Pregnancy, for a woman, is the hardest part of having a kid, both mentally and physically.
Her mental health is vulnerable and unpredictable, and her physical health is easily exposed to multiple threats.
Pain under bra line during pregnancy is just one of the mildest conditions that can happen to her. Meanwhile, the roots might be something that would harm her in the long run.
Paying attention and seeking treatments for it soon enough will help prevent the risks from coming true!
Reasons Why You’re Experiencing Pain Under Bra Line During Pregnancy
It might be just your chest growing bigger than the lingerie’s size or due to the pressure coming from the uterus’s top as it develops. Sometimes, your baby kick or punch is to blame.
Is pain under breast normal during pregnancy? It’s quite popular yet shouldn’t be taken as “normal”.
There may be more to it that you have underestimated. Let’s see what the potentials are here.
Round Ligament Pain
One of the most familiar causes of the pain under bra line during pregnancy second trimester is the round ligament. The fibrous tissue cords of those ligaments bear great pressure from the uterus’s growth during pregnancy.
It’s purely because the cords are in close connection to the uterus by connecting the uterus’s front with the groin.
So, any movement can create sharp aches when paired with this phenomenon. You might feel hurt around your pelvis, back, or ribs.
Pressure From The Growing Fetus
The pain under bra line during pregnancy third trimester and late second trimester is also commonplace.
During this specific period, the uterus grows upward and carries the fetus inside of it.
That means the uterus will grow much bigger than it used to be, just like how your hips will widen, thereby placing great pressure on the ribs.
The fetus’s weight will also strain the muscles surrounding the abdomen. Then, that pressure will travel back and impact one’s rib muscles.
The above is the full explanation of how this pressure causes one’s muscle aches. Oftentimes, the problem is not too much of a big deal. But if it is, you should find your doctor in time.
The Position Of The Fetus
Among the causes of pain under bra line during early pregnancy, the fetus’s position seems to be happening at the same period as the growing fetus problem.
The unborn baby often changes its position when the second trimester of pregnancy is about to end. Its feet will point toward the woman’s ribs, and the head will turn upside down.
With the feet already on the spot, just some movements such as kicking or slightly moving can create pains and aches in the woman’s ribs. She will find her under-the-breast area hurt.
Urinary Tract Infection
Following up with the list are some more severe health conditions for which you should immediately seek medical attention if you have the symptoms.
The first one is urinary tract infection, which is more likely to happen in the third trimester.
Pregnancy has placed women at great risk of this health condition, primarily due to two reasons. To begin with, the changes in the bacteria in her urinary tract during this period are the culprit.
Also, it’s owing to the difficulty of getting everything out of the bladder under the great pressure of the fetus.
UTI will make one suffer from kidney pain, which is quite similar to pregnancy pain below breast.
If you’re having one of the uncomfortable symptoms below, your problem may be UTI:
- Bladder pain or somewhere near your kidneys
- Chills or fever
- Insufficient urine flow
- Increased urination frequency
- Urination comes with a burning sensation
Gallstones
Not only is it a kind of pain under bra line during pregnancy first trimester, but this can also happen anytime.
When a woman is pregnant, her estrogen levels will rise, and it’s harder for her to empty her gallbladder. These are two drivers of gallstones.
Studies have shown that about 12% of women in their pregnancy develop gallstones. Sometimes, there are no symptoms at all.
Other times, they will feel aches in their upper abdomen on the right.
Preeclampsia
The rib pain 37 weeks pregnant might be one of the common symptoms of preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome (a preeclampsia variant).
It’s actually a signal from the liver that you feel in the upper quadrant of your right.
These two medical complications can appear anywhere near the second trimester’s end or the third.
You can feel it painful like under-bra-line aches, serious heartburn, or even from your shoulder.
How do I know if my rib pain is preeclampsia? Check for the following signs:
- An upper quadrant in the right of the abdomen ache
- Visual disturbances, such as seeing eye floaters
- Gaining extra weight suddenly
- Face and hands swollen
- Difficulty urinating
- Severe heartburn
- Nausea returns
- Malaise
- Headaches that can’t be stopped by medication
- High blood pressure
- Protein in your urine
Without timely treatment, the two complications can threaten the pregnant woman and her fetus.
It’s so dangerous that if one suffers from them, she might have to deliver the baby earlier than the due date.
They can leave the woman with high blood pressure symptoms even after giving birth and require more medications.
Heartburn
The relaxin produced during pregnancy is for prepping ligaments and muscles so that the body is ready for the big day.
Unfortunately, it’s also one of the answers to “What causes pain under the breast during pregnancy”.
You can experience aches under your ribs, around your pelvis, and even heartburn. Why? Relaxin relaxes your esophagus, the food carrier from your mouth to your stomach.
By doing that, it’s also allowing the acid to go further and form heartburn.
You might experience this from the first to the third trimester.
Constipation
This one will delay your bowel movements and make them harder and infrequent.
At the same time, you will also sense abdominal discomfort under your ribs, right on the upper of the abdomen when you’re pregnant.
How To Ease The Pain Under Bra Line During Pregnancy
Each case requires different treatments.
If it’s the fetus’s movements or positions, that is unavoidable because you can’t stop your healthy fetus from exploring its world inside the womb.
However, you can ease your agony by seeking your doctor’s approval for medication and taking warm baths. It’s also safe for you to do some gentle exercising and stretching.
What if your case is UTI? You can have some antibiotics for the infection.
Though there is not much you can do yourself to eliminate it entirely, below are some tips that can help you lessen the bad feelings:
- Do gentle exercises and stretches regularly. You can use some equipment such as a ball for stretching out. Yoga can be a brilliant idea as it’s effective and gentle enough.
- Use heat pads that are not extremely warm.
- Seek advice from a chiropractor specializing in pregnancy for relieving musculoskeletal aches, changing postures, and exercising.
- Change your closet to clothes that are loose-fitting. Avoid wearing tight shirts and dresses so you’re not stretching your ribs.
- By changing your position, you are changing your baby’s too.
- Bad posture can hurt you, so sit up with your back straight and stop hunching over for comfort.
- Utilize bands to support your belly. They will help you with the round ligament one so your abdomen is not stressed. The theory behind them is that they will distribute the fetus’s weight.
- Try this practice: Sit with your legs crossed and your hands placed on the ribcage. Breathe in deeply while expanding the ribcage. Exhale out slowly. Do that again a minimum of 8 times each day.
- Ask the doctor for Tylenol (acetaminophen). This is only if the above can’t make you feel better.
- Bonus: Give the 21 day fix pregnancy a try and feel the better of you!
Conclusion
Pain under bra line during pregnancy can have different roots and results. Some are mild, and some are more severe.
The important thing is to focus on yourself, the pregnant woman, and the baby inside of you to acknowledge any potential problems in time.
Remember to always consult your doctor before deciding to take any medications or treatment to avoid unworthy outcomes.
