Cramps During Early Pregnancy

Jade,
Hello, My name is Jackie and I have four young children ranging from the age of 7 down to 21 months. Each one of my pregnancies was drastically different and it seemed as if with each one I experianced something completely different from the last one. I also am a full time worker, CNA, in a nursing home and a fulltime student in college for nursing and love every minute of it. The mild cramping is due to your body preparing to "stretch out" and the lower back pain is because your child is sitting low in your pelvic region. You will be able to breath during this pregnancy but your back and hips will not be able to move all that well; and probably, this child will be the largest child that you have give birth too yet. My fourth child, my son, was the largest baby I gave birth to and because he sat so low in my pelvic area, I was always having lower back pain and my lower abdominal area would feel like I was cramping periodically. All that sensation was was my tummy stretching to make room for my heavier child. The nausea this early in the pregnancy is quite normal; most women feel sick before they know that they are pregnant and just think that they just have a cold or the flu. I was very sick for my third and fourth pregnancy and I discovered that "Mompops" are wonderful. You can get them at any Motherhood store and they are just different favored hard pieces of candy that you suck on like a peppermint and before you know it, you don't feel nauseated any more. Congradulations with your new pregnancy I wish you luck in your future education.
Jackie B.
Oshkosh, Wi

Jade,

My experience was that many things happened faster, earlier and more intensely with every pregnancy. My theory is that you partly expect and therefore notice things earlier but also that your body has "been around the block" so to speak and reacts sooner and more intensely to things. The mild cramping and lower back ache are most likely due to the stretching of muscles. If the cramping gets bad or you start bleeding, you need to call your OB/GYN.

Also be prepared for your milk to come in sooner - you can even start leaking milk months before you deliver. But don't pump; it can cause contractions and preterm labor. And the "after delivery contractions" you get when you nurse the first few days...just hang on, they are WAY worse.

The upside is that your delivery and recovery may be much faster and easier. You also have more "new baby experience" and a lot of things that may have been a challenge the first or second time around come much more naturally.

Congrats on #3,
S.

Could be just physical stress from your own "about me".
Could be your body size, my daughter is having this from the very early weeks, she's barely 100lbs and almost 5 foot tall...they said she's carrying extra low, she's very tiny and no room to grow, so it's pressing on her tail bone and back already before the baby is actually big enough, her body is still growing.
I lost 5 babies, had 5 children, 4 by c-section. When I was extra sick, early on, I was very happy. My doctor explained, the hormone that "holds" the pregnancy is what makes me sick...so I knew if I was sick, I'd probably not miscarry, it made me miserablly happy.

With my second baby, I had a lot of cramping. It was in about the 11th-13th week. I had just found out that I was pregant and then I began that cramping. I thought it was so weird because I didn't have anything before I found out. I was still on birth control and my doctor told me that the cramping had something to do with the progestrone leaving my body. I think that is what they said...Everything turned out alright and I never had any bleeding or anything. I have also heard that the cramping has something to do with the implantation of the baby. Good luck!

Cramping is very common after your first pregnancy. Your body is more sensitive to the changes now. Don't be alarmed. I've also been told by my OBGYN that nausea is a sign of a healthy pregnancy because of the hormones. Ask your doctor. I have four children and experienced cramping with the last three. Even had some bleeding with the second one. He's 10 now and very healthy.

I would say that it could be because it is a different pregnancy and nausea can occur when you dont even know you are pregnant. If the cramping goes to long than you should check with your doctor. Low back pain can occur anytime. How far along are you? Drink lots of water. Hope this helps!

jade It could be the level of your hormones, each pregnancy is diffrent , yea if your not bleedding don't be to alarmed , but if the pain gets to being unbearable or worse I would then make an appointment to see the DR.
C. N

I am currently pregnant and I have had cramping through out my whole pregnancy. It is never any fun. I started getting cramping pretty early in the pregnancy. I did how ever have some bleeding like a period and I went to be checked and the baby was doing well. I am due in May. I think that the more kids that you have the cramping probably starts eariler.. But I would let the doctor know about your mild cramping, just so that He/She knows about it..

I had one sided abdominal cramping and lower back pain shortly after I took my 1st pregnancy test which was very faintly positive. I was probably 6-7 weeks along. I was afraid that it could be an ectopic pregnancy so I called my doc & they did blood work to find out for surely I was pregnant. They drew levels two days later to make sure the HCG levels were rising normally, which they were. I guess I never got an explanation as to what the pain could've been from, but it didn't last long.
It never hurts to check w/ your doc just to be safe!

When I was first pregnant, before I even knoew I was pregnant, I got some cramping and assumed my period was coming. It felt just like menstrual cramps. 2 days later, i found out I was pregnant. Hope this helps, good luck!

Depending on how early you mean, sometimes there is cramping and spotting around 4-5 weeks due to implantation. I also had some mild cramping and low back pain starting around 7 weeks or so and I believe it to be some physiological changes (uterine ligaments, etc.). This was with my 3rd child as well, so I think some things happen a bit sooner the 3rd time around.

Good Luck!

Hi Jade
Love your name. I have a 4 year old son named Jaden:) I have 3 children and with my last daugther, I thought forsure I was having a miscarriage. My cramps were severe and no bleeding. I am high risk due to diabetes so doctor was concerned and tried to ask how severe from 1-10..they felt worse then period cramps and lasted for days. It turned out ok and my pregnancy progressed. I did have a slight brownish discharge they thought was blood, but wasnt' and I had clear discharge which I thought was amniotic fluid but wasn't. Anyway, I hope it makes you feel better to know that I cramped alot and everything turned out fine. ____@____.com
Good luck!
C.

I just had my fourth and I also work full time so our situations are somewhat similar. I did notice the cramping and on a couple occasions spotting earlier with each one. The spotting was from over doing and stopped with rest. The cramping I was told was from the embryo implanting. I think I noticed it earlier just because with each one I was more intuned to my body and my body was older and handeling each one differently.

Yes, I had quite a bit of mild cramping with my first pregnancy until 9 or 10 weeks. I also had some light spotting and was very nervous about it but I carried to term and had a healthy baby. As long as it's not cramps like your period, it should be ok. I also had a bad backache on and off for most of my last pregnancy. Good luck and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby!

My second pregnancy I experienced cramping and back pain in the beginning. I can tell you that nausea is VERY common in early pregnancy. It is one of the first signs of pregnancy and you can get it before you may even be able to get a positive pregnancy test. Also, morning sickness is most common in the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Jade,
I had this problem early in my 1st pregnancy and panicked thinking something was wrong. The doctor said I was not drinking enough water. I started drinking more water and the problem seemed to get better.

Hope this helps
M.

Hi Jade,

I can't tell you why, but I can tell you that I had the same thing. I had cramps and was sick almost immediately (before I even knew I was pregnant). I guess it the surge of hormones. They do some wacky things. But now I have a very healthy and extremely energetic 2 year old. Good Luck with your new baby! Hope this lends a little reassurance.

Take care

I had menstrual-like and lower back cramps with no bleeding very early on in my pregnancy. I believe it started in the 2nd or 3rd week (I found out the second I possibly could that I was pregnant!). My OB said not to worry as it is common to have cramps during the early weeks. I'd call your OB if you're worried.

Jade I'm 5 weeks along, and for the past week have been having what I call severe mentr. cramps - front and back. My dr. says it's normal especially in moms who have had babies already - something about it all coming back together:).... anyways tylenol has been my friend. I don't have the nausea - but have the cramps in the morning and just not hungry - come lunch though I could eat 2 of everything.

I had cramps with all of my pregnancies. I thought I was just getting my period. When I was pregnant with my first, they discovered small cysts on my ovaries, and they told me that my expanding and tighting uterus popped one or two which is why I had pain.

I just found out that I'm pregnant, & am experiencing the same. Mild crampy feeling in lower abdomen that I'm guessing is caused by ligaments stretching? Also low back pain, similar to what I experience before a period. I'm assuming that it is all just my body adjusting....

Hi Jade,

I had bad cramping (but no bleeding) about a week after finding out that I was pregnant with my son (who is now two and a half). A miscarriage was ruled out, and it was diagnosed as my uterus stretching. I also had a lot of nasea early on (again, starting about a week after an "early response" home pregnancy test.) I don't remember having the lower back pain.

Best wishes,
N.

Unfortunately, Yes I have. I thought it was because I fractured my back as a teenager and the pain was coming from the same spot. With the pregnancy maybe my body was just adjusting. But the pain continued through out my pregnancy. I want to say it started the first month of pregnancy.
They say every pregnancy is different. It could just be your body getting used to being pregnant again. But if you wanted to be extra careful. Go to your doctor a get checked out. Good luck, I hope all goes well.

I would not worry about it at all. I always felt like I was getting my period with both my pg that I ended up carrying. I had had 6 mc's prior to carrying 2 to term so I was hyper sensitive to every symptom but alas, nothing was wrong. Best of luck to you with your upcoming arrival!!

you may want to take it easy if your cramping, & have a full load. your body may want you to relax.

i felt sick right away. and tender/craming at different times.

every pregnancy will be different so you may be experiencing these things at different times.
as far as not being alarmed unless there is bleeding.. i wouldn't trust that rule. plenty of pregnancy has had bleeding during and the fetus turned out to be ok. and plenty of pregnancies have been lost with out any cramping or bleeding what so ever. my advice would be to not read into every little pain and twinge. the stress over things you can't control isn't good for you or the baby.
stay positive and trust in God or your higher power and try to ba happy.. (hard i know,, i've lost 6 pregnancies and last one with triplets and when my daughter came she was 12 weeks early.) try.. :-)))

good luck

Jade since you have been pregnant before you know it is the uterine fluctations in hormones and stretching to fit the new baby. Cramping can also be a sign of dehydration. Increase your fluid intake and see if that helps. In your busy schedule try to put your feet up and drink a big glass of water. Obcviously you have a watchful eye on the if there is bleeding.

I had menstrual-type cramps throughout the first trimester...I was reassured that it's very normal as the uterus stretches to accommodate. That being said, ANYTHING that is making you nervous should be checked out. That's what we pay doctors for. Good Luck!