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Left side pain in pregnancy
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Pain in the left side during pregnancy should immediately alert a woman, since such pain can be caused by a huge number of diseases.
The abdomen is not an independent organ, unlike the spleen or liver. Several organs “get along” in the abdomen, and each of them can malfunction and cause pain. Therefore, it can be extremely difficult to quickly make an accurate diagnosis, since the source of the pain can only be determined after diagnostic tests and certain analyses. If a piercing pain in the left side during pregnancy occurs suddenly and does not stop for half an hour, you should immediately call an ambulance or a medical center for a doctor’s consultation.
The abdomen can be divided into 4 parts, or 4 quadrants, or 4 segments. They are called: the right upper quadrant, the right lower quadrant, the left upper quadrant, the left lower quadrant. Each of these segments contains certain organs. Disturbed activity of even one of them can provoke pain in the left side during pregnancy.
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What can cause pain in the left side during pregnancy?
The left upper abdomen contains the left side of the diaphragm, the pancreas, the spleen, the intestinal loops, and of course the stomach.
The spleen performs an important function - it removes "obsolete" red blood cells from the blood. By capturing red blood cells, the spleen destroys them, after which the remains of the red blood cells enter the bone marrow, where new blood "balls" are formed.
Any disease causes an enlargement of the spleen capsule, which is, of course, accompanied by pain. To determine the causes that led to the existing condition, you should consult a doctor.
Another source of pain in the left side during pregnancy can be the stomach. An irritant that gets on the gastric mucosa provokes inflammation of the organ (simply gastritis) or functional dyspepsia, and these factors, in turn, respond with a nagging pain syndrome. Vomiting and nausea can be "companions" of pain. Also, stomach cancer and ulcers often become causes of pain. Only a doctor can conduct a study, make a specific diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
A diaphragmatic hernia can also cause pain in the left side during pregnancy. A diagnosis of "diaphragmatic hernia" is made if the stomach from the abdominal cavity has entered the chest cavity through a certain opening in the diaphragm.
The pancreas is also located in the upper left part of the abdomen. When this organ becomes inflamed, a woman may feel pain in the middle, left or right parts of the abdomen. Inflammation of the pancreas (gland) is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, high body temperature and is often observed in people prone to bad habits (alcohol, tobacco), taking hormonal drugs, suffering from diabetes.
Pain in the left side during pregnancy, in its upper part, can also appear as a result of the intestines gradually shifting due to the increasing size of the fetus. As a result, food passes through the intestines unevenly, which entails unpleasant, dull, painful sensations.
Pain in the lower left abdomen may be caused by the growing uterus pressing on nearby organs.
Among other things, pain in the left side during pregnancy (in the early stages) can be considered a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. In any case, you cannot get rid of the pain on your own, but rather, you need to see your doctor as soon as possible.