Painful area on bump

[Pennies]

Am 30+6 and have been expriencing an ache on the top left hand side of my bump for a few days (near my stomach area but a bit in from there). If I press it it feels mildy tender and bruised. No bleeding & baby moving fine.

Have called the midwife who thinks it could be muscle strain due to picking up DD (12 months old and not walking yet so pretty much unavoidable to pick her up). When I do pick her up it is just where her knee is. I'm not sure if this is the case because the area of discomfort is so specific and small (about the size of a large coin) but to be honest I can't tell.

Midwife said to come in if baby stops moving or if I have any bleeding. Baby has been very active this morning/

Can't help but feel worried tho. Anyone got any advice / reassurance?

Isn't that ligament pain as your ligaments stretch? It doesn't sound as though the baby is at risk and if it is kicking happily, I would take reassurance from that. Still, I well remember pregnancy as a time when I worried about every little ache and pain! Try not to worry. Perhaps you could try to pick up dd a different way to see if that helps.

It's in such a specific area that I'm not sure if it ligament pain.

I think what I'm worried about is placenta problems - DD sometimes kicks me in the stomach when I change her nappy even tho I change her at arms length and also the issue of picking her up worries me a bit too.

Am usually pretty chilled about stuff like this but for some reason today it is worrying me.

Well, I am not an expert, but I don't think your 12 month old kicking you in the stomach is a danger to the baby - baby is likely to kick back though! I know the baby is very well padded and a kick from a child won't harm it - I have four children and each baby after number one came in for some pretty rough treatment at times! Make sure dd is wearing shoes though as that can be painful!

If the placenta was damaged, would the baby be so active? I don't know, just trying to offer you some comfort!

isn't wearing shoes I meant!

Pennies, I've not been pg for 6 years now.. but have had 3.. and what you describe sounds really quite common to me. I remember feeling my bump (in the second half of the pgs) and nearly always noticing that there was a very tender spot that was really quite uncomfortable to press. It wasn't always in the same place.

It doesn't sound serious but if it should get worse, go see your gp.

SJ x

Thanks LM and SJ.

SJ - what you describe sounds exactly like how I feel. Thanks for the reassurance.

Am now 37 weeks and for weeks had what you described on/off. My MW (Danish, I am in Denmark) explained it with almost a "blue mark" (do you say that in English? Like a little bruise) on the inside, if babys knee or elbow keeps rubbing against the same wee spot for ages.

I had something similar in my 2nd pg and used to worry about the placenta too, but I concluded in the end it was ds2's bottom pushing against the top of my uterus. It was always the top right hand side of my bump. I found it ached more towards the end of the day and improved if I got into a position which allowed him more space e.g. on my hands and knees or lying down on my left hand side. Could that be it?

I had this in this pregnancy (my third) and had two explanations for it - my midwife thought it might be ligaments, and my consultant said that it was an "anchor point" where the body anchors the uterus to ....er...something else and it can often be tender. It was a major issue at 12 weeks when I had my first scan, then gradually settled down by the time I got to about 25 weeks. And yes, it was coin-sized, and I could be very specific about its locaiton! HTH.