What it is
A sharp pain in the side of your belly when you stand, roll over, cough, or laugh is usually round ligament pain, a stretching pain. Two round ligaments run from the top of the uterus down into the groin. As the uterus grows, they stretch like rubber bands. A sudden move tugs them, and you feel a stab or a pulling ache, most often on the right. It is the most common stretching pain of mid-pregnancy.
What's typical
It usually starts between weeks 14 and 20 and settles after week 24 or so. The pain is brief, from a few seconds to a minute. It comes with movement and fades with rest. Some mothers feel a dull ache after a busy day.
What's known
ACOG and most midwifery texts describe round ligament pain as normal. The key is the pattern: sharp, short, tied to movement, and gone with rest. Pain that stays or builds is a different thing.
What helps
- Move slowly out of bed and chairs. Roll to your side first, then push up.
- Brace your belly with a hand or a pillow before you cough, sneeze, or laugh.
- Bend toward the pain. Flexing your hips takes slack off the ligament.
- A warm bath or warm pack on the spot eases a lingering ache.
When to call someone
- Nowpain with bleeding, fever, fainting, or pain that is severe and does not stop.
- Todaypain that lasts more than a few minutes, comes in a pattern like contractions, or comes with burning when you pee.
- At your next visitaches that limit your day or make you worry.
Who helps
Tools: Birthworker Directory
Related
- Pelvic girdle pain and SPDPregnancy: Your Body
- Back pain and sciaticaPregnancy: Your Body
- Braxton Hicks and practice contractionsPregnancy: Your Body
- Short cervix and signs of preterm laborPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say
No one has posted under this topic yet. The first experience here will help the next mother who searches for it at 2 a.m.
Experiences and questions are their authors' own, not reviewed advice. The topic's steward lists the ones that help most in a credited digest once there is one. Unusual experiences stay, with a note.
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Patient FAQ on back pain and other discomforts during pregnancy
- NHS — Common health problems in pregnancy
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
Steward this topic
Birthworkers listed in our directory can claim a topic, verify its sources, and curate what mothers share here. Your name and credential go at the top of the page. Takes about an hour the first time.
Find your directory page