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Pregnancy

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

This is my first pregnancy & I’m panicking about my aches & pains during my first trimester...

27 replies

KelzDaily · 15/11/2020 18:23

Hello everyone.

I recently found out that I am pregnant. If I go from the first day of my last period, I’m five weeks tomorrow. But if I go from the date we had sex, I’m a little over three weeks.

So I’ve had a bit of a rough few days since I first found out. I did two clear blue tests, both came back positive within 30 seconds, then I did a third one to see how far along I am. It came back ‘pregnant 2-3 weeks’.

Fast forward to day three of finding out, & I wake up at 5am with a sharp pain on the left side of my abdomen. This lasted about 5 mins, then went off. Then it came on again for another 5 mins, then went & this happened about 4-5 times in the space of two hours. I knew I’d experience some light cramps, like you do when you’re due on, but this was sharp enough to wake me up.

I also felt this sickly dull ache in my left shoulder, & after getting the sharp pains, I read online that both could mean a ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo is stuck in the tube. So I rang 111 to ask for some advice, & they told me to go to A&E to get checked out, but she didn’t seem to concerned.

Because I was feeling fine around the time I called, I didn’t bother going (it would have been yesterday), but when I woke up this morning, I started to feel the same pain in my shoulder again, only a little more intense. It came & went every half hour or so, so I decided to just go get checked.

Went to the hospital & the consultant said she wasn’t too worried about it, but that she’d send me to see the doctor. I had to do a urine test, & when I wiped myself, I saw my first signs of like a brown discharge (again, I know this to be common in early pregnancy).

The doctor asked me some questions, & agreed that I’d be about five weeks going off the first day of my last period. He checked for infections & noted that there was a little blood in my urine, but nothing to worry about. He then did a test. The test came back ‘negative’, but he didn’t even wait that long. Not even a minute. I questioned this, as all three of my clear blue tests came back positive. So he did another... ‘Negative’ he said. At this point, I was so confused. I went over to show him the pictures I’d taken of my three positive tests, & then showed me the two he’d just done, & I literally saw a second line appearing on the first one, & then the second. I pointed it out, & he was confused, but still unsure. I told him I was a week & one day late on my period, & that I’d never been late before. I monitor my periods each month using the Ovia app, so I know this. I have a 27-28 day cycle. So he said the only way to know for sure is if I call my doctor & ask for a blood test to 100% confirm. He wasn’t concerned about the pain though, & just told me that if it got worse over the next week, to go back to A&E.

After that, I left the hospital & bought two more clear blue tests (the one that tells you how far gone you are), & a packet of five similar to the one the doctor used. I got home & did them all, & every single test came back positive. The only difference is, it took about five mins for the little stick ones to show a second line, so I truly believe he didn’t wait long enough.

I’ve done 9 home tests that all say I’m pregnant. Plus the fact I am late, & the two he did had very faint lines. So I believe I am 100% pregnant, but I’m still going to go for a blood test tomorrow, & to ask for an early scan (for next week).

As for these pains... I’m still getting the dull ache in my left shoulder every hour or so for a few mins, & the same sharp pain is back in the left side of my abdomen, close to my hip bone, but it’s not like overly painful. Just not nice.

I read it could be growing pains, or even trapped wind. But my main reasoning for this post is I’m actually really scared. Because even though he said he doesn’t think it would be an ectopic pregnancy, I can’t help but worry that it is. I mean, how weird is it that I’m getting the sharp abdomen pains one side, & then on the same side, the dull sickly ache in my shoulder joint?

I’d love so much if you guys could share any aches & pains you had during week 2-6, & maybe help put my mind at ease. I’m driving my boyfriend crazy. I know I’m probably overthinking it & worrying for nothing, but it’s my first time being pregnant. I’m 36 & I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I was even on the pill. This wasn’t planned, or expected. But now it is happening, I really don’t want to lose it. I know the first trimester is touch a go, like 1 in 4 women miscarry, but yeah. Maybe no more reading stuff on Google, huh?

Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. I’ll look very much forward to hearing what you guys have to say 💜

This is my first pregnancy & I’m panicking about my aches & pains during my first trimester...
This is my first pregnancy & I’m panicking about my aches & pains during my first trimester...
This is my first pregnancy & I’m panicking about my aches & pains during my first trimester...
OP posts:
Grobagsforever · 15/11/2020 18:32

These sound like stretching pains to me mr OP, I had them at your stage in poor pregnancies. They will pass soon.

Amymac5 · 15/11/2020 18:43

6 weeks and also had cramps in the night they have woken me up! I’ve read previous posts with the same

physicskate · 15/11/2020 19:33

With my daughter, very sharp cramps/ sharp pain woke me up regularly until about 10 weeks.

Shoulder tip pain with an ectopic is one of the later symptoms, when it's already ruptured and you're phoning the ambulance.

KelzDaily · 15/11/2020 19:38

Oh they doctor didn’t tell me that. I’m just going off what I read on Google & since I only found out 4 days ago, everything is so new to me & I don’t know what to expect pain wise 😅

OP posts:
Meomeomeo · 15/11/2020 19:38

Lower abdomen pain that is similar to PMS is actually normal. You would feel that for a few weeks due to stretching. Spotting is also common. I’d do one more clear blue digital and stop testing. If your shoulders continue to have shooting pain, contact your local EPU, they might do an early scan to rule out ectopic. Fingers crossed for you

KelzDaily · 15/11/2020 19:43

I’ve done five clear blue tests, three of which told me how far along I was, & all five were a very clear positive. I also did the four small stick ones, all of which were positive too 😅

OP posts:
Thedot90 · 15/11/2020 19:48

I have awful cramps, sometimes stops me in my tracks and they have often been left sided rather than central. It has been really disconcerting, and I am sometimes convinced I must be about to miscarry. However, I had a scan on Friday (I’m 6 weeks 4 days - under fertility team) and I have a uterine pregnancy (not ectopic) and everything looks fine.
I can completely understand being freaked out by the pain though, it’s really uncomfortable!
Obviously if your pain gets worse then go for another check, but just wanted to share my experience!

RavenRose7 · 15/11/2020 20:22

Thank you @Thedot90. Yeah, it is scary, & I just really want to reach the 12 week mark so that I can relax a little.

What’s a uterine pregnancy? Also, when you say ‘6 weeks 4 days - under fertility team’, what do you mean? Going off the first day of my last period, I am 5 weeks tomorrow. But I know we conceived on or close to the 22nd (that was the only day we had sex that fit in between my period & ovulation window. The other times were a week or so later), so by that account, I’d be around 3 weeks 4 days. But to ask for this early 6 week scan, am I classed as 5 weeks now or 6 weeks? I’m so confused haha

YorkshireGirl35 · 15/11/2020 20:45

I had so many aches and pains throughout the first trimester which must have just been my body stretching as I’m 21 weeks now and all fine.
It is worrying but I think it’s more normal than the baby guides etc tell you.

brunette337 · 15/11/2020 21:04

@RavenRose7

Thank you *@Thedot90*. Yeah, it is scary, & I just really want to reach the 12 week mark so that I can relax a little.

What’s a uterine pregnancy? Also, when you say ‘6 weeks 4 days - under fertility team’, what do you mean? Going off the first day of my last period, I am 5 weeks tomorrow. But I know we conceived on or close to the 22nd (that was the only day we had sex that fit in between my period & ovulation window. The other times were a week or so later), so by that account, I’d be around 3 weeks 4 days. But to ask for this early 6 week scan, am I classed as 5 weeks now or 6 weeks? I’m so confused haha

Hello! :) oh don’t worry I’m also so confused with how they calculate how many weeks, I was told this week that I’m 6 weeks pregnant but it’s extremely weird and I was in shock because early last week I had a heavy period as I normally have! Well they say it wasn’t a period and just some kind of heavy bleeding that can sometimes happen in the first trimester. And since I know I’m pregnant, all the other symptoms started to appear: nausea, vomiting, etc... and I started to have some pain in my lower tummy as well today. Like when I laugh or cough, i feel a “pulling” pain.
Meomeomeo · 15/11/2020 21:06

You get 2 week free pass so you would be 5 weeks 4 days if your conception date is 22/10. NHS goes by first day of last period though. Either way, there won’t be much to see now on a scan. Try holding out for 7 weeks so you can at least hear the heartbeat

physicskate · 15/11/2020 21:18

@RavenRose7 a uterine pregnancy (as opposed to ectopic) is locates in the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies (located outside the uterus) are not viable.

6 weeks 4 days- under fertility likely means that she had an early scan because she is under the care of a fertility clinic and received fertility treatment to become pregnant. It's common practice for early scans with fertility clinics as ectopic pregnancies (remember that's the ones outside the uterus) are slightly more likely with many kinds of fertility treatment. It also meant she likely knew her dates more exactly as she would have been monitored since the start of that cycle. 6 weeks 4 days is early for a scan even if you exactly know your dates. If you aren't pinpoint sure of how far along you are, getting an early scan like this will often show as not being as far along as you thought and showing a less developed embryo than you expected, causing further anxiety...

TheDaydreamBelievers · 15/11/2020 21:52

@KelzDaily @RavenRose7 - uterine just means in the right place!

I'm 12 weeks tomorrow and have had quite a few crampy pains, esp week 6-10. Not shoulder pain though.

Thedot90 · 15/11/2020 22:04

Thank you @physicskate this is exactly right Smile - I only mentioned the fertility treatment as an explanation for my very early scan

YoungScrappyHungry · 15/11/2020 23:20

I'm surprised the doctor didn't book you for an ultrasound with shoulder pain. The sudden cramping sounds like it could have been implantation pains, mine felt very much like that, but the shoulder pain and then bleeding I'm shocked they didn't do one. I'd be going back to GP or hospital if I were you to rule it out, it's a medical emergency and can be very serious Flowers

KelzDaily · 15/11/2020 23:28

@YoungScrappyHungry - the bleeding wasn’t really bleeding. It was brown discharge on the toilet paper, but showed up on the rest he did to check for any infections. But he said due to the fact I wasn’t losing any actual blood, & the pains weren’t severe, cuz he had me lay down & he pressed in & there was no pain or discomfort, he didn’t think it was anything to worry about. But he said if it gets worse with my stomach over the next week, to go back to A&E

OP posts:
RefuseTheLies · 15/11/2020 23:37

Phone your EPU tomorrow. Your doctor sounds like a useless lump.

Explain re: brown blood and shoulder pain. Ask for an early scan, and two sets of bloods (hcg) 48 hours apart.

Nazz10 · 16/11/2020 07:24

When I found out I was pregnant it was roughly around the same time as you (5 weeks or so). After a few days, I started feeling cramping and sharp pains on my right side and occasionally in my shoulder. I was convinced it was an ectopic. Called the EPU but they couldn't do anything because I was too early to see anything on ultrasound. Waited a few more days until I was 6 weeks and made an urgent private appointment and it turns out all was fine. The embryo was in the right place and the pains subsided - only occasionally I would feel pain in the same place and sometimes on the other side.
I now think that it was either psychological or it was pains due to my uterus adapting to the new changes.
I am by no means suggesting that your pain is psychological or that it isn't an ectopic but just explaining my experience with the symptoms you're describing.
My cousin had an ectopic pregnancy and she told me (this was afterwards as we didn't tell family we were expecting until a bit later on) that when she was going through it, the pain was constant and unbearable. Doubled-over type of pain and nothing would alleviate it.
The early stages of pregnancy are such a worrying time due to the unknown and nothing would get rid of those anxieties I had other than seeing on the ultrasound that everything was ok. I am now 18 weeks with a little boy.
I hope everything goes ok with you and you go on to a successful and healthy 9 months

MotherPiglet · 16/11/2020 08:03

It's likely to be stretching causing the cramps.
The blood test will confirm your pregnancy. You might need to do 2 blood tests on seperate days to show an increase in hcg levels or they might just think the first one shows high enough levels.

I'm not sure why you're going to demand an early scan at 6 weeks though..

nevernotstruggling · 16/11/2020 08:09

Oh sweetheart the doc is useless! Though I imagine v over worked.

The pains are ok unless there is blood x

physicskate · 16/11/2020 09:15

Yeah a doctor with years of training, years more of experience who actually examined you knows less than the wisdom of mumsnetHmm

KelzDaily · 16/11/2020 11:34

@MotherPiglet - I was to find out asap if I’m having an ectopic pregnancy, & my own doctor who I spoke to today, agrees. I’m booked it to have my blood taken next Thursday, so I’ll be six weeks & 3 days by then, & once it’s 100% confirmed, even if all nine tests say I am, she’ll send me for the scan to rule out ectopic

OP posts:
Blueyes7 · 16/11/2020 11:38

@Nazz10 - hey, thank you. It’s made me feel a little better reading your comment, & I’m happy everything was ok. Sorry about your cousin though 💜 I am being sent to get my blood taken next week & then once they confirm everything, they’ll send me for a scan, so I reckon I’ll end up being close to 7 weeks then anyway, so it should defo show if it’s in the right place. But tbf, if it’s a case the pain doesn’t get worse between now & my blood test next week, I won’t bother asking for the scan, as I’m sure it would only get worse as the embryo grows in the tube, so surely I’d have some indication something is wrong by next week 😅 the cramps I get now come on for a few mins, then go, then come on about 20 mins later for a few mins, then go. This can last between 1-2 hours, but it’s not unbearable. It’s just uncomfortable, & with it being my first time, every little pain is worrying me haha I’ll feel so much better once I reach my 2nd trimester

Blueyes7 · 16/11/2020 11:38

@Nazz10 - sorry, it is still me ‘kelzdaily’, I forgot to change my name back lol

physicskate · 16/11/2020 12:23

@KelzDaily - that sounds like the best plan. Remember if pain becomes unbearable or going through more than a pad an hour (with bleeding), straight to a and e.