Cause | Common Features* | Diagnostic Approach† |
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Normal changes of pregnancy Medical Care During Pregnancy Ideally, a couple who is thinking of having a baby should see a doctor or other health care practitioner to discuss whether pregnancy is advisable. Usually, pregnancy is very safe. However,... read more , including stretching and growth of the uterus and surrounding connective tissues | A crampy sensation or pressure in the lower abdomen, pelvis, and/or lower back Sometimes, sudden sharp pain with movement (round ligament pain) | Regular prenatal check-up with maternal vital signs, examination of the abdomen, sometimes pelvic examination, and measurement of fetal heart rate Sometimes ultrasonography of the pelvis |
Crampy pain in the pelvis Usually vaginal bleeding, sometimes with passage of tissue from the pregnancy | Fetal heart rate measurement A pregnancy blood test Ultrasonography of the pelvis | |
An ectopic pregnancy Ectopic Pregnancy Ectopic pregnancy is attachment (implantation) of a fertilized egg in an abnormal location, such as a fallopian tube. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus cannot survive. Women with an ectopic... read more (an abnormally located pregnancy—not in its usual place in the uterus) | Abdominal or pelvic pain that
If the ectopic pregnancy has ruptured, possibly fainting, light-headedness, or a rapid heart rate | A pregnancy blood test Ultrasonography of the pelvis Sometimes laparoscopy (insertion of a viewing tube through an incision in the abdomen) or laparotomy (surgery involving an incision into the abdomen) |
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome | Use of fertility medications for current pregnancy Dull abdominal pain or pressure If moderate or severe, weight gain, abdominal distension and ascites, acute kidney disease, pleural effusion Pleural Effusion Pleural effusion is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space (the area between the two layers of the thin membrane that covers the lungs). Fluid can accumulate in the pleural... read more , or disseminated intravascular coagulation Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a condition in which small blood clots develop throughout the bloodstream, blocking small blood vessels. The increased clotting depletes the platelets... read more | Ultrasonography Blood tests |
Often burning during urination, an urge to urinate often (frequency), and a need to urinate immediately (urgency) Sometimes, discomfort felt in the area above the pubic bone Sometimes, blood in urine Sometimes, fever and chills | Urine tests (urinalysis) and culture | |
* Features include symptoms and results of the doctor's examination. Features mentioned are typical but not always present. | ||
† In pregnant women with concerning symptoms, the doctor assesses maternal vital signs, does a physical examination, and evaluates the status of the fetus with a fetal heart rate monitor or ultrasound. |