What is this feeling of pressure?

[CoffeeAndOranges]

I'm 22 weeks and for the last 3 weeks or so I've had a bit of pelvic pain (the 'feels like I've been kicked in the undercarriage' type). Alongside this, I often get a really odd feeling when I've been walking for more than a few minutes. It's a feeling of strong pressure in the area where the womb is normally (ie when it's not huge and full of baby, just in the area your pants covers, if that makes sense). It feels like it's pushing outwards and is very 'full feeling'. It comes and goes but when the pressure comes it stops me in my tracks. It's not painful but so weird and uncomfortable. It's hard to explain but safe to say I don't like it and it has had me in tears a couple of times. It happened before I had my 20 week scan and everything was fine there so I am not overly worried but I just want to know others have had this sensation too.

I had a physio session last week and we went through various types of pelvic pain. I understood about the 'normal' types of pain and how they are caused but when I described the feeling of pressure, I asked the physio what it could be. I said 'could it be just all the weight of the baby and internal organs etc all pushing down?' and she said 'yeah sounds like that's what it could be', but didn't really go into it any further. I was the only one in the group of 6 or 7 of us who described this, and I felt like the physio glossed over it a bit (as did the couple of midwives I've described it to, who both said something along the lines of 'oh see the physio who will tell you about pelvic pain, it's not our area').

I think I'm going to ring the physio again, as even though I feel mostly convinced nothing's wrong, it just doesn't feel right and I want to know for sure what could be causing it and, basically, that I'm normal and probably being a bit of a hypochondriac!! Has anyone else had this feeling? Could it be the baby's head pushing? I've never been pregnant before so I have no idea what it's supposed to feel like. I'm getting a bit down that I can't walk far without this sensation coming on or the standard pelvic pain.

[CoffeeAndOranges]

Anyone???

[itsallgonetitsup91]

Hello,
I didn't want to read and run. I've had similar feelings but not as bad as you describe and I presumed that it was the baby moving (turning around maybe) or my innards getting squigded around. I haven't had any pelvic pain though (28wks) so maybe I've been getting a less nasty version or maybe something different. Come to think of it I haven't had it for a good while, but I've definitely felt like I've been knocked sick by weird pressure sensations on a few occasions. If it feels really uncomfortable and it's perturbing you I'd get on at your midwife some more. Hope someone comes along with something more useful to say!

[Itscurtainsforyou]

Hi there - I'm having this a lot at the moment.

My case is slightly different - I had a pre-term birth a couple of years ago so this time I've had a stitch put in my cervix. I fear that this pain for me is pressure being put on the stitch, but I'll have no idea if that's correct until/ before my scan tomorrow.

I'm sure this isn't the case for you as you've had a scan and nothing was noted. Internet searches I've done indicate that it also may be another form of round ligament pain.

Are you due any further scans it is that it for you now?

[CoffeeAndOranges]

Thanks titsup! It's hard to describe something like that as everyone's experiences are different and pain is all relative, so I might just be being a big wuss. I think what made it worse was that neither midwife nor physio seemed to be able to say 'ah yes, what you're describing there is a classic case of baby's-head-grinding against-pubic-bone' or whatever, and both almost seemed dismissive/glossing over, so it let me wondering what the chuff is going on down there? I'm feeling plenty of what I can only assume are wriggling/poking baby movements (yay!) so I have to assume it's all linked in with that and my pelvic pain.

I'll call the physio again tomorrow and see what she says, just for reassurance if nothing else.

[CoffeeAndOranges]

Thanks for posting, curtains, didn't see you slip that reply in there.

No more scans at the mo as everything is generally going well. I think, given that the pain happened before the scan, and everything was ok at the scan, that it can't be anything too bad. Not glad that you've had pain too, but glad I'm not the only one. A stitch in the cervix sounds painful, hope your little one keeps off!

I guess it's just the weird sensation of a baby in there. Didn't think it was that big at 22 weeks but maybe it is. Don't want it to feel any stronger though, and this baby needs to get a whole lot bigger before it emerges!

I think all the muscles, ligaments, pipes and internal organs are all so squashed against each other that pain can be linked between areas. And I got a similar feeling of pressure the other morning against my bladder when I was having a wee, so maybe my little one is just doing a lot of jumping and stamping around on things at the mo?!

Hope your pain eases off soon

[TakesTwoToTango]

Sounds very much like Braxton hicks contractions to me. I had them all through pg1 and thought each time it happened it was baby suddenly uncomfortably stretching/pushing outwards against me. Only very late on did I realize what it was!

[CoffeeAndOranges]

Thanks, TakesTwo, I have been having a look at Braxton Hicks. I didn't realise women could get them so early on. I'm not sure if it is that, as the feeling is only low down rather than all around the bump, but I'll definitely ask my physio/midwife about it when I call them. The feeling only ever happens when I walk and doesn't have the feeling of 'tightness' that it seems BH can give.

I'm sure if I have a second child I will be so blasé about all these twinges!!

[TakesTwoToTango]

It's so hard to say, as we all feel things differently. Hope you get an answer that helps you not to worry . Fwiw the reason I suggested bh (other than the way you describe them sounds like the way I feel them), is that they can often be brought on by walking/exertion, mine certainly are. Also, at 22 weeks, it's likely the lower hand if your bump is where you would feel any uterine contractions as that's where baby is and even the very top of your uterus is only just above your belly button, the rest of the bump higher up is all if your internal organs that used to be further down and have been pushed upwards (sorry - not the nicest thought!).

[CoffeeAndOranges]

Thanks, TakesTwo, I suppose it's just not how I imagined uterine contractions to feel! But then, never having been preggers before, it's all new and weird!

I forgot to take the physio's number to work today so will call tomorrow but what made my day was bumping into a friend I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks. She has 3 kids and I asked her if she'd ever felt it and she said YES and knew exactly what I was talking about. So that made me feel a whole lot better!

Thanks for all your reassurance, i'm sure everything will be fine. I'd got to go to the docs tomorrow (thrush - the joy!) so will mention it to her too.

[Bluestockings35]

I also think it sounds like Braxton Hicks. I felt it for the first time at 19 weeks when I was out on a walk and I had to stop for a few minutes while it passed but I didn't know what it was until it happened more regularly later on....