Sleeping Soundly: How to Manage Rib Pain During Pregnancy
How to sleep with rib pain during pregnancy?
It’s pretty amazing to see your tummy getting bigger throughout pregnancy as you eagerly wait for your due date. But, with that growth comes several unexpected pains.
Rib pain is one of them. It doesn’t let you sleep on your sides.
Yes, there are medicines that can help, but before you take medicine, you must know the type of pain you are dealing with.
In this article we have discussed how pregnancy can cause rib pain and gave you an understanding of how to deal with it. Continue reading.
Understanding Rib Pain During Pregnancy
Pregnancy isn’t easy. It does change to your body that are otherwise impossible to handle. When your little one is growing, your body adjusts to the growth needs of your baby to make room for them. It changes your body in more ways than you can imagine. Well, want to know?
Here are some factors – your body faces more hormonal fluctuations than they could have ever expected. Then the uterus starts to expand, and your baby starts to have other different psychological changes and adjustments leading to rib pain. So, when you have rib pain, how do you adjust and cope with it?
Well, first, you understand the reason behind it, and we have more reasons than one to help you understand what’s causing rib pain during pregnancy. Here are the most important ones –
Growing Uterus
During pregnancy, your uterus starts to grow. This growth causes intense rib pain, which is hard to cope with. You begin to find it impossible to sleep on your sides. This is one of the most common signs of pregnancy and nothing to worry about.
During pregnancy, the size of your abdomen changes due to a growing uterus. As a result, it puts pressure on the rib, causing pain.
Hormonal Changes
Your body undergoes tremendous levels of hormonal changes. Your body starts to secrete a hormone called relaxin. It makes the joints and ligaments of your body expand.
Yes, it’s good for the lungs when you are pregnant, and your body expands to make a place for the baby. But it’s not the best thing for your ribs; yes, they’ll hurt.
Breast Enlargement
The next difficult thing to experience during pregnancy is breast enlargement. It’s also related to the growth and hurting of your ribs. When you are pregnant, the breast gets bigger, and the veins are more visible.
The nipples grow, and they become more sensitive during this phase. Also, when your breasts start to grow, the posture of your body changes, putting pressure on the ribs.
Weight Gain
Due to this your body will need more food and your weight will grow significantly. This change in weight causes the weight to lose balance as the center of gravity, weight distribution, and posture change. This change of weight can put pressure on the lower back, hips, and ribs.
The Growing Baby
All these changes are happening due to the growing size of the baby. During the end of the second trimester, the uterus expands to make room for the baby. The baby’s position changes when its head faces downward in the second trimester.
These shifts also affect your rib and make it difficult to sleep on the side due to rib pain. All these growing issues with your baby start to cause problems with the rib.
Other Reasons Causing Rib Pain During Pregnancy
Aside from all the above reasons, there are other common reasons characterized by pregnancy that make it difficult to sleep on your rib –
- Indigestion: The hormone relaxin makes your esophagus relax and causes heartburn. It’s common to have rib pain with indigestion.
- Gallstones: this is also a common reason for experiencing rib pain during pregnancy. Some women delay the process of emptying their bladder during pregnancy, which can cause gallstones. It’s also a reason for rib pain
- UTI: Pregnant women stay at risk of developing UTI in the third trimester. UTI can cause rib pain as well.
- Constipation: Delayed bowel movement during pregnancy can cause constipation, which, also, is a cause of concern during pregnancy.
Tips on How to Sleep with Rib Pain During Pregnancy
I hate to break it to you, but if you decide to get pregnant, you might have to make peace with these pains. Rib pain is a common occurrence during pregnancy, and there can be several reasons behind it. If it’s caused by your baby kicking in the stomach, then the doctor will prescribe pain medication.
If you are facing them due to UTI, gallstone, and the other reasons explained above, the medication for those will take care of the pain to some extent. However, here are some tips that work to alleviate the pain and get you through this journey.
Posture Correction
Make sure to adjust your posture when sitting, lying down, or sleeping. These are the best ways to correct your posture during pregnancy and give you a better sense of control over your body. As a result, you get to sleep better and handle your rib pain.
Work on Sleeping Posture
How to sleep with rib pain during pregnancy? This is one of the best Pain management techniques before bedtime. If this question is bothering you, you might want to work on your posture.
No, sleeping on your back may not be the best sleeping posture during pregnancy. But you can sleep with your knees bent and with a pillow under your head. Keep a pillow in between the legs for comfort and more balance.
Stretching & Exercise
It’s common for women to stop exercising during pregnancy. No, there’s no need for heavy exercise. You can have your doctor suggest healthy stretching methods to keep your body at a steady and healthy phase. You can try stretches like side bends to lessen rib pain and pain on your sides.
Use a Maternity Belt
You can use a maternity belt during pregnancy to help you support your baby bump. This will help you keep your growing weight balanced and reposition the baby, reducing the pain in your rib and other parts of the body.
Heat & Ice Packs
Both heat and ice packs help alleviate rib pain during pregnancy. But, when applying them, make sure not to put them directly on the abdomen.
Breast enlargement is one of the reasons causing rib pain during pregnancy. You can solve that by wearing a supportive bra. There are many good quality pregnancy bars available in the market, and they can help you throughout and after pregnancy.
When to Consult a Doctor?
It’s best to flag any of the rib pains you are experiencing during pregnancy. Do it as early as they appear to have a better sense of what’s affecting your body. You can have this discussion during your prenatal visits. But, if you are seeing any severe change, don’t hesitate or wait till the next appointment and have emergency discussions.
Some women experience heartburn or burning type of pain, which are symptoms of preeclampsia. So, if you have pre-eclampsia, there’s a reason to worry and consult the doctor as soon as possible.
Conclusion
But if it feels like a very manageable type of pain, then don’t worry; it’ll get better sooner than you think. If your doctor says that this pain is happening due to pregnancy or the body expanding, then you’ll manage. Also, you can use the tips provided here to make yourself feel better throughout the journey.
Disclaimer: However, if you are experiencing pain that’s otherwise difficult to manage, don’t hesitate to discuss it with a doctor. Also, the remedies and tips provided here are based on what we found through research on different medical documents and articles. Before you use any of them, consult with a doctor first. Thank you for reading.
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