If you are pregnant, you have probably noticed that sometimes the belly becomes hard or tense, even from the first weeks of pregnancy. Many women get scared when it happens, since sometimes this feeling is accompanied by pain or discomfort.
We will tell you why the belly becomes hard in pregnancy or that contractions occur, something absolutely normal during pregnancy. Depending on the moment in which they occur, their function is different and cause different sensations.
In the first trimester
It is possible that in the first trimester you will notice tension in the lower belly or sometimes a kind of hard lump on one side of the abdomen.
It is because the uterus begins to stretch to house the baby that grows inside you making small contractions. As long as these contractions of the uterus are not accompanied by severe pain (which could be a symptom of ectopic pregnancy) or blood loss, there is nothing to worry about.
In Babies and more, will I be in labor? How to differentiate contractionsFrom the second trimester
The uterus is a muscle that grows constantly during pregnancy to multiply its size several times. Towards the end of pregnancy it will have the function of helping to expel the baby so that it can be born. To do this, perform some practices or what are known as Braxton Kicks contractions or "false contractions", with which the uterus prepares for the time of delivery, and which are different from the true labor contractions.
From the second half of the pregnancy you will begin to notice the contractions more frequently as the gestation progresses. Some women do not realize this nor do they experience pain, while for others they are quite annoying.
They are especially painful and uncomfortable if they are caused by the movements of the baby inside the uterus, causing the belly to acquire very curious ways: for example, in the form of a peak, a wave or completely displaced to the side.
Occasionally, when the tightening of the belly may occur, you also feel groin or crotch pain also involving the ligaments of this area.
In Babies and more Types of contractionsYou may especially notice that your belly it gets hard at night when you are lying down and calm and you are more aware of the sensations of your body.
When should I worry?
Check with your doctor if:
Contractions are very frequent: they are repeated several times a day with short intervals (approximately four in one hour)
The contractions are very intense and painful.
They are accompanied by blood loss, mucous plug or amniotic fluid.
If you have any other sign of childbirth.
