Pregnancy is one of the most important stages in a female’s life. Pregnancy is the time when the most painful things happen to a female’s body. The body becomes sensitive and one needs to be careful while dealing with pregnancy. There are huge loads of things that happen in the body, one of them is lightning crotch. Here are the causes, symptoms, remedies and everything you need to know about lightning crotch during pregnancy:

In this article:

What is Lightning Crotch?
Is Lightning Crotch Normal During Pregnancy?
When Does it Occur?
Causes of Lightning Crotch?
Symptoms of Lightening Crotch
How Can You Deal with the Discomfort/ Remedies?
Is Lightning Crotch an Early Sign of Labour?
When to Consult a Doctor?

All You Need to Know About Lightning Crotch During Pregnancy

What is Lightning Crotch?

Lightning crotch is the dubbed version for the extreme pain that to-be mothers experience while they are expecting. This usually occurs at the end of the pregnancy period. Most females have experienced lightning crotch during their pregnancy time. It feels like a shooting stream of electricity or a punch and even sometimes bolts of lightning in the vagina. It is really hard to stand and can be really painful and depressing most of the time. If you have ever felt a huge pain and kind of burning sensation in your vaginal area during pregnancy, then there is nothing to worry about as it is just lightening crotch.  Thus lightening crotch is what a to-be mother experiences in her vagina at the end time of her pregnancy.

Is Lightning Crotch Normal During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy has various body ailments accompanied by it. These ailments can be mood swings, pain in the body, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain and bleeding from the vagina during an incomplete miscarriage and obesity. The most painful ailments include lightening crotch. Many mothers get tensed when they experience a lightening crotch but it’s really relieving to know that it is nothing serious to worry about. Lightening crotch is just a result of movements in the body when the womb is fully grown in order to come out. It is a sign that now it’s the time for the baby to come out. It’s something many women experience during a pregnancy, which explains the fact that it is completely normal.

When Does it Occur?

Lightning crotch as mentioned earlier is the symptom of going for labour. It usually happens at the end point of pregnancy when the baby is grown enough to come out. Lightning crotch can also occur when the baby does any activity in the womb. Any sudden movements by the foetus can result in a lightning crotch. Movements by the baby can happen anytime during pregnancy so it is obvious that lightening crotch can also happen anytime during pregnancy. Usually, it is known to happen at the end point of pregnancy.

Causes of Lightning Crotch?

Many women fear lightening crotch because they mistake it as a miscarriage. Lightening crotch is just the result of movements in the vaginal cavity by the baby. Here are the causes of lightning crotch:

Movement/Position of the Foetus

At the end of the pregnancy, the baby becomes big and starts making movements inside the womb. Because of these movements sometimes leads to pain in the vaginal cavity. This is because sometimes when the baby kicks and moves it leads to disturbance in the vaginal area and the veins of that area get affected due to which lightening crotch happens in pregnancy.

Pressure by the Baby on the Cervix

In the final months of pregnancy when the baby is about to come out, the baby’s body starts to put some pressure on the cervix because of which the mother can feel unbearable pain in the vagina. The head of the baby starts to pressurize at a greater force towards the crotch area of the body. This is one of the common causes of lightning scratch during pregnancy.

Expansion of Ligaments

During pregnancy, the body releases hormones like progesterone. These pregnancy hormones help the ligaments of the pelvic region to expand so that the baby is able to take space which is required for growth and sustainability in the womb. This expansion of ligaments can also be one of the reasons for pain in the crotch.

Varicose Veins in the Vaginal Area

Varicose veins occur in the whole body, but sometimes during pregnancy, they can also occur in the pelvic region. In pregnancy, the pelvic region receives a whole lot of pressure due to the baby in the womb. Because of this, all the blood can be pooled at an area of veins in the body which can result in the blood clots inside the skin and the veins they are visible as red, purple and blue marks on the skin. These veins can also be the reason for a lightning crotch.

Magnesium Deficiency in the Body

Many women have a deficiency of magnesium and haemoglobin in their body this can be a reason for piling a whole lot of ailments in the body. The deficiency of magnesium in the body can make the body suffer from extreme pain and cramps. Pregnant women might face incapacitating pain and cramps in the pelvic region due to an extreme deficiency of magnesium.

Symptoms of Lightening Crotch

Lightning crotch is a sharp pain that one feels in the pelvic area during pregnancy, here is a list of symptoms which will help you out in identifying if you are suffering from lightning crotch:

Shifting of the Baby Towards the Pelvic Region

As soon as the baby reaches and shifts towards the pelvic area there are more chances that the mother will feel pelvic pain and pain in the crotch area.

Frequent Urination

Frequent urination is a sign that the baby has reached the pelvic area and will soon be delivered. Thus the body starts to prepare itself and frequent urinations happen because of which lightening crotch is experienced in some mothers.

Pain in the Lower Part of the Body Mainly the Cervix Area

Pain that is experienced in the pelvic area, vulva, cervix, and rectum can be a symptom of the lightning crotch.

Changes in the Body like a Reduction in Acidity and Heartburn

Acidity and heartburn happen a lot in the pregnancy period because the foetus is near to the chest which can cause a burning sensation in the heart and acidity. If these things stop happening it is a symptom that the baby is shifting downwards and there are increased chances of the lightning crotch.

Disturbance in the Intestinal Part of the Stomach

Whenever any disturbance is caused in the intestinal area and the abdomen area the body starts to react to such changes. There can be constipation and pain in the bowels because of which one can also experience lightening crotch.

How Can You Deal with the Discomfort/ Remedies?

Massage

Massages are a very good way to relieve the body of stress. During pregnancy, the body can be too much stressed because of which might be a pain in the body. Massage is a very good way to deal with all kinds of pain and discomfort in the body including lightening scratch.

Avoid Sudden Movements and too Much Physical Work

Everyone has a lot of the household chorus in their lives. It is advised not to stress the body and indulge in physical work life lifting, moving a lot and twisting during pregnancy. These sudden movements can also trigger pain in the body.

Rest is a Must During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the crucial stages in a woman’s life. During pregnancy one might feel a bit stressed out and full of fatigue. The best way to relax the body is rest. Resting will help the body to relax and the pelvic region might feel a bit better and it will also help the body in getting relief from the pain in the pelvic region. Thus relaxing and resting is a good way to help the body get rid of pain during a lightning crotch.

Yoga and Exercising

Yoga is the best way to relax the body and stretch it making it flexible. Flexibility is very important during pregnancy as it helps in making room for the baby and preparing the body for the expand and labour. Yoga a exercising is very important and it will also help the body to relieve itself from lightning crotch.

Swimming

Swimming might feel impossible during pregnancy but in reality, you will be surprised to know that swimming works wonders during pregnancy. It helps in dividing the pressure of the baby towards the pelvic region due to the buoyant force of water and gives the body the exact amount of exercise that it needs during this time.

Is Lightning Crotch an Early Sign of Labour?

Lightning crotch is very common in the body of pregnant women all the time during the pregnancy time period. It is common during any time of the pregnancy phase. It usually happens in the end time of pregnancy thus it is considered as a sign of labour or the signal that now the baby can take birth anytime. But it is not necessary that the lightning crotch is necessarily a sign of labour. It can also happen during the early months and not necessarily in the end months of the pregnancy time period. If the pain becomes difficult to handle and there is a feeling of nausea, restless and vomiting then it is a sign of labour.

When to Consult a Doctor?

Lightning crotch is normal during pregnancy but if the excessive pain is accompanied with blood from the vagina, fever, and nausea then it is advised to consult a doctor as it can be a negative effect and something unpleasant for the body. If your experience a lightning crotch during the pregnancy time period and there is no bleeding or nausea and fever then one can continue his/her life as there is nothing to worry about.

References

https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/your-health/lightning-crotch-pain-pregnancy-symptom/

Lightning Crotch in Pregnancy – Causes, Symptoms, and Remedies