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Pregnancy

Stomach/Back Pains But Definitely Not Contractions!

20 replies

BethanyBear · 15/05/2010 22:59

Thought I would ask on here as don't want to bother the Midwife (after going into the Hospital 3 days ago as I was certain I was in labour but was not... Haha!). The last 2 days I have been getting constant, cramping pains in my stomach and an aching pain in my back. It truly is the worse pain I have ever felt and when I get it I projectile vomit about 5 times and spend about 8 hours on the toilet in constant pain until I feel better. I have had this 5 times now (twice last week and three times this week), but when I went to the Hospital they told me it was nothing to worry about. Strangely it is usually accompanied by eggy burps, but have none of this today. This is the second time after I went to the hospital and it's one day after another. The pain was so unbearable yesterday I was woken up 3 times in the night and had to take a bath to relieve a bit of the pain! Paracetamol does nothing and neither does Gaviscon (pills or liquid). I just wanted to know if there was ANYONE who had this? It is by far the worst pain I have ever felt and continuous, so it really, really isn't labour! Just wish it would be so I could say 'Hey, there's a baby at the end of all this pain!', but as I am only 38 weeks, I won't be getting that baby until 2 weeks! Am hoping I don't have this every day until birth Just hope someone can tell me they experienced the same? Would be really grateful if all who experienced this also had pain free labours :D Lol. Thanks for any replies

OP posts:

Report

EdgarAllenPoll · 15/05/2010 23:07

did they check your wee for signs of Urinary tract infection? that can cause lower back (kidney) pain, and irritate your belly...

what did the hospital think it was?

Tangle · 15/05/2010 23:12

I didn't have that, but I did have a latent phase that lasted about 5 days with DD1. I was fortunate in that it wasn't particularly intrusive (although I often had a rock hard uterus), if you ignore the continuous bloody show. The consolation I can offer is that my MWs were adamant that a long latent phase does often lead to a fairly quick and straightforward labour - their theory being that your body's doing a lot of slow, gentle work getting the baby in exactly the right position and dealing with the early stages of dilation and effacement for your cervix. It certainly worked for me - she was 9lb12 and born in about 7 1/2 hours at home.

Bear in mind that "term" is anywhere from 37 to 42 weeks - you might be meeting your baby sooner than you think

Have you got a TENS machine? Most of the information I can find says you can use one for back ache anytime after 37 weeks (but you might want to double check with someone more official). Fingers crossed things get going for you soon and you have a straightforward, easy birth after all this

EdgarAllenPoll · 15/05/2010 23:15

i was going to say: labour feels different every time. like tangle says, this could be an early stage.

Undutchable · 15/05/2010 23:17

I would say you may have gallstones my dear as I suffered identical symptoms from 36 weeks pregnant. My gallbladder was removed when DS1 was 3 months old.

Undutchable · 15/05/2010 23:38

By the way, there's no pain like it. I thought I might be in labour but realised the pain was constant! It was very much in my back and then in my stomach. Agony. I didn't even go to hospital as had just moved to Holland and didn't know who to call . I remember crying down the phone to my mum, walking up and down for hours and vomiting.

Don't despair - if you think it may be your gallbladder (it's v common in pregnancy) then a fatty meal is usually what causes it. You can reduce the frequency and severity of attacks by eating a very low fat diet. I ate chicken, veg and rice for 4 months...

In the meantime, speak to your GP. It's diagnosed via ultrasound, probably after your baby has been born. HTH.

clair9604 · 16/05/2010 11:20

I have had the same sort of thing for about a week in week 37, agonising stomach pains, was crying my eyes out with pain, but then stopped after a week. Just seem to get twinges now and again, am now 39+4.

Suzy1975 · 16/05/2010 13:13

Hello, I'm new here. Just thought I'd share my experience of this too.

I'm 37+2 (first pregnancy) and started getting similar sort of pains that you describe, BethanyBear. They started last Monday (36+3) and I've had them on and off now all week. The pains are in my lower back and very low down at the front under my bump. They're really uncomfortable and almost take my breath away! They haven't actually made me sick but I've been close! Back rubs and pacing don't help but a warm bath and lying on my left side do!

I mentioned them to the midwife and she said they're probably Braxton Hicks contractions (I definitely don't have a kidney infection). They seem to come on if I've had a particularly active day so today I'm going to take it easy and sit on the sofa with my blanket and plenty of biscuits

BethanyBear · 17/05/2010 08:25

They did take a urine sample and I am getting the results when I see my Midwife tomorrow. Interesting thing about it being my gallbladder... People do keep trying to convince me it could be the early stage of labour, but it just doesn't feel like it is at all as the pain gets worse and better in random patterns and is constant. Is really annoying because I woke up this morning with eggy burps knowing the pain would come back soon... Thank God it doesn't start off too painful! Taking a bath and having a hot water bottle seems to help a tiny bit. I do get really scared it is something very serious, though, as I just can't imagine labour being this windy and sickening and bringing on eggy burps. But obviously I have no experience of it so I don't know, lol. Maybe it is a weird latent phase of labour :/ My friend had a similar problem with her first had ubearable random stomach pains for 3 days then a 3 hour labour on the fourth, so who knows! Am just going to hope it isn't anything too bad and pray maybe I'll be getting my baby early as a reward for handling the pain so well

OP posts:

storminabuttercup · 17/05/2010 08:43

Do you think perhaps you have got an irritable bowel, sometimes the sickness can be a sign of this? I'm no expert but i suffer with ibs and get this frequently - however - i am not as far pregnant as you.

storminabuttercup · 17/05/2010 08:44

however the 'eggy burps' are not something im familiar with - its as if somethings not quite agreeing with you

BethanyBear · 17/05/2010 09:52

I did think it was my Pregnacare tablets at first, but I stopped taking them and still got it :/ I just can't bloody work out what the hell it could be... Really hope my Midwife can tell me tomorrow.

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DomesticG0ddess · 17/05/2010 10:30

Is it quite high up? I had the same thing at 39 weeks and took a trip to hospital too. Turned out I had developed gallstones (although was not diagnosed for another 2 years!!). A gallbladder attack is just the worse pain ever, and like you say, it is constant so you know it is not labour (however, at the time I had no idea what it was). The midwives did not even mention gallstones.

I then had roughly one attack per month after that, gradually getting worse, accompanied by vomiting, shaking, sweating, then pancreatitis one month (not good). Had my gallbladder out in November last year. Do some reading up online and if you think it might that then ask for a scan to see if it might be gallstones - at least then you will know before you have the baby so you can take steps to sort it out.

Agree with undutchable, re: fatty foods, the real triggers for me were icecream/cheese/cream/sausages/hams, etc. Good luck! undutchable, did you have your gallbladder out?

streetcar · 17/05/2010 10:35

eggy burps can be a symptom of giardia, a nasty stomach bug which causes awful stomach cramps - maybe worth getting tested for that? I had it when I worked in India years ago, and it is miserable. It's still rare here but is becoming more prevalent, and 2 friends in London have had it in the last couple of years.

BethanyBear · 17/05/2010 11:38

Hmmm... Will ask Midwife about chance of Gallstones if my urine is fine. Will definitely check some syptoms on Google as well. It's definitely stomach related, I can tell from the wind and vomiting. Just wish I knew wtf it was :S

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Undutchable · 17/05/2010 13:58

Yes Domestic - I thought my problems were to do with the pregnancy so was very disappointed to get another appalling attack when DS1 was 4 days old (and I had really painful stitches too - then I fell out of bed! ).

Anyway, despite a low fat diet I was still getting attacks on a frequent basis. I was in soooo much pain one night I called the emergency doctor, which took bravery cos I hate calling people in Holland... was in hospital all night and was scanned in the morning. They found lots of stones. I had the op (keyhole) about 3 weeks later and I have the stones in a little cup!

Bethany are you 18? That's what it says on your profile. Might be a bit young for gallstones (I'm 35) but it's still a possibility.

serengeti · 17/05/2010 14:04

Could well be constipation - v common in pregnancy and can give pain, sickness and burps as you describe.

Also gaviscon make you constipated.

Try some lactulose? See GP.

If it is then see doc as soon as poss as being constipated in labour makes labour pain worse!

del1 · 17/05/2010 16:49

I was about to start athead about this!
I woke at about 3am this morning, with a wierd shape in my stomach, and felt faint, shakey, and sick. I had diarrea all morning, and had to finish work early, as felt like I was gonna pass out.
Whilst driving home, I had dull low down back ache, and what felt like mild contractions.
I managed to get to y mums, and fell asleep for 2 hrs.
I don't feel the contractions now ( 12 hrs later) but still feel sick and faint.
My worry is,the weekend before I had DS1, I had this, and the horrible EGGY burps.
I had eggy burps last night and today.
I am only 34.5 and not ready at all.
Really hopeing it's not symptoms of labour like last time, as think I am breach still, and not ready at all yet!!

BethanyBear · 19/05/2010 21:37

Well, I went to midwife and she said it was propbably refulx mixed with my cerix softening?? Wtf? I truly find it annoying that I keep being told that as I want to be told a way of getting rid of it but that seems to be impossible! She recommended sleeping propped up with lots of pillows so I did that last night along with taking Gaviscon now and again and held a hot water bottle against my stomach and I actually had hardly any pains I managed to sleep through the night Drinking fizzy seems to help as well, which is a bit strange Ah well, whatever makes the pain better I just hope this keeps working! Thanks for all advice, though Very much appreciated

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DomesticG0ddess · 21/05/2010 22:02

I hope it goes away when you give birth, but if not, definitely get a scan for gallstones. Hope all goes well.

miles04 · 21/06/2015 19:50

I have stomach ache at the top and high back ache.

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