Severe stomach pains every night

[Panda Dad]

Hey, expectant dad here.

A few weeks ago my wife started getting what seems to be extremely painful stomach aches/cramps. I rushed her to the hospital over it and it's there where we found we're pregnant and while I was happy I was going to be a father (happy doesn't do it justice, really. I was absolutely ecstatic), it also meant we needed to find a way to get rid of the pain.

Heat pad and warm bottle are both almost ineffective, tea barely helps, eating hasn't helped much either. It feels like all I can do is care for her to the extent I do and then watch her cry the pain away for 30 minutes, while all I can do is comfort her.

I feel helpless.

I've always been there for her before, and it feels like it was far more effective back then (of course, back then I would offer an advil with the tea instead of a warm bottle/heat pad) and it's diving me insane to feel helpless and useless.

So I've decided to see if a pregnancy forum could help me with this issue. I want to help her feel better and right now I feel only partially successful in doing so.

Are there any ways of reducing or even getting rid of stomach cramps or aches? We understand using any drugs will affect the baby, and we don't want anything to happen to him/her.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

 

[chattychar1990]

The pains she is feeling will be the uterus expanding and the baby getting comfortable in there so it won’t be forever. How far gone is she? X

 

[Panda Dad]

The pains she is feeling will be the uterus expanding and the baby getting comfortable in there so it won’t be forever. How far gone is she? X

We're in week 6. Not too far gone.

I'm mostly looking for way to ease the pain for her. I don't like being helpless in helping my wife.

 

[chattychar1990]

You can take paracetamol in pregnancy but stay away from everything else.
Carry on with the hot water bottles too. Hope it eases up for her soon x

 

[WinterWolf]

I hope you’re not putting hot water bottles anywhere near her stomach/uterus area? That is a big pregnancy no-no. You can put them on back but not the front. Heating the baby up can cause birth defects. Also for the same reason baths need to be on the cool side, 37 degrees or below.

Paracetamol is fine to take for pain. Otherwise she unfortunately has to just suck it up lol pregnancy is actually surprisingly painful!

Is her problem uterine cramping or more gas pain? I had to call an ambulance over gas pains when I was 9 weeks pregnant as I thought I was dying haha, super embarrassing!! I ask because gas pains can be fixed with diet but if it’s like period pain you can’t do much x

 

[Panda Dad]

I hope you’re not putting hot water bottles anywhere near her stomach/uterus area? That is a big pregnancy no-no. You can put them on back but not the front. Heating the baby up can cause birth defects. Also for the same reason baths need to be on the cool side, 37 degrees or below. x

I put the hot water bottle on her belly where she says it hurts, but the water isn't boiling hot or anything. I also check the temperature before I give it to her, as well as her telling me when it's too hot even before I put it on her stomach. The bottle is also always inside the "sock" it came with from the store and placed through her shirt and a towel if too hot.

Is her problem uterine cramping or more gas pain? I had to call an ambulance over gas pains when I was 9 weeks pregnant as I thought I was dying haha, super embarrassing!! I ask because gas pains can be fixed with diet but if it’s like period pain you can’t do much x

I'll make sure to ask her if it feels like period cramps or gas pain, although I do remember her misunderstanding the pregnancy pains for period cramps before the good news broke.

 

[Lollypop79]

Bless her. Could be constipation, is she going to the toilet ok? I’ve had some little crappy pains. It also some very painful pains throughout my stomach. Hormones can cause stomach problems. If it is that either making sure have a healthy diet or something like lactulose from the chemist would help.

 

[WinterWolf]

I put the hot water bottle on her belly where she says it hurts, but the water isn't boiling hot or anything. I also check the temperature before I give it to her, as well as her telling me when it's too hot even before I put it on her stomach. The bottle is also always inside the "sock" it came with from the store and placed through her shirt and a towel if too hot.

I'll make sure to ask her if it feels like period cramps or gas pain, although I do remember her misunderstanding the pregnancy pains for period cramps before the good news broke.

Doesn’t really matter if it feels too hot. Any direct warmth is bad. You’re deliberately heating her uterus to make it feel better, which is really bad for the baby! Don’t do it. Tell her to take paracetamol if it hurts.

 

[Panda Dad]

Doesn’t really matter if it feels too hot. Any direct warmth is bad. You’re deliberately heating her uterus to make it feel better, which is really bad for the baby! Don’t do it. Tell her to take paracetamol if it hurts.

Ok. I'll stop putting heat directly. you said something about applying heat from behind. do you mean like putting the hot bottle on her back?

 

[Jellybean86]

When doing a hot water bottle, don't let the water be completely boiled and wrap the bottle in a blanket. I used it on my back at about 13 weeks. Paracetamol are ok but try not having them very long.

To be honest, i had severe cramps from week 6 to week 10 - they got less painful by the 10 week mark. You just have to let it happen. It is v painful sometimes but you are best riding it out really.

 

[Panda Dad]

When doing a hot water bottle, don't let the water be completely boiled and wrap the bottle in a blanket.

I never put boiling water in it, and always mix it with colder water to make the temperature manageable, plus I always put it in the cloth bag it came with, but I'll start putting it on her back instead of on her belly.

Thanks a lot to everyone who helped me with this, It's our first pregnancy so we both don't know much of anything and this thread has been very helpful to say the least.

 

[WinterWolf]

Yes you can put heat on your back when pregnant, it doesn’t heat the uterus up like it does when it’s coming from the front. The cramps will ease up in a month or two x

 

[MilieWolf]

Applying heat and massaging her abdomen can also be a great way to relieve the pain. Taking a warm bath can also help reduce the cramps.

 

[Loretta100]

It's amazing that you want to do all you can to help your wife feel better.