Baby, Pregnancy, and Parenting Information What is Round Ligament Pain? During the second trimester,  some women experience a new pregnancy symptom:  pain in their lower abdomens, most noticeable during exertion.  This is sometimes referred to as round ligament pain. What Are Round Ligaments? The round ligaments are the bands of tough fibrous tissue that support your muscles and organs.  They expand and grow to help support your uterus as it gets bigger. As these ligaments stretch, some women find it painful and are concerned. Most doctors and midwives will reassure you that these  pains are a normal part of pregnancy. During the third trimester this pain can increase as your uterus grows even bigger and the ligaments have to stretch more to support the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta and extra blood that your body is carrying in your belly. There are things you can do to reduce the discomfort. How to Ease the Pain Rest – Especially after extensive exercise.

Change Positions – If you are sitting when the pain sets in, try standing. If standing already, try bending or stretching. Walking – Walking around after experiencing a ligament pain can also help.Curtain Tracks Online Nz Heat – Applying a heating pad on low can also make a difference. Pre-Vet T-Shirt IdeasA warm bath or shower can have the same effect. Car Seat Upholstery DyeJust be careful to not to over do it. Excessive heat is not healthy to your pregnancy and things like hot tubs or extremely hot water should be avoided. Medication – If the pain is so great that you are losing a lot of sleep you may ask your doctor or midwife if Tylenol can be safely taken to reduce the discomfort. Rubbing – Good old fashioned rubbing.

We all tend to rub an area we are feeling discomfort in whether dealing with ligament pain or not. Rubbing the tender area can actually help in this case. Be Sure It’s Not Something More Serious Round Ligament pain should get better with time and come in spurts. If instead the discomfort you are experiencing only gets worse and worse, this could be a sign of something more serious. Common things that can at first appear to be ligament pain can actually be: Appendicitis – The pain experienced by appendicitis will originate from your lower right abdomen and is typically followed by fever, nausea, and vomiting. Appendicitis is reported in 1 out of 2000 women and should not be taken lightly. If you suspect you have appendicitis seek medical attention immediately. Kidney Stones – If blood turns up in your urine after experiencing abdominal pain you could be passing a kidney stone. Ovarian Cysts or an ectopic pregnancy could be the cause of sharp abdominal pains, but this is more common in the first trimester.

Some women are concerned because they don’t have symptoms of round ligament pain, or they don’t seem to suffer from it as much as other women. Not every woman will experience a large amount of pain. Generally, in a first pregnancy, the pain won’t start as early or be as severe as it is in a woman’s second, third and subsequent pregnancies. This is normal and to be expected. After you deliver the baby, remember that your body has “memory” so after your pregnancy is over, and as your belly shrinks and your body returns to normal, these round ligaments will return to their former, pre-pregnancy shape and size. This shrinking may also cause some pain, but it shouldn’t be as severe as when the ligaments originally stretched to make room for your baby. What methods helped you deal with the discomfort of Round Ligament Pain? Do you know your baby's birth stone? How about when you'll be handing over the car keys? Check out our popular Fun Birthday Facts Calculator to discover fun trivia about your baby's birth or due date!

What is your due date or baby's birthday Tags: belly, cause, first trimester, grow, Health & Safety, pain, Pregnancy, round ligament, second trimester, third trimester, uterus Posted in: Health & SafetyGet our new daily newsletter! You may unsubscribe at any time. You would never attempt to run a marathon without training (I hope). So why would you attempt to tackle labor and delivery—a marathon in itself—without preparing your body? Having a fit pregnancy has little to do with maintaining your figure and more to do with strengthening the key muscles used during birth. “Labor is an endurance event,” says Geralyn Coopersmith, Director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. “You really want to be in tip-top condition to the extent that you can. That said, it’s not a time in your life where you’re going to be gaining fitness but rather maintaining what you already have.” If you exercised before getting pregnant, keep it up! Just remember: You have a very important little passenger aboard your growing ship.

Plus, you might be experiencing some icky early pregnancy symptoms. When exercising in the first trimester, Coopersmith suggests keeping the following guidelines in mind: Do what you can do—no more If you wake up and you feel dreadful, you need to cut it back. “The goal is to move,” Coopersmith says. Rather than powering through your normal routine, you might just go for a slow walk and do some gentle stretching. “On days where you’re feeling really badly, take a nap,” she recommends. “You can start back up tomorrow.” Stay cool If you were a hot yoga fanatic before becoming pregnant, you need to find an alternative routine. “Overheating is incredibly dangerous for the baby,” Coopersmith says. It’s best to avoid exercising in warm temperatures along with staying out of the sauna or hot tub. Keep snacks and water on hand When you’re pregnant, your blood sugar levels can drop suddenly, which can make you feel nauseous and dizzy. Coopersmith recommends keeping snacks on hand at all times in case these symptoms hit during your workout.

Along with that, you need to make sure you properly hydrate before, during, and after your workout. You need to have about 10-12 glasses of water regardless of your exercise regimen. For every hour of exercise, add another glass of water. Do kegel exercises Focusing on strengthening the pelvic floor can help during vaginal delivery and also to prevent urinary incontinence during and after birth. The best way to discover the movement: Activate the muscles used to stop the flow of urine. My experience: As a morning exerciser, I found that I had to take it easy during the first trimester. Rather than running sprints on the treadmill, I walked on an incline. Rather than performing three sets of 20 burpees, I did one set of 12 inch worms. Once the nausea and exhaustion settled down, I found myselft revisting some of my favorite workout routines. For now, you might feel a little lost as to which kinds of exercises you should be doing. The editors of The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises worked with Galya Talkington, CPT, to come up with a 9-month plan for expectant moms.