Are these cramps normal?

[RDW1989]

Sorry for X posting, but I'm quite worries about this!

I’m having some terrible stomach pains, similar to period pains (I get them really badly anyway, usually a day curled up with a hot water bottle). It’s hard to ignore and I’ve been having this cramping for a good few days now. I’m on cycle day 16 and I have no idea when I ovulated (my cycle is a regular 26 days, af due 28th Dec)

Has anyone had something similar? To start with I thought maybe it was ovulation pain but it’s alternating sides and sometimes in the middle of my abdomen.

It's an ongoing dull ache but with occasional twinges. Having to take paracetemol, but I can still feel it :(

Should I be worried?

It could be implantation pain or just cramping from having conceived (presuming you had intercourse when you ovulated).

Thanks for the reply @kit1411. If it is implantation pain would it be normal for it to several days and to be ongoing? When I looked online it said it normally lasts a few hours maybe a couple of days. I think it's been around 4-5 days now...

We've been DTD most days, but I would have thought day 16 would be too early to have already conceived. I read that it's normally 6 days after ovulation, so for me to have been experiencing cramps for a few days I would have to have ovulated immediately after my period

You’re right. It’s unlikely to be implantation pains based on your cycle, it’s just too early. It’s most likely to be ovulation pain. It can sometimes be extremely painful and make you feel very crampy/bruised. I don’t really get ovulation pain but one month I got it really bad and it woke me in the middle of the night and I suffered with it for a whole day. Luckily I didn’t get it that bad again. I would assume it’s that. If it goes on for a few days and doesn’t ease off, speak to your doctor

Hey RDW!
I went through something very similar. It was like there was a rope attached to my stomach and it was being yanked, I could feel it right the way down to my bum.
I googled it and it said your body is releasing a hormone that relaxes your body (to ovulate) but sadly it also relaxes your digestive system which means the normal 'ripple' across your intestines doesn't happen as easily so it can be quite painful.
Hot water bottle and ibuprofen got me through it. I know you shouldn't use ibuprofen when TTC but I was in agony for 3-5 days with it!

Hello I had cramping constantly from 6dpo till 7weeks!! I’m almost 10 weeks now and it has died down

@bubblegum89 I think you're probably right and it's ovulation pain. It's strange as I've never had/noticed ovulation pain before. I've been off the pill for a few month and have had long periods not on the pill. Maybe I just didn't notice it because I wasn't trying?

I had my EWCM a while ago though (11th-15th Dec), I'm not having any atm...

@Nikki2ol6 @lifeofriley63 Glad to hear others have had the same symptoms, both for different reasons from the sound of it though!

It's not as bad when i go for a walk, although it's still uncomfortable. I think I might have to get my hot water bottle out too. Is paracetamol okay when TTC?

@Nikki2ol6 how did the cramping feel for you? I've got some cramps today only 2dpo so I know it's ovulation but I get them most months which turn into af cramps and I'm wondering how to determine the difference between these and pregnancy cramps?

I've had very bad cramping around ovulation and it's definitely to do with the intestines, it is worse than af pain in my experience and I end up sitting on the loo for ages as bowel movements are all that relieve it. I don't get it every month though, thank goodness, and when I do get it it only lasts 12 hours max.

@SoozC I know this is quite personal but did the pain get worse when you were...going to the toilet?

@LifeOfRiley63, it initially feels better when doing a poo (I've been ttc so long I'm past tmi warnings, sorry!) but will build up again, and repeats like that for hours. So it doesn't feel worse actually on the loo, I suppose. Sorry, hard to explain!

Hey - this sounds a lot like the type of unexplained stomach cramps I had infrequently. I recently had a laparoscopy which confirmed I have endometriosis. This is endometrial tissue that lodges itself where it shouldn’t (outside uterus, on ovaries or tubes, on intestines and at certain times hormones can cause it to inflame which can cause sharp pains. It can be diagnosed and treated with a day procedure via keyhole surgery.
Given you’ve had days of pain and can still feel after taking painkillers I would tell your GP and look into it. Always best be safe x

OP, it is possible to ovulate twice in one cycle. Ish. Sometimes if your body attempts to ovulate but doesn’t for whatever reason, it will try again. Usually a few days later. The month I had terrible ov pains, I had had my fertile cm and positive opks about 3 days prior and when I was having the pain, I took another opk and it had gone from negative back to positive and I wonder if perhaps that happened to me. It could be something else such as a blockage or cyst or nothing ttc related. If it’s still bad after a few days, definitely ring your doctor :)

Oh no I hope it isn’t a sign of endometriosis for me it doesn’t get any better or worse when I go to the toilet.

It’s possible I’ve ovulated twice, especially as I’m a fraternal twin so may hyperovulate anyway. I’ve never noticed this pain before though but as it’s my first month ttc I might have just not been paying close attention.

It seems to have subsided a bit now, I’ll see what it’s like tomorrow...

It was like period cramps but constant and not quite as strong. It was quite annoying as I didn’t know what it was. It began on day 6 and on day 8 I tested and got a super faint line. I’m 10 weeks now

They have almost gone today. Occasionally I can feel a dull period like ache but it's barely noticeable. Fingers crossed it's either ovulation or implantation cramping! Planning to test 24th Dec, and then again on new year's eve.

Argh, and started back up again. Maybe af cramps are starting really early (still not due for a week!) or maybe af will be early. I can't deal with af cramps 10 days out of the month! Normally it's a couple of days before.

Sorry to bring this up again! It's been 5 days since my first post and I'm still experiencing these blooming' cramps. It's been over a week in total, I'm not sure of the exact time.

It comes and goes, sometimes I'm fine, sometimes I get some small twinges, and sometimes it's an ongoing and really uncomfortable dull age. It feels like it's in the bottom of my uterus (an inch or two below my navel), but sometimes I can feel it on the sides too. It's not excruciating - if it was af and I knew it would be over in a couple of days I'd just grin and bear it - but having it consistently on and off is really getting me down :(

As I said before, af isn't due until 28th Dec. Normally I have 2 days of cramps, one as af begins with spotting and then one really painful day when flow is v. heavy (sorry if TMI). I've never experienced pains this far in advance.

I came off the pill (yasmin) in August and my cycle went straight back to normal (I had been on it for less than a year). So I wasn't really anticipating any changes this month, even though it is my first month ttc.

The only things I can think of are 1. a reaction to sperm/semen (normally used condoms even when on the pill), 2. I've just started having chiropractic treatment for a minor whiplash injury including adjustments to my lower back (although it shouldn't create pain in my uterus, surely?).

DH says go to the doctors' surgery tomorrow morning as it's the last day it's open before Xmas, but I feel like it's a waste of nhs time and money. Surely they'll just say it's probs period pain, and to come back if it doesn't go away?

Only other relevant info I can think of:

• Have had some stomach fluttering and gurgling/bubbling. But that does happen occasionally during period.
• Have had small amounts of ewcm throughout most of the cycle (most between 11th and 15th. I don't feel inside, I only look what's there when I wipe).
• It feels better when I exercise, as with normal af cramps

Any advice, suggestions, reassurance much appreciated! It's really getting me down

I'm not sure hun but I've got something similar as well I'm about 5dpo today and they are usual for me at the time of my cycle so I'm keeping fx that at doesn't come x

Hi @owlpatrol - thanks for replying. So you would get them a long time before af? How long do the cramps normally last for you, if you don't mind me asking?

I personally think it sounds totally normal but if you’re concerned then ring your GP tomorrow. If they think it’s nothing then they’ll tell you. It’s best to ask because if there’s an issue then you don’t want to be I pain over Christmas

Yep from ovulation very minor infrequent cramps. I only noticed them when I started tracking everything. They usually disappear around 6dpo then normal af cramps show up around 2 or 3 days later. What's normal for me is not necessarily normal for you though and my cramps are always bearable ie I may not even need a paracetamol until 1 or 2 days before af due