19+6 and VERY uncomfortable - please tell me this is normal!

[lollipopmother]

God, the last couple of days have started to get painful! Today I have almost a searing pain down the left side of my stomach, like I am exceptionally full from eating and my body can't stretch anymore (my stomach also feels full but not excessively). My back is also killing me on both sides and all up between and under my shoulder blades.

I've just had a drink of squash and I swear none of it has gone into my stomach, it feels like it's all sat up in my throat somewhere! Has anyone else had this?

I'm thinking either my muscles are stretching or that I'm excessively bloated and have wind to the extent that I'm about to pop!

This kinda happened to me around the same time, maybe a tad earlier. I had horrible cramping all over my belly, it didn't feel internal or worrying but just like the muscles were stretching, sort of having a growth spurt! It felt like I'd pulled all the muscles in my belly.
Your body is probably just going through a few sudden changes and until you stretch out a bit more, it will probably feel quite full in there!

That's exactly what I felt like yesterday Vicky, like I'd been in the gym all day doing stomach crunches! Today it's just down the one side, i'm not worried about it as you say, more just hoping that this isn't what pregnancy is like for the last 20 weeks!!

I had that over-stretched feeling around 19 weeks as well and also worried that this meant I was going to spend the rest of the pregnancy in agony! but it kind of came and went and then weirdly it just disappeared completely at around 30 weeks, no idea why. Similarly with the back pain, which like you was around the shoulder blades and not in the lower back where everyone else seems to get it. This was dreadful for weeks and then just buggered off one day. Get your DP to give you a nice massage to ease it and remember you are carrying extra weight (in my case, far more than is recommended!) and your body will just be finding ways of compensating for it.

I'd say don't worry too much, just file it under "one of those things that everyone gets in pregnancy but no one ever warns you about beforehand"

Thanks Novice, I seem to have what you are describing, although I went to the toilet earlier and feel a lot better - think I'm inflated like a ballon due to wind!