Stomach Tightening During Pregnancy 2024: Causes & Is It Labor?

When you’re pregnant, your body will experience many new changes. Some will be more challenging than others. As your belly grows, you may ask, “Why is my pregnant belly sometimes hard and sometimes soft?” This commonly happens to pregnant moms. Recognizing this is happening means you’re paying close attention to your body which is essential while expecting. 

Different conditions can cause stomach tightening during pregnancy. Learning the signs to look for, to tell if it’s labor or not, will help you make informed decisions on when to see your doctor or midwife. A healthy pregnancy starts with a healthy outlook on your body and what you’re experiencing. Let’s uncover what stomach tightening during pregnancy may mean for you.

Causes of Tightness in Stomach During Pregnancy

First, you must realize that the sensation of your stomach tightening is actually your uterus muscle fibers contracting which is completely normal from mid-pregnancy on. Stomach tightness during pregnancy has several different causes. One common cause to be aware of is dehydration, or not getting enough water for your body to function normally. 

When you’re pregnant, your blood volume increases, as does your need for water. Staying hydrated^[1] can help maintain optimal health during pregnancy and avoid the irritability of your uterus, which can cause contractions. Drinking enough water provides the following benefits for you and your growing baby:

• Assists in building healthy cells and amniotic fluid
• Helps kidneys function to adequately flush out toxins and waste (don’t forget, your baby will be filtering, too!) 
• Helps prevent swelling by keeping your sodium levels balanced 
• Increases your energy and fine-tunes your metabolism 
• Decreases your risk of urinary tract infections
• Decreases risk for constipation 
• Decreases risk of irregular contractions
• Decreases risk of morning sickness in early pregnancy

Morning sickness can drain you of necessary fluids due to the nausea and vomiting you may experience. The dehydration from morning sickness can worsen the morning sickness, leading to more dehydration and a vicious cycle. You can try many remedies for morning sickness to feel better and avoid pregnancy complications associated with dehydration. 

If left unchecked, dehydration can cause irregular contractions. Just like any other muscle in your body, the uterus will start contracting if you’re not hydrated enough. (Think of marathon runners getting cramps from dehydration.) Knowing the signs is important so you can recognize what is happening before it worsens. 

Early signs of dehydration include:

• Headache
• Dark yellow or brown colored (concentrated) urine
• Strong-smelling urine 
• Dry eyes, mouth, or lips
• Bad breath
• Cramping muscles, including your uterus 
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness
• Peeing less than several times a day

While you’re pregnant the recommended water intake is at least 8-12 eight-ounce glasses^[2] a day. Staying hydrated while you are pregnant can be easier than it sounds. Setting an hourly reminder and making sure you always have water on hand will help you reach this goal. 

Plain water can sometimes feel bland, so try adding frozen fruit or fresh lemon and lime for flavor. Lemon also adds the benefit of detoxification instead of unhealthy sweeteners, but be mindful that the acidity of lemon can be just as damaging to your teeth as sugar.

Let’s look at each trimester and the common causes of stomach tightening during each one. 

Tightness In Stomach During Pregnancy First Trimester

Stomach tightening during early pregnancy may happen as your body starts to make room for your growing uterus and baby. Sometimes stomach pain during your 1st trimester may be normal accommodation pain as your baby grows; however, it may be a sign of miscarriage. 

Miscarriage is the loss of the baby before 20 weeks. This is more common than most people realize in the first trimester (weeks 1-12). It can occur in almost 20% of all pregnancies. Let’s admit it, it’s not pleasant to talk about pregnancy loss, but it will help if you know a few signs to look out for so you can contact your provider when these occur:

• Lower abdomen cramping or pain that continues and increases 
• Bleeding
• Passing tissue or fluid from the vagina

One way you can make sure that you and the baby are getting all the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy is to take a high-quality prenatal vitamin. You can take these throughout your pregnancy–and even after–to help provide the essential minerals and vitamins for optimal health. Remember that your body is still experiencing major changes until well after delivery. 

Stomach Tightening in the Second Trimester

Tightness in your stomach during the second trimester of pregnancy is common. This will happen more frequently once you get to a certain stage, usually around 16-20 weeks. This is commonly referred to as Braxton Hicks contractions^[3] or “practice” contractions. 

These can occur at rest or with activity. Sex, peeing, or having a full bladder can trigger this. These may feel like the abdomen tensing up off and on and then releasing. They are usually mild and not as painful as true labor pains. Thankfully, they are harmless. 

Stomach pain during pregnancy in your 2nd trimester can occur when you have reflux or indigestion. Your organs are shifting around, and there is less room for them than there was before as your baby grows. This can make eating large meals uncomfortable. If this is happening to you, eating smaller portions throughout the day may help prevent it.

You may experience round ligament pain as your muscles and ligaments are stretching. These can feel like sharp pain or stabbing pain. Getting up, moving too fast, or the baby kicking and pushing can trigger these. Stretching or changing positions can usually help relieve it. Thankfully, again, it is harmless.

Experiencing pain in the second trimester can also be a sign of a miscarriage or pre-term labor. However, the risk of miscarriage decreases significantly the further past ten weeks gestation you get. 

Tightness In Stomach During Pregnancy Third Trimester

Closer to the time for labor, there is usually an increase in how often you will experience a tight stomach during pregnancy’s third trimester. 

Braxton Hicks Contractions – Constant Hard Stomach 38 Weeks Pregnant

Braxton Hicks contractions are irregular and seldom involve your entire uterus. A more organized rhythm and intensity are called false labor, and even this type of contraction does not necessarily mean active (real) labor is imminent. 

At 38 weeks pregnant, you may feel you have a constant tightening sensation or hard stomach as these types of contractions can feel non-stop. Stomach tightening during pregnancy at 39 weeks can keep you on your toes as you are excitedly waiting for the baby to arrive. So how can you tell if it’s true labor contractions?

Recording, when contractions start, can help you keep track of how often they are happening. Write down the time they start and use a timer to see how many seconds they last. List how strong they are on a scale of 1-10. 

If your contractions continue to grow in frequency, duration, and intensity, then these are hallmarks of true labor. When you begin recognizing true signs of labor it’s time to check in with your doctor or midwife. You may be wrong…but you may be right!

Some of these signs include:

• A trickle or gush of fluid from your vagina
• Low back pain and pelvic contractions that do not go away
• Loss of your mucus plug 
• The bloody show, which includes red-tinted vaginal fluid 

How to Treat Abdominal Tightening During Pregnancy

At the first sign of stomach tightening during pregnancy, you need to stop and do a mental check-over of your body. Take a moment and think about how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally. Be your own best friend. 

How are you? Are you experiencing any other signs or symptoms? Do you feel hydrated? When was the last time you rested? Or urinated? 

If you haven’t rested or hydrated in a while, now’s the time to do that. Take a quick bathroom break, grab a glass of water, and prop your feet up to rest for 10 to 30 minutes. Deep breathing and thoughts of relaxation can help to regulate your nervous system to get you back on track. Stretching and changing positions can also relieve the tightening. 

While you’re resting, take even more time to listen to your body. It’s good practice to check on your child after delivery, for when they’re upset, we go through the “new Mom” checklist: Are they hungry, wet, dirty, or tired? Go through a checklist like this for yourself so you can make sure to meet your own needs. 

Feeling stomach pain or tightening during pregnancy can bring on an emotional response. You want everything to be okay, so spikes of adrenaline can produce fear and cloud your judgment. Remember, facts before fear, mama. Remember that adrenaline is a stimulant, likely to make the tightening worse–don’t fall for this and get yourself into a vicious cycle.

Sometimes the tightening from frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, round ligament pain, or growing pains (or the harmless prodromal labor later on) can be challenging to handle. Treating your body aches and pains can help. You can choose different pain relief methods, like a warm bath, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, meditation, and relaxation techniques. 

The Bottom Line

Thankfully, there are many options for things you can do at home for your stomach tightness during pregnancy. Knowing what causes the tightness during each trimester and how to tell if it’s labor will give you peace of mind going forward. 

You should see your doctor or midwife if you experience:

• Persistent or severe pain
• Vagina bleeding
• Fluid or tissue release at any time
• Fainting
• When at-home measures do not relieve your stomach tightness 
• Abdominal tenderness that is constant, especially if associated with fever

When you experience symptoms you aren’t quite sure about, follow your mama instincts and get all the reassurance you need. It’s always better to make a phone call that isn’t necessary than to not make one that is. Continue to educate yourself and enjoy the pregnancy journey!

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