way early pregnancy cramps?

Pregnancy brings with it numerous physical, mental, hormonal and emotional changes and challenges. At times, it becomes very difficult for an expectant mother to decipher between what is normal and what isn’t, especially in women carrying their first baby. However, this may prove to be true even in women who have been pregnant before as each pregnancy has the ability to bring with it different challenges.

Cramps during pregnancy are one such issue that often leaves expectant women puzzled. Abdominal cramping is generally linked with menstruation and since a woman ceases to have menstrual periods with the onset of pregnancy, cramping during pregnancy frequently poses a question of being normal or not. The answer is yes, abdominal cramping is normal during pregnancy and most women experience it at some point or the other. Pregnancy cramps, in the initial phase of the pregnancy, is usually caused due to the implantation process. At around 8 to 10 days from the time of ovulation, the fertilized embryo begins to embed itself in the uterine wall. This may cause a bit of cramping and many women experience light bleeding in the form of spotting or streaking as well. Cramping may also be experienced as the pregnancy progresses due to the expansion of the uterus and the tension exerted on the ligaments that hold the uterus in place. This is because the ligaments get stretched and become thicker to bear the strain of the expanding uterus. Indigestion resulting in gas and constipation are other factors that cause abdominal cramps during pregnancy. However, this kind of cramping is mild and is usually experienced off and on.

If the cramping is persistent, severe or occurring at regular intervals, the cramping may be signaling danger to the developing baby or a miscarriage. In the initial weeks, if the embryo has not been able to embed itself properly or if there are genetic defects in the embryo, the body expels it and cramps and bleeding are experienced. These cramps are normally more severe than those experienced during normal periods and the bleeding is heavier too. An ectopic pregnancy is another condition that causes cramping. In this case, the embryo embeds itself in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. The fallopian tube is not engineered to hold a pregnancy and hence the pain and medical complications follow. Consulting your gynecologist at the earliest is recommended if the cramps continue over a period of time and seem to be becoming more severe or are accompanied by bleeding, in any form.   

Submitted by P T on April 15, 2010 at 01:52

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