What does it mean to have a hard stomach during pregnancy? What are the likely symptoms? Even though no two women get to experience the same symptoms when they are pregnant, you will find that it is very common for women to start experiencing both physical and mental changes as soon as they learn that they are heavy with child.
The one thing that is common among all women is the fact that they will begin to witness a stomach that is growing and protruding at the same time. In this article, we are going to look at what it means to have a hard stomach, its symptoms, and what a woman can do to relieve some of these symptoms.
What does it mean when stomach is hard? /when does stomach get hard during pregnancy?
During the second pregnancy trimester, you will find that the stomach will have reached halfway, meaning that it will be stuck in the area between the pelvic bone and the belly button. At this point in time, there will be increased chances of your uterus increasing in size, and it may eventually begin to press against your stomach walls, and this would eventually give you the feeling of hardness in your stomach.
As the days pass by, it becomes quite normal for you to live with the hard stomach. All women get to experience this particular feeling, and as such, there is nothing for you to worry about. If you are wondering when you will start experiencing this particular symptom, you will find that most women start to experience it when they are twelve weeks pregnant.
However, you need to understand that the hard feeling being experienced by your body at times depends on your particular type of body. There are cases where extreme hardness could lead to added mental stress for some women. You could end up feeling moody, making it very hard for you to concentrate on anything that you may be working on.
Stomach is hard above belly button / Hard stomach and early pregnancy
Compared to the first trimester, you will find that women will start to experience very different symptoms. For instance:
- Nausea and vomiting will start to taper off
- Reduced cases of mood swings
- Increased energy levels
This is the period when you should start making the necessary arrangements required to welcome your baby. Additionally, this is the time when you will start gaining the extra weight, and this will mean that you have to start making use of maternity clothes.
Stomach is hard and bloated
Abdominal tightening is the sensation, which spread across your abdomen when you are expectant. For many women, there is always the need to know what is causing the bloating and the hardness, as they fear that there could be a problem with the baby. Early on during your pregnancy, this condition could be caused by the tightening of your ligaments.
According to Dr. Robert Atlas, the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a Medical Facility in Baltimore, Maryland, the pushing, bloating and hardness may be brought about the growth of the uterus, which starts to push out your abdominal musculature. As this is taking place, there is also a probability that you may start to experience pain in your ligaments.
If it happens at a later stage in your pregnancy, it could be caused by the baby growing inside you trying to move around, as well as the presence of gas in your stomach. For women who have been considered to have a high risk pregnancy, it is recommended that they get in touch with their physicians the moment the abdominal tightening becomes severe.
Hard distended stomach
As mentioned above, one things that makes pregnancy special and very frustrating is the fact that women experience very different symptoms. For some, there are those that will not stop vomiting for weeks especially during their first trimesters, while for others they are lucky enough not to experience any nausea.
To know whether you are pregnant, there are certain symptoms that you can be on the lookout for. There are subtle signs such as a hard distended stomach, while others are not so subtle. According to latest research, it has been found that most women (fifty-nine percent) only come to learn that they are pregnant after they have missed their periods. As a woman, there is a need for you to learn whether you are pregnant early on so that you can start receiving prenatal care, as well as continue any unhealthy habits that you could be practicing at the moment.
So how will your stomach feel when you become pregnant? Will it hurt? Or what should you start expecting?
There is a need to provide a detailed description of what you mean by experiencing pain or being hurt. In almost all cases, the pain you will feel in your lower abdomen or belly will mostly be related to:
- Cramping
- Abdominal discomfort
- Nausea
- Random short-lived and mild stomach pains
Let’s look at a more detailed explanation of some of the symptoms that you can expect to experience the moment your become pregnant.
1. Nausea
Even though you could start experiencing queasiness at around 2 weeks after conception has taken place, vomiting and full blown morning sickness will usually roll around during your sixth week. The symptoms will however taper off after your first trimester comes to an end.
Even though there is not yet a viable explanation on what causes morning sickness, many physicians believe that it comes about as your body’s way of responding to a hormone known as hCG, which just happens to be at its highest levels when you are in your first trimester.
It is possible to manage morning sickness by following these steps:
- Rather than eat three large meals in one day, consider taking small meals throughout the course of the day
- It can be worse for you when you have an empty stomach, as such, ensure that you take a few crackers before you go to bed each night
- You will need to manage a diary indicating what causes the nausea to occur, and what helps in soothing it
2. Bloating
As mentioned above, bloating, as well as additional digestive symptoms that come with pregnancy can occur anytime between your second and third week after conception has taken place. It occurs because the body will by this time have started to produce the progesterone hormone. Normally, this hormone is known to slow down your digestion. The slowdown in the digestive process is meant to allow enough time for nutrients to be absorbed into your blood stream so that it can reach the fetus.
To deal with it, you will need to:
- Keep a diary indicating your food intake
- Note down the kind of gas discomfort that comes from consuming these foods
- Make changes to your diet as there is no magic pill to enable you deal with this particular problem.
3. Breast tenderness
It varies among women, but it can start as early as after two weeks after conception has occurred. In fact, this is considered to be one of the main signs that a woman may be pregnant. But, you will find that it many cases, it really kicks in during the four weeks following the conception process.
It comes about due to the increased flow of blood to your breasts. As such, you can expect your stomach to not only feel swollen, but to also be painful when you touch it. During the nine months that you will be pregnant, expect to gain as much as two cup sizes.
To enable you deal with the breast tenderness, there are a few things that you may need to do, such as:
- Invest in different bra types
- Make sure that they are larger, underwire free, and should preferably be made from cotton
- Additionally, it has been noted that wearing a bra when going to bed can assist in lessening the pain that you are experiencing.
4. Missed or late period
This is something that can be noticed if you do not get your period when you are supposed to, though it is normal to occur fourteen days after conception. A missed or late period is considered to be the universal sign of pregnancy amongst all women. However, note that continued bleeding is not considered to be normal, and as such, it should be discussed with your doctor as soon as possible.
The reasons for a missed or late period are many, and they include:
- Illness
- Stress
- Extreme weight gain
- Anorexia
- Discontinued use of patches and birth control pills
Missing your period is something that should not be taken lightly. There is therefore a need to make sure that you track your menstrual cycle to know when you should expect your next period. If you follow the instructions provided on the home pregnancy kits, you will find that these kits are correct ninety-nine percent of the time. In case the test is negative, but there is still no sign of your periods a few days later, make sure you take a second test just to be sure.
5. Fatigue
This is something that can begin up-to seven days after conception has occurred. Fatigue comes about because of the extra work that goes into creating another human in the woman’s body, which if we are being truthful is an endeavor that consumes lots of energy. The changes caused by the varying hormone levels will also cause you a lot of fatigue.
During the very first weeks, the woman can expect to feel tired at all times. It should not be a cause of concern as it is the only way that the body will be able to respond to the transition that it occurring inside it. Even though your energy levels will begin to rise during the second trimester, the first weeks are not easy.
6. Frequent urination
The constant need to pee is something that you will begin to experience between two and three weeks after conception has occurred in your body. The hormone responsible for producing progesterone and estrogen will start increasing the amount of blood that is flowing to your pelvic region. It is meant to assist with waste disposal, which translates to additional trips to the bathroom for you.
Many women find that it can be very annoying for them to have to make countless trips to the bathroom within a single. To assist such women, deal with this problem, there are a few factors that should be taken into consideration. E.g.
- Reduce the number of caffeinated drinks that they take on a single day
- Attempt to double-void—what this means is that when you head to the washrooms to empty your bladder, you should wait for a few minutes, and then empty it again
- This way, you will be assured that you will not need to make another trip to the bathroom soon
7. Taste and smell sensitivity
Within three and four weeks after conception has occurred successfully, the woman will normally start to experience smell and taste sensitivity. In the beginning, it may start with an improved appetite. Additionally, it could also be brought about by reduced eating, depending on the severity of your nausea.
According to WebMD, eighty-five percent of all women experience some type of aversion to food, while there are those that will begin to experience a craving for certain kinds of food. You should not view this as a bad thing, as it could be your body’s way of telling you that you are eating the wrong kinds of food item, and that you should start consuming food items that are more nutritious as opposed to taking alcohol and coffee, which happens to have very high caffeine levels.
Dealing with this problem is not very hard. You need to:
- Do not over-indulge on your normal food cravings
- Rather than opt to eat a whole candy bar, you should go for a minor snack
- When you are not able to get your mind off a particular food item, you should consider distracting yourself with a meaningful activity
- With this being said, it does not mean that you should deprive your body of what it needs. Just make sure that you indulge in very small amounts.
8. Emotional upheaval
Your emotions will start to go on a rollercoaster ride immediately after conception has occurred. It happens as your body will during this time get flooded with numerous emotions, which may make you feel weepy or emotional.
During the entire duration of your pregnancy, you can expect your hormone levels to start fluctuating. You have to keep in mind that pregnancy is a very big task, and as your body is starting this task, it will be going nuts at the same time as it prepares for the job ahead. If you find that you suddenly feel the need to cry, laugh, or even shout, you are not crazy. It is just your body’s way of telling you that you are pregnant. You can deal with it by:
- Ensure you go easy on yourself
- Recognize that you are not the only person who has to deal with these emotions. Ninety-nine percent of all expectant mothers are also going through it, or have at one point or another had to deal with the problem
- Make sure you let go of all the issues that are out of your control. This is the best and surest way for you to remain sane.
- Ensure you get lots of sleep each need
- Try and communicate your needs to the people in your life
Baby’s stomach is hard
All children experience gas, the only difference being that some experience it more than others. Additionally, there are babies who will have an easier time passing gas more than others. It is a problem that could stem from an innate or learned ability. Even though there is a particular amount of gassiness that is viewed to be normal, there is a big probability that it could be causing the baby a lot of discomfort as well. You must therefore be on the lookout for signs that your baby has such a problem. Symptoms to check for in your baby will include:
- Abdominal bloating
- Frequent burping
- Hard distended belly
- Flatulence
- Hiccups
- Restlessness
- Fuzziness
If the symptoms persist, you are advised to take your baby to a pediatrician for a checkup.
References;
- http://www.coliccalm.com/baby_infant_newborn_articles/gas_problems_treatment.htm
- http://tummycalm.com/infant-gas.html
- http://tummycalm.com/infant-gas.html
- http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/632513/Newborn-baby-pain-colic-infant-wind-explosive-poo