Pregnancy stretches just about every office of your trunk to the max — including, for some moms-to-be, the rib muzzle. The outcome: an achy side and rib pain that may not go away even when you lot change positions.

Hither'due south what causes rib pain during pregnancy and how to ease the anguish.

What causes rib pain during pregnancy?

Rib hurting tends to crop up in the second and third trimesters, specially well-nigh the stop of your pregnancy, as your belly — and everything else — stretches to conform your growing babe.

There are a few possible causes of rib pain during pregnancy, including:

  • Hormones. The same pregnancy hormones that are responsible for loosening your joints — especially that aptly named hormone, relaxin — can sometimes cause the ribs to expand. This is welcome news to your lungs (which are already curt on space) and uterus (which won't end growing), but not to your achy ribs and side.
  • Inflammation. The cartilage attached to your ribs tin loosen and expand during pregnancy, causing inflammation (read: hurting) in the area.
  • Increased pressure level from the uterus. As your uterus continues to expand — and your breasts keep getting bigger — your rib muzzle may exist, quite literally, under some pressure.
  • Baby's kicks. Your little contortionist may have sunk a human foot into your ribs, and (surprise!) she packs a powerful punch.

How does rib pain change during pregnancy?

In the early stages of pregnancy, y'all may not feel any rib pain at all. Some women, nonetheless, volition feel rib pain during the afterward stages of their pregnancy when their torso starts to stretch in earnest. Here's how rib pregnancy can change as the months progress:

  • First trimester: Because rib pain is often caused by an ever-expanding body  — particularly a uterus that keeps stretching to accommodate a growing baby — it doesn't tend to occur in the first trimester. Past the terminate of the first trimester, it'due south likely that your baby weighs only an ounce or less. What's more, many women don't proceeds very much weight in the first few months of their pregnancies. Those who have morning sickness may even lose a few pounds.
  • Second trimester: As your baby continues to abound, you lot may experience some rib hurting and shortness of jiff, which crops upward as your growing uterus pushes up against your diaphragm and compresses your lungs.
  • Third trimester: Rib pain tends to continue later in pregnancy, when the uterus is expanding in earnest and putting more pressure on the ribs. Your infant is too growing bigger — and likely throwing a few jabs or kicks into your ribs too.

The good news: In the weeks before you evangelize, your baby ofttimes gets ready for birth past dropping into the pelvis, which takes the pressure off your ribs (and keeps them safe from any devious kicks).

How practice I salvage rib pain during pregnancy?

You don't take to wait until delivery twenty-four hour period to feel amend. Use these tips to ease rib pain.

  • Wearable loose clothing. A too-tight shirt or dress can add more force per unit area to your already-agonized ribs. Stick to motherhood dresses, loose sweaters and extra-long tanks and T-shirts.
  • Take a bath. A warm (non hot) bath tin ease many of the aches and pains of pregnancy. Non certain you lot can safely climb out of a bathtub? Try a heating pad instead.
  • Find a dissimilar position. If your baby is a, well, hurting in the ribs, endeavour to change her position by changing yours. Endeavour bouncing on an exercise ball or doing a few pelvic tilts.
  • Wear a abdomen-support band. Belly-back up bands are designed to help redistribute the weight around your growing middle. While they're primarily used to ease round ligament pain, they can also help accept the pressure off your straining abdomen, which may be pulling on your ribs and causing pain.
  • Have Tylenol. If you've tried every home remedy for rib pain to no avail, ask your dr. if you can take Tylenol (acetaminophen).

When should I be concerned well-nigh rib hurting?

If you have concerns virtually rib pain or nothing seems to be helping, it's a practiced idea to phone call your doctor.

Phone call, too, if you lot're having rib pain in your upper abdomen, particularly if information technology's flaring up under the ribs on the right side of your body. Pain that appears in this area is a possible symptom of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complexity that's characterized by high blood pressure. Other signs of preeclampsia include severe headaches, changes in vision and nausea.

Preeclampsia likely won't become away until after your baby is born, and until then, it'due south of import that you're treated for it. If you practise have preeclampsia, your doctor will likely recommend regular blood and urine tests, and ask you to monitor your claret pressure levels. Depending on how severe your condition is, you may demand to take BP meds or receive treatment in the infirmary.