Sharp pain in the ribs anyone?

[MsP0b]

Wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? Stabbing pain in the ribs on the right hand side high up, just under boob.

I wanted to blame indigestion but that would be middle or left and after eating. This comes on before and after eating, and goes if I lie down, which is meant to make indigestion worse!

Maybe it’s not even preggo related?

Thanks for any advice x

How many weeks are you?

I'm 25+3 and had this exact thing last week but in my left rib. Happened twice during the night and not happened since was really painful though!

It might be just your ribcage expanding to accommodate growing baby. Usually worse if it's your first.
Sometimes feels like your ribs are being slowly broken!

Rib pain on the right can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, speak to your midwife.

It probably is your rib cage moving but do get your blood pressure checked as it could be a sign of pre-e or hellp syndrome

I had this all through my last trimester. It’s the baby pushing against you - in my case, it was a foot. Your rib cage will be expanding, which is painful. This is especially true if you’re carrying high.

I had horrendous rib pain at 34 weeks, phoned midwife and was asked to come over. I was assessed for a pulmonary embolism, thankfully didn’t have one and the consultant put it down to the position of the baby. But it was utter agony, I would never have thought the baby could have caused it.

I’m 21 weeks. Had blood pressure checked yesterday and it was low.

WindowSong it's not necessarily just the baby pushing ribs, as mentioned by a pp pain up under the right ribs can be a sign of pre eclampsia (liver pain), that needs to be ruled out before it can be assumed that it's just normal pressure pain.

Oh god HELLP syndrome sounds scary!

I think I’ll make a drs appt. Midwife just said use Gaviscon but I really don’t think it’s indigestion.

@MsP0b how far along are you?

21+4

Bit early for pre eclampsia/hellp but not impossible, definitely still worth getting checked out.

Urine test normal and blood pressure low yesterday. What else would they look for?

Oh well then that new info plus only being second trimester means its unlikely to be them. Probably just ribs stretching or indigestion so but could be lots of things really.

Thanks for the advice and opinions. It’s super weird. X

Mine is most definitely a baby wedging his entire leg into my ribcage. But if you're not in 3rd trimester it's best to get it checked like you're planning on doing.
Mind you, I have a friend who fractured her sternum while giving birth so weird things happen all the time...

I had this all through my pregnancy and they even sent me for a gall bladder scan
I was sure it was something else sonoaintful I couldn’t even wear a bra but in the end it was the rib cage expanding
But it was so so painful
I sympathise but it won’t necessarily be the worst
But does need checking out ..

@over40, was wondering about gall bladder. Was your pain both sides of ribs or just one side?

It’s bloody agony today.

I’ve been through a phase of this before a few years ago which also suggests it’s possibly non pregnancy related.

Ridiculous theory, prepared to be shot down in flames but it occurred to me to try a few days off my preggo vitamin supplements to see if the pain in the ribs improved...

I remembered a similar pain before years ago when not pregs while taking a high dose cod liver oil supplement (short lived health kick).

So I’ve not had any pregnacare for 2 days and it has been less painful today. Probably coincidence.

It’s bloody killing me and the supplements theory was clearly bollocks! Off to the GP this aft, will update.

I have had this on and off for weeks. It's agonising when it happens, so I really feel for you!

Most medical staff have told me it's pain from ribs expanding and ligaments stretching (similar to SPD but affecting ribs rather than pelvis) but a trainer friend suggested there was a "right rotation" somewhere which was compressing my ribs. He suggested standing with feet and ankles together, lifting and stretching as far as I could, and working out where my weight was on my feet. It turns out I was putting more weight on my right foot which meant I popping my left hip out.

As soon as I became aware of this I started making a real effort to stand much straighter, keep equal balance across my body (as far as poss) and I've actually only had one flare up since... Worth a try!

Wow thanks that is great advice, I’ll definitely try it.

Funny you should mention uneven pelvis as a cause... I’ve always had one hip slightly higher, and I noticed today I’m not carrying my bump symmetrically.

Glad you’ve reduced your pain!

I think lots of us (especially women I've noticed) have a tendency to put more weight on one foot and kind of pop a hip out when we're standing still. It feels like the most comfortable position at the time but it must be terrible in the long term! My friend's advice really resonated as I've noticed that I sometimes get really bad hip pain that wakes me up at night. Never had this before pregnancy and it started around the same time as the horrendous rip pain, so I'd be surprised if it were just a coincidence.

Have you got a birthing ball for exercise? You might find that sitting on that and doing figure-of-8s with your hips eases things out a bit. Also, I find I get some relief from the rib pain when I get on my knees and bend over something like the sofa and then stretch and do some deep breaths to open out the ribs a bit. Also if you lie sideways on a beanbag with the good side down (i.e. lying on your good ribs) and then have a really good stretch, lifting the arm on the side of your bad ribs over your head and pushing your upper leg/foot away from you, that's tended to give me some relief too.

I'm not medically trained so I'm only suggesting these as ideas as I've found they help me, and the other posters are probably right that it's worth getting it checked out by your MW or GP just in case it's something completely different, but I wanted to let you know about my friend's advice because, before he told me about the possible imbalance, I had just resigned myself to feeling intense pain for the next few weeks!

Really hope you manage to find a solution and start feeling much more comfortable soon :)

I’ve also discovered a really good stretch helps it too. Sitting straight with right elbow up and right hand dangling down between shoulder blades opens up the right ribs.

I’m about to order a birthing ball, just found out need one for NCT class coming up in December. I’ll try those figure 8s.

I am going to ask the doc for a physio referral today.