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What Causes Abdominal Pain During Initial Pregnancy When Suffering From Low AFI?

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Posted on Sat, 11 Jan 2014
Question: my wife is 35 weeks 2 days pregnent. She is having the pain in abdomen left side which is last for 5 to 10 minutes. my wife is having low AFI ie 6.6 cms when scanning done at 34 weeks. the gynecologist advised to take the argnine sachets twice a day. Pls advise what is the reason for the pain ?
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Answered by Dr. Aarti Abraham (45 minutes later)
Brief Answer: DETAILED BELOW Detailed Answer: Hello Thanks for trusting us with your health concern. Back pain is very common in the third trimester of pregnancy. As the uterus grows and becomes an abdominal organ, it puts pressure on the surrounding nerves, muscles and ligaments. At 35 weeks, the uterus occupies the entire abdomen, thus leading to pain and pressure sensation. Also, there is postural problems, as walking and sleeping get more difficult. Calcium and vitamin D deficiency is also responsible for pain and bone problems. She should sleep propped up with pillows. Avoid wearing high heels. Get the calcium and Vitamin D levels checked, and increase the supplements accordingly. Try gentle massage with Volini gel or sleeping with a hot water bottle in bed. A mild analgesic can be taken occasionally. The last few weeks of pregnancy are often troublesome, and sometimes, the abdominal pain persists in spite of all measures. ALso, as term grows closer, there are subtle uterine contractions, which are often painless , but sometimes cause minor discomfort. PLease ask your obstetrician to rule out preterm labour by an examination, if the pain is quite severe and does not respond to gentle massage / hot water bottle / rest / analgesic like Combiflam. Also, she should have regular scans to keep the liquor volume in check. Take atleast 4 - 5 litres of fluid per day . Eat lots of proteins and nutritious food. Sleep in the left lateral position. Continue arginine sachets daily. Have daily fetal monitoring - count fetal movements for one hour each, after breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner. The total should be atleast 10 movements per day. Have a colour doppler to rule out gross fetal growth abnormalities. All the best. Please feel free to ask for further clarifications.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Aarti Abraham

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Practicing since :1998

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What Causes Abdominal Pain During Initial Pregnancy When Suffering From Low AFI?

Brief Answer: DETAILED BELOW Detailed Answer: Hello Thanks for trusting us with your health concern. Back pain is very common in the third trimester of pregnancy. As the uterus grows and becomes an abdominal organ, it puts pressure on the surrounding nerves, muscles and ligaments. At 35 weeks, the uterus occupies the entire abdomen, thus leading to pain and pressure sensation. Also, there is postural problems, as walking and sleeping get more difficult. Calcium and vitamin D deficiency is also responsible for pain and bone problems. She should sleep propped up with pillows. Avoid wearing high heels. Get the calcium and Vitamin D levels checked, and increase the supplements accordingly. Try gentle massage with Volini gel or sleeping with a hot water bottle in bed. A mild analgesic can be taken occasionally. The last few weeks of pregnancy are often troublesome, and sometimes, the abdominal pain persists in spite of all measures. ALso, as term grows closer, there are subtle uterine contractions, which are often painless , but sometimes cause minor discomfort. PLease ask your obstetrician to rule out preterm labour by an examination, if the pain is quite severe and does not respond to gentle massage / hot water bottle / rest / analgesic like Combiflam. Also, she should have regular scans to keep the liquor volume in check. Take atleast 4 - 5 litres of fluid per day . Eat lots of proteins and nutritious food. Sleep in the left lateral position. Continue arginine sachets daily. Have daily fetal monitoring - count fetal movements for one hour each, after breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner. The total should be atleast 10 movements per day. Have a colour doppler to rule out gross fetal growth abnormalities. All the best. Please feel free to ask for further clarifications.