Oscar winning actress Mira Sorvino is on top of the world. According to recently published reports she has just given birth to a baby boy. The newborn is her third child with husband Christopher Backus. Their other children are 4-year-old Mattea Angel and 3-year-old Johnny Christopher King.

Placenta Previa Threatened Mira’s life.

Mira developed the condition called placenta previa. This condition occurs when the placenta is attached to the uterine wall sometimes covering the cervix. It generally occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Less than 1% of pregnancies are affected by this condition.

Thankfully, after being placed on nine-weeks bed rest Sorvino was able to welcome her baby into the world. As a mom she had a rough time being away from her husband and children. She was quoted as saying, “I developed a blood clot due to all the inactivity and had to be anti-coagulated for months to prevent a pulmonary embolism. I spent another two-and-a-half weeks at the hospital, during which time, missing the children and my husband and knowing what the separation was doing to the kids became almost unbearable.”

Life After Pregnancy

Like most moms who go through difficult pregnancies, all problems were forgotten once she met her second son. Sorvino said, “As soon as they placed him in my arms I knew it had all been worth it.”

Sorvino and Backus met when Backus waited on her at a restaurant in West Hollywood in 2003 and have been married since June, 2004. It is certainly good news to hear that Sorvino came through this difficult pregnancy and is now able to enjoy her new baby. Congratulations to her and her husband on the newest addition to her family.

This week, I took my 30 minutes recommended cardio per day and saved it all up for one day! Trust me, ladies, this is not a good idea!

My husband, my niece, her friend and I decided to walk from 10th Street in New York City’s East Village all the way up Broadway and 52nd Street. I held up better than I could have imagined, walking at a fairly rapid pace and I drank enough water to stay hydrated during the trek. I felt pretty good having survived the journey, and I know that exercise is good for me and the baby. But my body paid for it today with a new-to-me pregnancy pain.

When I first got a sharp pain in the right side of my abdomen this morning, I figured it was just the baby kicking, although I didn’t feel the pressure of a kick. This same pain came and went several times throughout the day; it was sudden and sharp enough to cause me to double-over twice.

However, with no bleeding, spotting, cramps, chills, fever, dizziness, contractions or anything else that would be cause for concern, I chalked it up to “just another pregnancy pain,” and turned to the Internet. A few quick searches reassured me that this pain is quite common, and is called “round ligament pain.”

With a name for my most-recent pregnancy symptom, a quick search on Babies Online turned up even more details and information on round ligament pain, which is extremely common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

The pain is caused by the stretching and thinning of the thick ligaments that suspend your uterus within your abdomen. The pain may be worse (or, in my case, appear for the first time) after extensive exercise. If this is the case, rest should help alleviate the pain. I’m hoping to feel better tomorrow!

I found that changing positions (from sitting to standing) or, if I was already standing when the pain struck, bending or stretching, helped. After one particularly sharp pain that left me nearly breathless, walking around my house alleviated the discomfort. Rubbing the spot gently also helped.

Your doctor or midwife may recommend Tylenol if the pain is so bad that you can’t sleep or it’s keeping you from functioning normally. You can also try applying a heating pad, taking a warm bath or standing under a warm shower, although pregnant women are advised to avoid hot tubs or extremely hot baths.

Some symptoms may seem similar to round ligament pain but may actually point to a dangerous medical problem. When should you be concerned?

If the pain emanates from the lower right portion of your abdomen and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and fever, this could signify appendicitis. Since some statistics show that 1 in every 2,000 pregnant women are diagnosed with appendicitis, it is important to get treatment immediately if you suspect this may be the cause of your pain. Pain from appendicitis will typically get worse over time rather than coming and going in short bursts.

If the pain is accompanied by blood in your urine, you could be passing a kidney stone.

Ovarian cysts or an ectopic pregnancy could be the cause of sharp abdominal pains, but this is more common in the first trimester.

Several articles I’ve read about round ligament pain describe my symptoms exactly, and I don’t have any “warning signs” of these other problems. This was enough to put my mind at ease. However, if you are in pain and can’t pinpoint the cause, call your health care provider immediately. It is probably nothing, but peace of mind is important during pregnancy.

As for me, I’m going to take a hot shower and hope these newest pains subside and don’t wake me during the night. And I’ve certainly learned my lesson about overdoing it with exercise.

The good news? Like any other pregnancy symptom, they will be gone in a matter of months.

The information in this post intended solely as a general educational aid and is not a substitute for medical or other professional advice and services from a qualified health care provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.