Cramps early in first trimester?

Hi ladies,

Has anyone experienced strong cramps in the first few weeks of a pregnancy, and it all turned out to be fine? I'm only 4 weeks along and have been having mild cramps on and off since about 10DPO! But they haven't been enough to bother me, as I read this is common due to uterus stretching. This is my second pregnancy so maybe things are stretching quicker? But this afternoon they have become stronger, still not as bad as menstrual cramps but persistent enough to bother me! It's kind of freaking me out. It's also on the right-hand side, which might be because I have a double uterus, if the embryo has implanted in the right side.

Anyone have any advice?? :rolleyes:

Absolutely! I get ouchy cramps from 4weeks every time.

Oh, thanks Ambersky! It makes me feel so much better to know when others experience the same thing. I also just read that it can be ligaments stretching, which I should have remembered from the first time around. Hopefully it's that! :)

Hahamama, I had horrid, extremely painful cramps from about 6-7 DPO. I thought I was just having a sucky period because I had ovarian cysts. I did a test 3 days before period was due and +, GP test following morning + but due to cramps sent me for urgent internal ultrasound that day to check for ectopic. All fine and I had 12w nucheal scan this morning :)

Seriously, they were horrible cramps. I considered going to ED a couple times.

Definitely normal. The right sided pain could also be that you ovulated from the right and the corpus luteum is therefore on the right and that's giving you pain/cramps. Mine was pretty ouchy until about 12 weeks.

Thanks everyone! That's made me feel much calmer. It is so persistent. Also feeling a heaviness down low too, like pressure. Didn't get any of this the first time around! So nice to be kept on your toes!

IDK if this is a dumb question, but what is the corpus luteum? I googled it but the explanation didn't make much sense to me! :redface: Is it something that is always there or only when you fall pregnant?

I've been hospitalised and had emergency scans due to pain! Still don't know why and I'm 20 weeks. Mine are on my lower right hand side and feel like someone is stabbing me with a knife. Bub likes to sit on the right and that's also where my placenta is.

Hope the pain doesn't last too long for you

I might get this slightly wrong but close enough hopefully for you to get the right story - its what's left after the egg has burst from the follicle that comes from your ovary. It is then responsible for secreting hormones until the placenta takes over and starts feeding bubs. Depending on how high your hcg levels are, the corpus luteum can be "stimulated" by the hcg and that can cause it to sort of rupture over and over again, causing the pain. I had pregny injections, which are hcg, until I got to 12 weeks and the nurses at my FS said that the additional hormones I was taking made it worse, but that anyone could expect cramping pain to stabbing pain until 10 odd weeks. The pain can come and go for no apparent reason, but I found if I stretched in bed, lifted something heavy (getting DD2 out of the bath was the first time I really felt it) then it was excrutiating.

I had an ectopic pregnancy years ago and the pain was so severe I was worried this time around that I had another one.

Not a stupid question (or if it is we're both dumb!!). Before this pregnancy I didn't know what it was either.

Totally normal :D. And my cramps made me think AF was always just around the corner, I couldn't tell the difference between the two at all. HTH.

Thanks Maruschke, it all helps!

That's a way better explanation than on Wikipedia, Lulu! Lol! Thanks for clearing that up. :clap:

Thanks cmkm, though the pain doesn't bother me so much, it's more worrying about what it might mean! Such a stresshead, sigh... :lol:

I had same thing last pregnancy and I stressed too, was sent for early us to make sure it wasn't ectopic and all was fine but had a few more early scans just to keep checking cause I kept getting it till 9 wks

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yep! i get them alllll the time. it seems to be more intense each pregnancy....does my head in! you would think that so many pregnancies in i'd be an old hand at this, but nup, each pregnancy is new and just like the first time...only more tired lol.

Jellybean - I'm going for an u/s next week, will only be 6 weeks, to check that it's not ectopic. Will be a relief to see that everything is in the right place and doing what it's meant to!

Cassius - I hear you on the more tired! Congrats on your pregnancy, too!

Yep I got my first ouch cramp yesturday, I was standing up after sitting down, yikes. Its just all those bits stretching. Try not to worry :)

I'm only 4 weeks with my first pregnancy and I'm cramping like AF pains so this is normal?

I get a massive one if I get up too fast, stabbing in my right side. HTH to you x

HTH what does that mean?