug store until you do see your dr.
My prayers are with you and your husband as you both embark on this wonderful job. Once you're a Mom, you are a Mom for the rest of your life. Sometimes that thought is scary, but MOST of the time it is TOTALLY AWESOME!
Congratulations!
God Bless,
C. (mother of four & wish I had more)

I am assuming that this is your first pregnancy since you didnt mention having any children. I had my first child in November and at the beginning of my pregnancy I had cramps like that off and on for the first month or so. Before I knew I was pregnant I actually thought that it was my period about to start. The doctor said it was my uterus beginning to expand and that the feeling was totally normal, especially with first pregnancies. Hope that helps.

Susan,
I can totally relate with you. I am 37 weeks pregnant and I can remember having fears that I was having a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy because of the occassional cramps/pains I was feeling. I researched online and read some and later asked my doctor if it was normal- her response was that b/c the baby grows and changes so much in the beginning that your uterus is being stretched rather quickly, which causes some of the cramps. She said if the cramps were menstrual-like and got severe I should call her, but otherwise they are totally normal and you will probably feel them throughout the pregnancy. My best friend and worst enemy was researching my topic(s) online, sometimes ignorance is bliss while othertimes you find an answer/explanation that puts you at ease. www.webmd.com or google worked too.
Don't stress, what you are experiencing sounds ver normal. As for the constipation- drink more water and eat more fiber.
Take care,
K.

Hi Susan. I had the same kind of pains during my pregnancy. It almost felt like I was about to start my period and I was constantly worried that I was going to miscarry, but my doctor told me it was normal because my uterus was starting to expand and the cramping was because my body was preparing for the growth of the baby. It was more noticeable because it was my first pregnancy and none of those muscles and tendons had ever stretched before. I wouldn't worry too much unless they get more frequent or more painful. But be sure to tell your doctor about them when you get in for your first appointment. Good luck and congratulations on the new baby!

Steph

Mild Cramping is normal in beginning of pregnancy, its just your uterus growing. But if you are bleeding and you have bad cramps go to the ER. Congratulations!

Congrats! I had severe cramps at that stage actually - worse than I ever had with PMS - so I thought maybe I was having a miscarriage. But my doctor told me that sometimes when the egg is implanting in the uterus it can cause varying degrees of discomfort. That's probably what yours is. I also had slightly low levels of progesterone, too, though. I would go ahead and schedule an appointment to have the blood test to confirm the pregnancy and make sure your hormone levels are ok. That way if they aren't, you can get what you need to ensure the pregnancy continues well. And you can get the prenatal vitamins like everyone else has mentioned! Best of luck!

Mild cramping is perfectly normal. Even a little spotting is normal....If you are having a hard time, use a hot water bottle on your tummy (like you would for you period). Your uterus is growing and that is what the pains are...They normally will go away around the start of your 2nd tri. I take tylonol if they get too uncomfortable. HTH.
--
~A.~
Wife to Scott (since 1991)
SAHM of:
Rebeka Meshell 10/91 (hospital/MW)
Aimee Christine 6/93 (hospital/unassisted)
Scott Alyxzandar 2/96 (hospital/Dr)
Anamarie Cecile Cenedra 11/02 (hospital/MW)
Heather Grace 12/04 (hospital/MW)
Mikayla Marcelle 5/07 (unassisted home birth)
BLESSING #7 DUE OCTOBER 7, 2008
Doing Self-prenatal care and planning another Unassisted Family HomeBirth
As a Former Fetus, I OPPOSE Abortion

Hi Susan,
Congrats on being pregnant! I would suggest seeing a Dr. as soon as you're able to. It's probably nothing, but better safe than sorry, and there are a lot of tests they need to run in the early weeks of a pregnancy to be sure everything is ok. Good luck!

Stay well hydrated and walk regularly.
Congratulations. :o)