Painful stomach surface, could it be my stomach muscles?

[Kaydee]

I'm 36 weeks and for the past 3 days I've had a pain on the left side of my stomach. It's hard to explain but it feels almost like a ripping, burning, stinging sensation on the surface that starts from the center of my belly (above my belly button) and stretches across my left hand side. I can't move without strong pain, unless I hold up my stomach. It goes away if I lie down or sit.

I went to my ob/gyn yesterday and she tested everything, CTG, ultrasound and internal. Everything is fine. In the end she told me she was clueless as to what it could be.

So basically I can only guess that I've pulled a stomach muscle or something similar. Has anyone had anything similar happen? Or similar pain in late pregnancy? I've googled like crazy but I can't find anything.

[Cranky Kitten]

I had a nasty burning stretching sensation across the front of my belly when pregnant with DD, particularly as she decided to roll over one night and I went from next to no belly and still wearing my ordinary jeans to not being able to see my toes practically overnight. Very similar to what you've described, feeling like it was muscles stretching further than they're used to - it does eventually let up though.

[Ozziehoffy]

Get them to check if you have some muscle separation. I had that and it had that searing, burning pain... was so painful! If it is they can give you some physio to start on and then continue after bub is born.

[HotI]

If you are going through a hospital ask to see the physio to check for a DRAM (Diastasis Rectus Abdominous Muscle ) which is the fancy name for tummy muscle seperation. The physio identified that that is what was causing my pain in about 2 mins.

[Kaydee]

Thanks so much ladies! I'll have a chat to the doctor about that. It's getting better now thank goodness.

[lissy]

Thanks for starting this thread. Ive had the same thing. I put it down to my really bad stretch marks, cos it actually felt like my skin was stretching further than it could & it was a real burn. Same as you about 'holding stomach up'. I will be asking midwife & ob to check muscle seperation too now . Thanks