Random Pregnancy Pains
Just when I thought I’d been through enough in this pregnancy, last night my belly button started hurting so much it made me cry. I know all these aches are nothing compared to labor, but, the way I see it, at least contractions will have a definite end-point.
I had no idea when my belly button would stop hurting so I could go to sleep, and was also scared about the cause!
I’m in Week 35 of pregnancy, and only experienced belly button symptoms once before. At the start of my second trimester my belly button itched from the inside. I’m posting this because no one seems to talk about these random, seemingly silly but nonetheless painful pregnancy symptoms.
Intense belly button pain could be a pregnancy-related hernia which, according to medical professionals, usually goes away after the baby is born. If it is a hernia, the pain may start very early in pregnancy, or after you’ve done heavy lifting.
But it could be something far more benign: Your growing uterus pushing against your belly button. Later in pregnancy, it could be a sign that your belly button is about to ‘pop.’
Women have reported experiencing this pain beginning as early as Week 8 or as late as Week 36, with the average time being somewhere in the second trimester, so, once again, I’m fortunate. At best, I have a few weeks of this to go!
Rubbing cocoa butter or shea butter on the area, although they’ve been shown to not prevent stretch marks, may help the skin to stretch, alleviating the pain. Ice cubes also dull the pain and soothe the itching. I also find diversion really does help, like baby kicks, if you don’t pay attention to the pain, it won’t hurt as much.
So let’s talk about something else. What random aches and pains did you experience during pregnancy that no one warned you to expect? How did you handle them? What were their causes? Your advice may help first-time mothers-to-be avoid a few sleepless nights worrying about benign pregnancy symptoms.
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Multi-Tasking Mommy says...
Oh, I so hear ya, sister! The pressure on my belly button is insane. I am getting stretch marks in a circular formation around my belly button area now (I’m 35 weeks today).
And…what doesn’t hurt these days? Honestly!
Multi-Tasking Mommys last blog post..Barefoot and Pregnant
Kimberly says...
I never noticed belly button pain, but I got weird shooting pains and itchy-twitchy feelings in my legs. I guess it was pregnancy induced RLS (restless leg syndrome.) I would vigorously rub lotion (that my husband wisely kept in the fridge) on my legs and feet right before trying to fall asleep and it would stop the twitches long enough (usually) for me to fall asleep. Also what worked was my husband would take one of those back rub things (that kinda looks like a wooden spider) and rub the bottoms of my feet and my calves.
Have a great rest of your pregnancy! Despite all the aches and pains, I soooooooo miss being pregnant!
Dawn says...
Kimberly,
Yes, I’ve read about pregnancy-induced RLS. I think that would drive me crazy!!
My friend/editor also told me (in Week 24) that she’s afraid she may have pregnancy-induced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome… another kind of strange thing that goes away after birth. Still, that’s especially scary for someone in the writing/editing field.
Awww, Multi-tasking! So sorry about your pain AND the stretch marks. Has your belly button “popped” yet? Mine hasn’t, it’s just gotten more shallow.
Try ice and cocoa / shea butter. They say it won’t help the stretch marks but I say it can’t hurt, either! The good thing about 35 weeks??? Only 5 weeks or less to go!!
Dawn Allcot says...
So I finally broke down last night and took out one of the baby’s teething ice packs (not a ring, but a solid one) for my belly button pain. It was so pretty and pink — who could resist? Besides, I was out of bags of frozen peas.
Learned from a friend, too, that not all belly buttons do pop! So yay! There’s hope!
Dawn
moni918 says...
Oh, I have a couple of good ones-my lowerback and public bone hurt during my whole 2nd pregnancy (I’m 40 weeks today) and around the 38th week I started getting shooting (electric-shock-like)pains from my pelvic area to my feet, then they started from my back lower waist to my feet. I still get them and they are scary and bend my knees-I’ve felt like my legs will give up and I will fall-has anyone felt that?