Painful cramps early pregnancy and retroverted uterus

[Jojobobo]

Hi, I am hoping I can make some sense out of my experiences, and equally reassurance, bu talking through with people. I am currently 6 weeks pregnant. This is my first so everything is new to me. For context I have never really had painful period pains until I had an IUD fitted. Once that was removed, I remembered what is was like to have normal low level cramping (for me). The pain with the IUD was intense, never experienced anything like it. So 8 months after having it removed, I fell pregnant. From about 4 weeks I have been getting cramps that are much more intense and then my usual period cramps and almost as bad as when I had the IUD fitted. At first I thought it was linked to the constipation and bloating but laxatives didn’t relive the cramping and now I am 6 weeks pregnant and I’m still cramping.

About a week ago, the cramps were so bad I nearly passed out so I went for a scan to rule out an ectopic. Thankfully it wasn’t and you could see the gestational and yolk sac- no baby or heartbeat yet. Interestingly the midwife scanning me said my dates were wrong which has worried me as I have been tracking my ovulation so I am certain about my dates (but one worry at a time eh). Anyway, I found out at that scan that I have a retroverted uterus and have since done lots of research but I can’t find anything that can explain the cramping.

I am not bleeding but the cramps come and go and there is often low level cramping when i urinate or open bowels (tmi sorry).

So is there anyone else out there having cramps worse than their usual period pains? Anyone else have a retroverted uterus and experienced something similar?

I’m going back to EPU on Saturday for a viability scan (I guess they want to confirm the cramps are defo not a miscarriage and see a heartbeat) but I am going mad wondering and google is not my friend at the moment.

Thank you 🙏

Hi there, I have a tilted uterus and am 7+3 today with my first. I’ve been cramping from before I got my bfp and come days it’s strong and very noticeable cramps while other days it’s just mild cramping. I’m not sure about connection between how strong your cramps are and the tilted uterus, I do read somewhere though that because of the position of the uterus your bladder can feel much fuller and I’ve personally had a crampy feeling when going for a wee. With a tilted uterus it’s harder to see the little bean at first and to take measurements when they’re so tiny.
Hopefully someone else can advise about the cramping but as long as it’s not severe and there’s no fresh red blood bleeding it is considered normal I think. xx

Thank you for replying. This makes me feel so much better- even if our tilted uterus isn’t causing the cramps (or making it worse) to know that others are getting it really does reassures me.

Thank you!

I have a tilted uterus too and I had painful cramps up until about 10 weeks or so - a few times early on I literally doubled over with the pain I was expecting "light cramps, not as bad as period cramps" according to the internet etc but they were definitely worse. I also had bleeding worse than a period at 8 weeks It was very worrying. Then the ligament and stretching pains from about 13 weeks - also far more painful than I'd expected/been told!! But I'm 19 weeks now and so far everything is fine thank goodness. Best wishes OP

I meant to add - hopefully we can reassure you but if you're worried at all then call your GP and they can put your mind at rest or refer you for more checks. I had a scan at 14 weeks at the early pregnancy unit because my ligament/stretching pains had got a lot worse and spread to my back. Goodness only knows how labour is going to be at this rate

@hotcrosswhat

I meant to add - hopefully we can reassure you but if you're worried at all then call your GP and they can put your mind at rest or refer you for more checks. I had a scan at 14 weeks at the early pregnancy unit because my ligament/stretching pains had got a lot worse and spread to my back. Goodness only knows how labour is going to be at this rate

Thank you, thank you! All very reassuring.

I have a scan next week so I’m staying positive and breathing out the cramps.

Oh, I had and am having horrendous cramps. Midwife brushed it off with "oh that's very normal, don't worry" - but it's hard not to when you're literally in agony!

She suggested a hot water bottle (didn't really help me but it might help you) and hot baths, which have been more helpful. Otherwise it was the unhelpful but probably true "just put up with it"!

I have a retroverted uterus and has cramping in all my pregnancies. In addition to the usual stretching which tour uterus is doing, it will also be tipping back from its retroverted position to a normal position so it’s understandable that the cramps may be more intense or more often than the norm.

Try not to worry and hope the scan goes well.

Thank you everyone. It’s so reassuring to hear. Last night I was crying in agony with cramps. Seems that with a retroverted uterus there is more cramping and we just have to put up with if!

Husband is buying me a hot water bottle! Hopefully the cramps will ease as the uterus lifts and then a whole loads of other symptoms come.

Thanks again all

I too have a retroverted uterus and had a lot of strong cramping until my uterus popped out from the pelvis at about twelve weeks. I also had three loads of antibiotics in a row due to the tilted uterus pressing on things and causing me to have kidney infections.
I’m now 17 weeks and those things have stopped thankfully!

One warning is that with my retroverted uterus they couldn’t see the baby at the 9 week scan! Even with the vaginal scan the baby wasn’t there and they told me I had had a miscarriage-which was hideous. However, I was still pregnant and I insisted on another scan a few weeks later. It’s no joke having a retroverted uterus.
Make sure you ask the sonographer to look thoroughly.

Try not to worry but bear in mind is why they sometimes leave scans a couple of weeks later for women who they know have a retroverted uterus.

I wanted to thank you for your honesty, I can’t imagine what you went through. It seems that the cramping is normal for us 25% of the population and yet I’ve never heard this before.

Yes I will, thank you for the advice