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How Can I Be Pregnant When I Have Cramps?
Author: Stef Daniel
I remember my first pregnancy. I was ready for the morning sickness. I was ready to be tired and to have to pee every ten minutes. I was even secretly excited about the opportunity to be moody without consequence. After all, who was going to say anything to a pregnant woman? What I wasn’t ready for was the cramping. Even though my period was late, I swore I was about to have a miserable period and stared in disbelief at the little pink line that confirmed my anxiousness. So, why was I cramping?
The next few days I figured there was some sort of mistake. A week later, I still felt the tell tale signs of an impending period. I even thought back and think I remembered some light bleeding. Prodding by my husband had me at the OBGYN’s office, where she checked me out thoroughly and told me that everything seemed great. Blood work confirmed that I was in fact pregnant. And yet still, I had that bloated crampy feeling in my lower abdomen. So I asked the doctor, “Why do I feel crampy?” “Does this mean that I am going to have a miscarriage?”
Her answer surprised me, and it was something that I wished someone had told me before. Apparently, pregnancy – especially in the beginning is a crampy thing. Implantation of the fertilized egg cannot only make you feel like you are about to get your period, but also can cause a slight amount of spotting or bleeding. Why? Because the little embryo is actually burrowing its way into the lining of your uterus, looking for a comfortable place to call home for the next nine months. As your uterus, normally very tiny – starts to host this new life, it grows and stretches, is fed by hormones and a new blood supply – all of which can make you feel cramps. These cramps, since they are originating from the same place as the ones you experience menstrually – feel the same. And the good news is that they don’t necessarily indicate that something looming is in your future. For me, this was a huge sigh of relief.
Additionally, many women experience lower back pains, cramping, and shooting pains in the vagina or vulva as the reproductive organs begin transforming and changing. The ovaries are stimulated by new hormones which can cause even more cramping and pinching to occur – both of which mimic premenstrual feelings. The disappointing news is that they don’t really subside throughout pregnancy. The cramping may give birth to contractions by the time you are in your second trimester. This will make you wish you just had a simple cramp to deal with.
Obviously, if you experience cramping that is debilitating or accompanied by heavy bleeding – you should see your doctor ASAP. For the routine stretching of muscles and hormonal reactions that cause your muscles to spasm and cramp, doctors recommend that pregnant women take acetaminophen. You could also try a hot compress on your lower back (not on your stomach) or a hot shower to help relax the lower pelvic muscles. When you become pregnant, you feel every little thing and will think the worst. Don’t! Most of the time what you feel and experience is normal and nothing that a simple call to your doctor won’t confirm.
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