Douleur dans le quadrant inférieur droit pendant la grossesse

Even if you are pregnant, you can still have tummy pain caused by all the same conditions seen in non-pregnant women. See our separate leaflet called Douleur dans le quadrant inférieur droit.

The rest of this leaflet looks only at common causes specific to pregnancy. Some examples of rarer causes are provided in Further Reading.

What causes right lower quadrant pain in pregnancy?

Fausse couche

• This is very common in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy (first trimester) - about 1 in 4 recognised pregnancies end in miscarriage.

• It can happen later in pregnancy (second trimester) but this is less common.

• Miscarriage usually causes cramping pain, like period pain, over both sides of the lower tummy.

• It is often accompanied by bleeding, which can range from a small amount of dark blood to larger amounts of bright red blood with clots.

You can find out more in the separate leaflet called Miscarriage and bleeding in early pregnancy.

Constipation

• Constipation is very common in pregnancy.

• It gives you crampy lower tummy (lower abdominal) pains.

• Vous aurez des selles moins fréquentes que d'habitude et vous évacuerez généralement des selles dures, en forme de boulettes (fèces).

You can read more about this in the separate leaflet called Constipation.

Douleur des ligaments pelviens

• Typically this starts at around 14 weeks and goes on into late pregnancy.

• C'est dû à l'utérus en croissance qui tire sur les structures (ligaments ronds et ligament large) qui le maintiennent en place.

• It usually causes a stabbing pain down one or both sides of the tummy (abdomen) and sometimes down into the hips and genital area.

• La douleur peut être assez marquée.

You can read more about this in the separate leaflet called Common problems in pregnancy.

Infection urinaire

• L'infection urinaire est plus fréquente pendant la grossesse.

• Les symptômes habituels sont des douleurs lors de la miction et une fréquence urinaire accrue.

• Vous pouvez également ressentir des douleurs abdominales et avoir une température élevée (fièvre) et remarquer du sang dans vos urines.

• If you do get pain, it's usually across the lower tummy but can be on one side if you are developing a infection rénale (pyélonéphrite).

See the separate leaflet called Urine infection in pregnancy.

Grossesse extra-utérine

• An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that is not in the womb (uterus).

• La douleur est souvent soudaine et peut être intense, mais elle peut apparaître sur plusieurs jours.

• Vous avez peut-être manqué vos règles, mais vous pouvez toujours avoir une grossesse extra-utérine même si vous pensez avoir eu vos règles.

• Les saignements vaginaux se produisent souvent mais pas toujours.

• Parfois, vous pouvez ressentir une douleur au sommet de votre épaule.

See the separate leaflet called Ectopic pregnancy.

Pelvic girdle pain affects the joint connecting the two bones at the front of your pelvis, called the symphysis pubis. This joint becomes loosened during pregnancy, often as early as 14 weeks into pregnancy. The pain can be severe and is usually felt over the symphysis pubis, but can spread to the RLQ.

Find out more in the separate leaflet called Common problems in pregnancy.

In later pregnancy, RLQ pain can be caused by a placental abruption or by going into labour. Placental abruption happens when there is bleeding between the afterbirth (placenta) and the lining of the womb. Labour is too soon (premature labour) if it happens before 37 weeks.

Voir les brochures séparées intitulées Travail prématuré et Douleur pelvienne chez les femmes for more information.