2nd Trimester

As the uterus continues to grow, the round ligaments (bands of fibrous tissue along both sides of the uterus) that support your uterus are pulled and stretched. You may feel this stretching as either sharp pains in your abdomen, usually on one side or the other, or as a dull ache. It is most common to feel these pains between the 18th and 24th week of pregnancy

Tips to prevent or alleviate these pains:

• avoid quick changes in position, especially when turning at the waist
• when you do feel a pain, bend toward it to relieve it
• resting and changing position may help relieve pain

If you have abdominal pain that persists or becomes more intense, call your health care provider.