How Does the Stomach Feel in Early Pregnancy?

Early pregnancy (first trimester) abdominal symptoms include nausea/morning sickness, cramping, constipation, heartburn, bloating, and gas.

Pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, and pregnancy symptoms may begin in some people as early as a week after implantation. Other people may have no signs other than a missed period until a few months into the pregnancy. 

In many women, a missed period is the first sign of pregnancy but the only way to know for sure if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. 

There may be a number of stomach or abdominal symptoms that occur during the first trimester, such as:

• Nausea/morning sickness
  • Usually occurs about 2 to 8 weeks after conception
  • Morning sickness occurs most frequently during the first trimester and then goes away, but may continue throughout pregnancy for some women
• Lower abdominal cramps
  • Implantation cramping may occur about a week after ovulation 
  • Stretching and growing of the uterus in early pregnancy can also cause abdominal cramps
• Constipation
  • An increase in the hormone progesterone, which causes the muscles in the intestines to relax, can cause food to pass through the digestive system more slowly
  • Iron supplements or prenatal vitamins that may be high in iron are often prescribed to pregnant women and may worsen constipation
  • The growing baby takes up space in the abdomen which can affect normal bowel activity
• Heartburn/indigestion/acid reflux
  • Progesterone can cause also cause heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux because it causes the valve at the top of the stomach to relax which allows gastric acid to escape up the esophagus, especially when lying down in bed
• Bloating and gas
  • Hormonal changes that affect the digestive tract also cause the body to produce more gas, which can result in bloating