Sore spot on lower belly?

[MacKinnon]

I'm just shy of 18 weeks and I have been sick this last week. I've had a bad cough and in the course of that last few days developed a really sore spot, it's about the size of a finger tip and on the lower left side of my belly, about halfway in from the hip. It hurts badly when I cough, like a pulled muscle, and it's beginning to just hurt, even when I'm not coughing. I thought it was a pulled muscle, from all the coughing, but it's one exact spot, not a general area. Any thoughts here? I'm worried it's a separated muscle, or hernia or something that will be an issue for the next 22 weeks! I'm suppose to see my midwives tomorrow but have to reschedule due to a funeral, so it will most likely be early next week before I'm in again.

[MaerynPearl]

Im no doctor but it doesnt sound like its something so severe that it would last the next 22 weeks.

I do suggest calling your midwife, of course. But likely you will just be told to take it easy for a few days and see if it goes away on its own... it could be a pulled muscle (even in just the one spot) or a bruise from a broken blood vessel or something.

Early on with this pregnancy I would randomly get a pain low down that was very much just one area, about the size of the tip of my thumb... but the doctor figured because of where it was located it was just my round ligament being irritated right there for some reason. (odd reasoning but it did go away with time)

[LindsayK]

I had a nasty cold with lots of coughing, and developed a sore spot as well. I was 17 or so weeks at the time. I talked with my midwife at the next appointment, and she poked around, and said its because my dear little son has gotten comfy there, and has been pushing so hard and so consistently that he's given me a bruise. She said that I can gently manually push him over, if that makes it feel better, or put an ice pack on it (which moth makes the bruise feel better, and will encourage the little one to find a warmer, more comfortable spot)

Hope that helps!

[mkmoro311]

Round Ligament? I had it the entire 3rd trimester!

[MacKinnon]

Thanks for the suggestions! I think it is a round ligament irritated by the baby settling in that spot and the cough. I go in on Thursday to the midwives (had to move appt). It's gotten better since the coughing stopped, but it's spread out along the ligament, like a typical round ligament pain. It's much worse when I first stand, and it settles down after a few minutes. Baby, when I'm up and around, settles in right there too, which is exacerbating it. When I lay down, baby drifts up out of my pelvis and it feels better!

[slgt]

I have had a couple of episodes like that. I'm pretty sure it's just round ligament - irritation in a specific spot b/c it's more susceptible.

RL pain seems to go away when I exercise on the elliptical regularly, oddly. Nothing else helped much - neither heat nor ice.