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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Pain in ribs at top of bump

13 replies

bumbleweed · 29/09/2007 21:56

Anyone have this or know anything I can do to alleviate it?

I'm 31 weeks and getting really bad pressure against my ribs at the top and sides of my bump. Was so bad during the night that it kept waking me up in the night.

I had this last time and went to GP who said it was normal, but none of my friends have had anything like it. Anyone on here had it?

OP posts:

Majorca · 29/09/2007 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sleepbabysleep · 29/09/2007 22:04

Yes I had this for quite a large part of my pregnancy, maybe from about 5/6 months onwards? It was a very painful pressure on the right top side of my bump, leaning forward over my exercise ball used to alleviate it a bit but never figured out anything else. I´m sure a few other girls on my antenatal thread had it too. It´s horrible, many sympathies..

claraq · 30/09/2007 10:22

I have the exact same thing and am also 31 weeks. Only on the right side though and it is worse when I move around. Very painful, like a bruising almost. Had it with my last pregnancy too - she was breech so I thought that might be the reason but I don't think this one is....
Will be seeing the GP on Tuesday so will check with her but think it is just another of those things you have to put up with!

asset1 · 30/09/2007 11:06

yeah me too, and only on the right side. Feels almost on the skin, like I should have a red mark there or something but I don't. I had it with my first preg as well and seem to remember that it went eventually, but lasted quite a while. I'm 29 weeks. Odd isn't it, maybe it's just everything stretching.. Seems to be worse when I'm hunched over, at the computer or something. stretching out and rubbing in cream helps a little bit.

sabinar · 30/09/2007 15:11

I've had this also, and I'm only at 25 weeks. I've had two opinions on what's causing it - my pilates instructor suggested that it might be stretching from the way that breathing changes in pregnancy - more squashed in and you have to work harder to get the breaths in. I went to a pregnancy massage course this morning and asked them and the instructor there said that it was because of muscles at the top of the tummy that are connected to the ribs being stretched...

both said it will go away on it's own soon. I hope that's true!

the only thing that works for me at the moment is to go and have a lie down. the worst thing for it is sitting.

mummylittle · 30/09/2007 20:03

Im glad I just noticed this thread as im 21+4 weeks and also experiencing pains at the top of my bump. My ribs feel really bruised, have to lay flat to ease the pain!! Will it be like this all the way through?xx

Bluestocking · 30/09/2007 20:10

I had this too from about 28 weeks and I agree that it is excruciating - I was convinced it was my liver packing up! The midwife said it was perfectly normal and that it was the baby's bony little arse rubbing up against my ribs. I am short and have a short torso, and DS was quite long, so there wasn't a lot of room for him in there.

tiredandgrumpy · 30/09/2007 20:13

I had this in my first pg from about week 28. Am pretty sure pain was ds's foot, which became sort of lodged between my ribcage & my flesh. Was excruciating & was certainly bruised, but did clear up within a few weeks of birth. I found best ways of easing it temporarily were to go on hands & knees of edge of bed/settee etc & let my bump 'hang'. Also tried sitting gently pushing the bump away from my ribs (though this did backfire occasionally is ds was playful as I did tend to get booted!). One person recommended holding an ice cube to the sore spot by way of teaching ds to avoid the area. Didn't work, but at least number the pain a bit.

Think this sort of pain tends to be right side as baby usually lies head down with back to left, so feet are up & to right side.

Original poster

bumbleweed · 01/10/2007 19:24

sorry only just got back online - thanks for the replies - I posted in desperation 2 nights ago but didnt get chance to get on last night

yes same here - it is only the right hand side and feels like it is directly under the skin almost as though there should be a huge bruise there

I am finding keeping active and up on feet is the best thing, sitting and lying the worst. Bending forward also good. Phoned midwife today and she said take paracetamol if bad to help get a good nights sleep.

As I recall from last time the pressure only eased when I got to that last week when the baby drops right down into the pelvis. Oh joy - 7 more weeks then!

good luck to everyone else whose getting it

OP posts:

CountessDracula · 01/10/2007 19:26

oh poor old you

I had dd's foot rammed up under my ribcabe in a very painful way for weeks I seem to remember

moodlumthehoodlum · 01/10/2007 19:39

Poor you. Could it be a hernia - I had a TERRIBLE one with dd, which only got worse with ds six months later, but its worth checking because its worth mentioning before labour. If there's a little bulge that can pop in and out (I know, yeuch, but its not as bad as it sounds!) I sentimentally thought it was dd's arm or elbow poking out, but it turned out to be just my stomach poking through the stomach muscle wall!

CHOCOLATEPEANUT · 01/10/2007 21:41

My dds foot was lodged in my ribs at 39 weeks and she actually split the intercostal muscles.I could not move or breathe and had to have a section.When she was born she had a slight twist in her foot where it was caught but they put it right.

I am 31 weeks now and really dont want this to happen again! I feel for you as its so painful

Original poster

bumbleweed · 02/10/2007 19:13

oh yikes, moodlum that hernia sounds painful. I dont think thats what mine is as there is no bulging at the moment, but glad I am alert to the possibilty.

Oh and chocolatepeanut, what you went through sounds horrible and scarey have never heard of that before. Poor you.

Ha ha - other thing my midwife suggested was eat less. Eat less! You must be joking, its the first time for ages I could eat with wild abandon without caring what anyone thought or about my figure!

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