Early Pregnancy Cramping--Help?

[WaturMama]

I am very early in a pregnancy--only 16dpo. I've had a nice increase in pg test line darkness and "good" symptoms like nausea and intense breast tenderness. I've had a lot of stretchy feelings in my abdomen, but Thursday and Friday it felt like menstrual type cramps. I went to see my TCM person. As soon as the needles went in it started feeling better. By the time I left it was gone.

But today the cramping has come back. It got worse this evening and feels like burning right now. Aviva Jill Romm's "Natural Pregnancy Book" suggests some herbs I don't have and it is too late to go out and buy anything.

Any suggestions? I don't want to hear m/c stories. I know that's a possibility. But if anyone knows anything I can do to support this pregnancy and feel better, I'd love to hear it. Thank you.

[RedOakMomma]

If you look back at the beginning threads of almost every due date club here, I'm betting you'll see discussions of these crampy, pulling feelings in the first few weeks of being pregnant. Most of the women in our ddc had them, myself included. TOTALLY normal. This was my first pregnancy after a loss, so they really freaked me out, but try not to worry...it's a very normal symptom of early pregnancy.

[WaturMama]

Oh thank you so much RedOakMomma. I got teary when I read your post--because of the good news and it is so kindly written.

I recognize your "name." Were you in the August 2007 DDC once?

Also was just going to write a note here that I am noticing that a lot of the discomfort is in that crease area at the tops of my legs too.

I'm going to go check out those DDCs.

[NullSet]

I've always seen that cramping in the first couple of weeks as a good sign. Baby is just digging in! I've found I get crampier with each pregnancy. I don't remember any with my first but they've gotten steadily worse with each one after that.

[WaturMama]

Thanks, apecaut. Interesting about you noticing you get crampier with every pregnancy. I was starting to suspect that trend. Crazy as it seems, my dh and I both think my belly shape has changed (remember I am only 16 dpo!), but one theory we have is my body knows it needs to move stuff around and so it is in higher gear than the first pg, and that is why I'm feeling all those sensations.

[cagirlintexas]

I actually had a ton with my first pregnancy. I was sure I was going to miscarry but it never happen. Right around the time you are at. The doctor told me it was my uterus stretching. With pregnancy I had none which actually worried me more.

[MyFullHouse]

After my m/c, I experienced severe cramping with my next two pregnancies, to the point of being doubled over in pain (and tears). I did go to the ER both times, terrified of a repeat m/c. Instead, I have two dds.

[Lyndzies]

In the beginning of this pregnancy, I definitely had AF-like cramps, enough to make me think that she was right around the corner, and to check the TP obsessively. I know how stressful it can be! and I'm sure your little bean is just fine (and digging in deep as a PP suggested).

[mistymama]

It's very normal to be crampy in early pregnancy. You really don't need to worry about a m/c unless you have red blood with the cramping .. and when I had my m/c, the blood came before the cramping.

I was very crampy with this pregnancy early on, felt just like AF was coming. It lasted from about 14 dpo - 5 weeks. It's very normal, and like PP's have said, it's just your little one digging in and getting cozy.

Congrats on your news, I'm sure you will be just fine!

[matey]

I too had the early cramping. I actually dont remember having it with my 1st pregnancy, which ended in m/c around 9/10 weeks. I did have it with ds and the LO I am carrying. It freaked me out with both of them, but everything was fine.

[SumnerRain]

I just looked this up last night (I am 5w0d) because I am not only having cramping, just jabbing, like round ligament pains already). This is my 4th pregnancy and I read that it starts earlier with each pregnancy. They also said in the articles that cramping is actually a GOOD sign that the baby is digging in deep and they worry more about a mama not cramping. With my DD, I had bleeding too, along with cramping, and it turned out there was just a little pocket of blood where she implanted called a subchorionic bleed. She is just fine, the blood was always pink - brown, but I get how scary all these early weeks are. My newest worry is that I don't have morning sickness in the morning.... all morning long I obsess about my lack of symptoms, but then come 11am-noon it hits me like a truck and I spend the rest of the day wishing I felt as good as I did when I woke up.

FYI, I saw this cool video last night in my search that I wanted to share. http://www.babycenter.com/2_inside-p...-9_10302602.bc Makes sense why we cramp so much!

[WaturMama]

Thank you for all the notes! Very encouraging.

[robin_s]

Dont worry!

Hello!
I am 7 weeks and 2 days today. The first two weeks after I found out (right at week four), I had some pretty intense cramping. I've had two miscarriages so I was convinced something was wrong!!!

The major difference that I noticed this time though was that it seemed to happen only at night, mostly when I was trying to sleep. I had my blood work taken over a few days and my numbers increased nicely so that made me feel alot better. I've noticed that over the last week or so the cramps still come but happen less and less frequently, so I'm reassured that it's a somewhat scary but normal part of the process.

I think the best thing is to not worry too much. Maybe have your blood taken will help you feel better as well.

Oh, and I heard drinking lots of water helps.

Congrats btw