# PAIN UNDER RIBS & BUMP SIZE QUESTION



## ApplePieMum (Mar 23, 2005)

Hi
Just a quickie, thank goodness for this resource as my midewife is pretty useless. 
I am 29 weeks pregnant and have been having real trouble sleeping due to getting really bad pains under my ribs and down side of bump when on either side. Have resorted to sitting almost upright to try and sleep - mostly unsuccessfully!!! Any advice on what this is and how i can alleviate it? I have been cheked for pre-ecampsia and am clear so far. 
Also I cant seem to get it out of my head that my bump is small for 29+ weeks. My last antenatal at 27 weeks showed growth to be fine, baby moves ALOT and heartbeat is good and strong whenever checked. My DH says I am just being paranoid like I need something to worry about. THe GP mentioned something about baby being transverse and thats why bump isnt that big. Any thoughts that could out my mind at rest? At what point should I worry? Should I demand a growth scan?

Thanks for your feedback
Mahria


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## emilycaitlin (Mar 7, 2006)

Hi,

There's a couple of things I'd like to look at, Firstly, the fact that you don't have any confidence in your midwife,  This is a serious issue, and you are perfectly within your rights to chenage your midwife if you are not happy with her.  You need to ring the hospital and ask to speak to the supervisor of midwives.  This won't affect your care in any way, and no-one will think badly of you.  Sometimes, personalities just don't get on.  It's really important that you are able to trust your midwife, so I really would advise you to change.

As far as sleeping goes, the only thing that might help is to place a pillow under your bump, and this will support it and take some of the pressure of.  It can get a bit annoying having to move it each time you turn over, but at least you will get some sleep, rather than none.

At 29 weeks, your bump will often appear small.  Many women have stronger stomach muscles than they think, and it conceals it.  You may find that you suddenly start showing in a few weeks.  Your scan two weeks ago was ok, so a big change in growth wouldn't have occured in that time.  It's common to measure 1 or 2 weeks below or above your gestation the entire pregnancy.  This is another reason why you need to have a midwife that you have confidence in, as she will feel your tummy at the antenatal checks, of which you'll be having them at around 2-4 weeks apart at the moment.  If she feels that it is small, she will then refer you to the consultant who may arrange another scan.  Whe your baby is lying across your tummy (transverse) the top of your bump will go down.  If you imagine putting a finger roll in a freezer bag, if you put it in horizontally, there's a lot more room at the top, than if you put it in vertically.  Sorry about the finger roll analogy, I couldn't think of another example!!!  I don't think there is a lot to gain in having another growth scan, they aren't always very accurate, and if that one comes back ok, you will probably feel that you want another in a couple of weeks after that.

Try not to worry, and please let us know how you get on with your mdiwife.
emilycaitlin xx


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