Pregnancy stretches just about every part of your trunk to the max — including, for some moms-to-be, the rib cage. The issue: an achy side and rib pain that may non become abroad fifty-fifty when you alter positions.

Here'due south what causes rib pain during pregnancy and how to ease the ache.

What causes rib pain during pregnancy?

Rib pain tends to crop upward in the second and 3rd trimesters, especially nearly the terminate of your pregnancy, equally your belly — and everything else — stretches to accommodate your growing baby.

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 — tin can sometimes cause the ribs to expand. This is welcome news to your lungs (which are already short on space) and uterus (which won't finish growing), simply not to your achy ribs and side.
  • Inflammation. The cartilage attached to your ribs can loosen and expand during pregnancy, causing inflammation (read: hurting) in the area.
  • Increased pressure from the uterus. As your uterus continues to expand — and your breasts go along getting bigger — your rib muzzle may be, quite literally, under some pressure level.
  • Baby's kicks. Your little contortionist may have sunk a pes into your ribs, and (surprise!) she packs a powerful punch.

How does rib pain modify during pregnancy?

In the early stages of pregnancy, yous may not experience any rib pain at all. Some women, however, will experience rib pain during the later on stages of their pregnancy when their body starts to stretch in earnest. Here's how rib pregnancy can change equally the months progress:

  • First trimester: Because rib pain is frequently acquired by an ever-expanding body  — peculiarly a uterus that keeps stretching to adapt a growing baby — it doesn't tend to occur in the offset trimester. By the terminate of the start trimester, information technology's likely that your babe weighs only an ounce or less. What'southward more, many women don't gain very much weight in the start few months of their pregnancies. Those who have forenoon sickness may even lose a few pounds.
  • Second trimester: Equally your baby continues to abound, you may experience some rib pain and shortness of jiff, which crops up as your growing uterus pushes up against your diaphragm and compresses your lungs.
  • Third trimester: Rib pain tends to go along later in pregnancy, when the uterus is expanding in earnest and putting more pressure on the ribs. Your baby is also growing bigger — and likely throwing a few jabs or kicks into your ribs likewise.

The good news: In the weeks before you deliver, your babe often gets set for nascence past dropping into the pelvis, which takes the pressure off your ribs (and keeps them safe from whatsoever stray kicks).

How exercise I salvage rib pain during pregnancy?

You don't accept to await until delivery day to experience amend. Use these tips to ease rib hurting.

  • Clothing loose vesture. A too-tight shirt or dress tin can add more pressure to your already-aching ribs. Stick to motherhood dresses, loose sweaters and extra-long tanks and T-shirts.
  • Take a bath. A warm (not hot) bathroom can ease many of the aches and pains of pregnancy. Not sure you tin can safely climb out of a bathtub? Try a heating pad instead.
  • Find a different position. If your baby is a, well, pain in the ribs, try to modify her position by irresolute yours. Endeavor bouncing on an exercise ball or doing a few pelvic tilts.
  • Wearable a abdomen-support band. Abdomen-support bands are designed to assistance redistribute the weight around your growing center. While they're primarily used to ease circular ligament pain, they tin can besides help have the pressure level off your straining abdomen, which may be pulling on your ribs and causing pain.
  • Accept Tylenol. If yous've tried every abode remedy for rib pain to no avail, inquire your medico if you lot can take Tylenol (acetaminophen).

When should I be concerned about rib pain?

If you accept concerns virtually rib hurting or zero seems to be helping, it'due south a good idea to telephone call your doctor.

Phone call, too, if you're having rib pain in your upper abdomen, peculiarly if it'southward flaring upwards under the ribs on the right side of your body. Pain that appears in this area is a possible symptom of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication that'south characterized by high blood pressure. Other signs of preeclampsia include astringent headaches, changes in vision and nausea.

Preeclampsia likely won't go away until after your baby is born, and until then, it'southward of import that you're treated for information technology. If you do accept preeclampsia, your doctor volition likely recommend regular blood and urine tests, and ask you lot to monitor your blood pressure levels. Depending on how severe your status is, you may need to take BP meds or receive treatment in the infirmary.