Bad gas/period-like cramps- Need reassurance badly

[courtney455]

Hi All,

Last week I had some bad pains after lunch; the pains were low and came in waves like gas/constipation/bad period-like cramps. They'd peak and then ease off for 5-10 minutes, then come back for 2 hours total. I was scared so I called my doctor who advised me to go to the ER (I was 10 weeks, 4 days at this point).

As I waited five hours to be seen, the cramps went away but I still wanted to be checked out. Once I got in front of the doctor it became clear they weren't going to do anything beyond a urine test, and my husband insisted on seeing a heartbeat, so I fibbed and said the cramps were continuing so they would so a quick scan. At this point, the cramps had disappeared a couple of hours before.

The scan showed baby hanging out with a strong heartbeat and though I saw no visible bleeding, there was trace blood in my urine but no infection. The doctor said this was super alarming to her, but that I'd have to wait for my 12 week to know if everything progresses well.

I cannot stop stressing; I know part of the doctor's real-talk was because she was under the illusion that I had been cramping for close to 6 hours (and still cramping) but seeing the heartbeat gave me little solace. It felt like she was insinuating this could be the start of a miscarriage.

I have felt fine since; no cramps, no visible bleeding just regular pg sickness, but I cannot stop myself googling and stressing. I feel like I cannot possibly make it a week and half for my 12 week. I feel like I am going insane with stress and worry. I live in Canada where there is no option for private scans, so I have no recourse to get checked sooner unless I go to the ER and lie (which I don't want to do).

I think I need someone to tell me I am being ridiculous....

Okay firstly breathe. Deep slow breath in and out x 10.

Pregnancy plays absolute havoc with your digestion from the start. May just have been major gas. Anxiety is not going to help you. Pregnancy is inherently a process where we feel helpless and put of control but you and your body are doing all you can.

How were your bloods?

You may wish to confess at week 12 scan that you didnt cramp for as long as recorded? Wishing you all the best at 12 weeks. I'm sure a poster with personal experience will be along soon.

Daydream, thank you so much for your response. You're absolutely right and I know I need to breathe. I feel like the doctor was playing devil's advocate, but the repeated "for now" after everything positive made me feel like she knew something was going to happen that I didn't.

My bloodwork came back fine; no infections/UTI etc. Just the trace amount of blood which I couldn't see myself, and still can't. I likely would have never known had I not been to the hospital that day.

@courtney455 it's definitely a worrying time but what you've described sounds like trapped wind/normal pregnancy cramps, they can feel period-like but constipation and gas are also pregnancy symptoms so chances are that's what's caused it.

If everything was healthy on the scan with a heartbeat then they won't be insinuating a miscarriage as they wouldn't be able to predict that.

Sounds like everything is progressing as it should be. Congrats on your healthy baby! Easier said than done but try not to stress as that won't help baby, if something was wrong they would have told you. You can always give them a phone and just ask them if there was anything they were worried about but it really doesn't sound like there was.

Hope that helps relax you a little bit and keep yourself busy and the time will fly in to your 12 week scan! 🥰

Hi OP. I know that my usual early pregnancy cramps became really really intense (on and off) at about the 11/12 week mark. It didn't alarm me though as it isn't my first pregnancy and cramps are usually perfectly normal as your uterus expands and blood flow increases.
Had you been drinking much water that day? Could you have been a little dehydrated at all? I had a couple of days where the cramps were so intense that I needed to lie down for a short while. They were worse than period cramps. I am 26 weeks pregnant now.

Thank you @Lou98 for your response. I think/hope you're right about gas and constipation. The doctors here are keen to remind you that before 12 weeks there isn't much they or we can do to save a pregnancy and I think I am overthinking their straight forwardness....

@Somethingsnappy I definitely could have been a little dehydrated. I also ate something that ran right through my husband as well (TMI) and gave him a slight stomach ache so I am clinging to the fact that maybe it was just a bit of dodgy food. Your experience gives me a lot of relief.

I should also mention that I sad the doctor WAS alarmed by the blood in urine and it should say she was NOT alarmed but told me to come back if I noticed it/it worsened. It hasn't so far so fingers crossed.....Thanks everyone who has replied so far!

OP, you've had no bleeding, the cramping has stopped and you've seen a heartbeat. They are all such positive signs!

When I was about 6/7 weeks pregnant with my DD, I had bad cramps and went to the hospital convinced I was miscarrying. A lovely doctor examined me and told me she thought it was just trapped wind! I think she was right and id been so focused on the pain, I'd made it worse in my head if that makes sense.

I had recurrent miscarriages and my specialist told me seeing a heartbeat at 10 weeks is the most important milestone for him. You've seen that!

I hope the wait until your 12 week scan goes by really quickly for you.

With your update, it sounds even more reassuring! Even if the cramps had been entirely pregnancy related, they sound normal to me. But with the added possibility of an upset stomach, I think you can relax now!
Also, once a heartbeat has been seen, your chances of miscarriage get even lower.
I know pregnancy is a super anxious time, but if I were in your shoes, knowing what I do now in my fourth pregnancy, I would not be worried x

P.s. your continued pregnancy nausea is also a very reassuring sign!

Thank you so much @Somethingsnappy and @Teakind. All of your comments helped me sleep for the first time last night. I woke up feeling a lot more positive and optimistic than I have for a week.

Sincerely, thank you so much.

You are very welcome! Let us know how you get on with your next scan!

I had cramps similar to period pain throughout most of my early pregnancy (which I thought might be my insides stretching is that even a thing... they weren’t really painful, but kept me awake now and then.
I had them again at the end, which was confirmed BH.

Are you taking pregnacare? I ended up in hospital in early pregnancy with awful cramps. Was worried sick. I was crying with the pain it was agony.

I found when I stopped the pregnacare and went onto folic acid alone it all stopped and I was absolutely fine. I'm 21 weeks now

Hi All,

Just wanted to update; 12 week scan today and the baby was perfect! Thank you all for helping me breathe through these last two weeks. I couldn't have done it without you all

That's wonderful, OP! Time to relax and enjoy your pregnancy now

That’s great news! I’m so pleased for you. Congratulations xxx