Can someone explain this pain???

[Roseblossom2]

Hello all.

Well last week I posted up that I thought I felt the baby move. (bubble type feelings) They only lasted a day and I haven't felt them since. I am now 20 weeks exactly today and for the last week or two I have had strange aches and pains:

Firstly - Constant ache/pain in my ribs - almost like I've done 200 sit ups a day! I'm presuming this is everything moving about and stretching to make way for baby? (I'm only 4ft11 and have a very short body and long legs, so there isn't much space)

The second pain is the one confusing me, am I feeling the baby move? I've never heard it described as painful.... I'm getting stabbing, aching pains just below my belly button, I've had a lot of IBS and trapped wind so I know it's not that... but it's very uncomfortable and only tends to settle when I lie on my back (which is a big no no, so sleeping is a nightmare!) Could it be the baby moving and the fact I have IBS means my body isn't reacting well... Or am I just soft?

haha, any help or similar situations would be great.

I have my 20w scan on Friday but it seems forever away! :)

Your ribs expand during middle/later pregnancy and it can really really ache! Feels almost bruised or like you've strained your muscles from overdoing it. I had this from around 24 weeks I think. I found I'd have a few days or a week of it bad, then it would settle, then come back. The first week I had it was the worst though, it's not been so achy since. Paracetamol eased it slightly.

Re the other pain - everyone is different, but for me, I knew it was baby when baby was moving, and has not really ever felt painful, especially when it first started as kicks were quite gentle. This is more likely to be IBS or something else. Your bowels might not have as much space anymore and so you might be more likely to get trapped wind which is incredibly painful.

Just wanted to say, you will be fine to sleep on your back at 20 weeks, if it's comfortable for you. It's only quite a bit later that baby gets heavy enough to press on the blood vessels in that area, and you will feel dizzy / strange long before any problems occur. (I'm 29 weeks and still fine on my back).

MissingCaffeine - Thanks for the reply - As I said I've suffered from IBS and trapped wind for about 10 years, it feels nothing like that at all, a completely different kind of pain. I'm not sure what it is at all.

Moggle - My midwife told me once I'm into my second trimester I should start sleeping on my side, and it's taking me that long to get used to it I'm glad I started early! I just can't relax on my side :(

I guess everything is just getting moved about in there!

I have been feeling little "jumps" in my stomach in the last two days then after they've happened I'm dying for a wee! maybe that's the baby?

It's hard to know what you are looking for when your body is changing and moving around and you've never experienced it before... :/

Hopefully when I have the scan I'll be able to link the babies movements on the screen to some kind of feeling so I know what I'm looking for.

If your pain is very different to usual IBS - you should call your midwife or GP - just for advice.

Re sleeping on your back, in theory once baby is heavy in later pregnancy, you can reduce bloodflow if you lie on your back. However, if you were really cutting off blood supply, you'd feel dizzy and would naturally want to move. I try to sleep on my side but often wake up on back, and midwife said it's nothing to worry about. Lying on your back if you're slightly propped up or pillow under half your back should be fine - and if you accidentally lie flat, I really wouldn't worry.

Oh yes I had that too, when I mentioned I was a tummy sleeper my midwife told me that I might want to stop at 8 weeks "To get used to it, because you'll have to stop some time".

I just thought, should I also start setting my alarm to go off every two hours during the night "to get used to it" before the baby comes!!
I figured I'd get used to it when I was forced to :-) It'd still be equally annoying, and I refused to suffer with bad sleep before I absolutely had to!

The jumps do sound like baby moving :-D

I actually agreed with my midwife with the "getting used to it" I'd rather make a habit of sleeping on my side now then when I am a lot heavier and a lot more uncomfortable.

I wake up every hour or so anyway, always have so I'm well prepared for that haha :D