Colic in pregnancy: causes, symptoms and when to worry

At any time during pregnancy, colic is always a warning sign for the expectant mother. While in many cases there is no cause for concern, it is important to find out the causes of cramping in pregnancy and always report it to your doctor.

Carrying a growing baby in your belly is a whole-body experience. Therefore, some discomforts are absolutely normal, including some cramps. But then what is normal and what is not? And how to know the difference? Keep reading and we’ll explain straight away.

Causes

• Urinary tract infection: Urinary tract infection is often associated with colic in pregnancy and is often its only symptom.
• Fetal development: In early pregnancy, cramping is quite common because the developing fetus stimulates the fibers of the uterus.
• Sexual intercourse: feeling cramping after sexual intercourse is quite common during pregnancy, as semen contains substances that stimulate the uterus.
• Physical exercises: some exercises can stimulate the uterus and cause cramping. Never practice exercises without guidance during pregnancy, as some are even prohibited precisely because they can lead to miscarriage.

Gynecologist Carla Muniz Pinto de Carvalho explains that there are several factors that can lead to colic during pregnancy: “the most common cause is fetal development and growth, which stimulate the uterine fibers, causing low-intensity colic, very common at the beginning of pregnancy. gestation”.

Symptoms

In addition to the colic itself, other symptoms may arise, such as low back pain and nausea, for example. It is important to pay close attention to symptoms, as they can more accurately indicate the causes of colic.

• Pain in the lower abdomen
• belly hardening
• Contraction
• Backache
• nausea

Carla emphasizes that, when the pregnant woman has colic, she perceives a pain located in the lower abdomen and that it is intermittent, that is, it comes and goes. Sometimes it can be accompanied by a hardening of the belly, which is nothing more than the contraction of the uterine fibers. Tummy hardening is more common in the third trimester as these are training contractions for childbirth.

Treatment

With colic in pregnancy, you can’t play. So don’t hesitate to see the doctor if you feel that something is wrong. Carla agrees and emphasizes that the pregnant woman should always look for the doctor who does her prenatal care, that is, the obstetrician.

The treatment for colic in pregnancy will depend on the cause, that is, the reason that is causing it. Based on this, the doctor will evaluate and choose the best way to treat.

• Analgesics: if the cause of colic is, for example, fetal development or something simple, it can be treated with pain relievers, such as paracetamol, which, by the way, is the safest during pregnancy, according to Carla.
• Antibiotics: If the cause of colic is a urinary tract infection, your doctor will prescribe a safe antibiotic during pregnancy.
• Other medications: if colic is the cause of premature birth, it must be treated with drugs that inhibit it, preventing the fetus from being born prematurely and having pulmonary complications.

Colic in early pregnancy

It is normal for women to experience cramping in early pregnancy and, as a rule, there is no cause for concern. The increase in the hormone progesterone and all the changes the body is going through can make you feel cramping similar to the onset of your period.

Cramping is often the first sign of pregnancy. It is common to experience mild cramping when the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterine wall. Afterwards, the growth of the uterus in the first trimester can also lead to cramping. Many pregnant women experience mild, intermittent cramping for the first 16 weeks.

The second trimester of pregnancy is the least likely period for cramps to appear, as it is when women tend to feel most energetic. The initial growth of the uterus has already happened and the discomfort of the end of gestation has not yet arrived.

According to Carla, in the first trimester of pregnancy, cramping usually indicates growth and distention of the uterus and/or urinary tract infection. However, the possibility of abortion is not ruled out if the pain is accompanied by bleeding. In such cases, remain calm and seek immediate care.

Colic in late pregnancy

When cramping occurs at the end of pregnancy, it can be associated with different causes. They are usually caused by a urinary tract infection, preterm labor, training contractions, or labor itself.

In the third trimester, cramps can be associated with preterm labor, when they occur before 37 weeks of gestation.

It could also be training contractions, “when the uterus has contractions to position the fetus for birth, called Braxton Hicks contractions.”

“And this colic can happen when the pregnant woman goes into labor, and this is characterized by a hardening of the belly and a rhythm; initially it occurs every 3 hours, then 2 hours, an hour, and when it occurs every 20/30 minutes, the mother is in labor and must go to the maternity ward”, explains Carla.

The important thing is to take a deep breath in moments of colic and maintain tranquility. Generally, they do not characterize a risk alert, but see a doctor so you can sleep peacefully at night.