Expert: Lawrence Jay Rappaport <B>M.D.</B> - 9/14/2005
Question Hello, I am 28 weeks pregnant and 23 years old. For the past 3 weeks i have been having i guess you can say pain in my vagina- It is an awful pain that comes and goes but at times i can hardly walk. If i had to point it would be like inside where your vagina meets your inner thigh, a deep pain. It is aggrevated by putting on my pants one leg at a time, lifting things, rolling over in bed is excruciating, getting off of the couch from a lying down position. Nothing seems to help except for not moving at all, and thats not possible. I have spoken to my MD about this 2 times and she keeps telling me its round ligament pain. I have no pain in my abdomen at all just way down there, which is where i thought round ligament pain is. i have had it everyday for 3 weeks. I have been looking things up and i really think that it is symphysis pubis dysfunction-is it possible my OB GYN has never heard of this- am i crazy or is this possible that i have this problem? HELP ME
Answer The round ligamtents are the ligaments that anchor the uterus to the sidewalls of the pelvis. They run from the uterus to the sidewalls and then to the vulva area. "Round ligament syndrome" is very common during pregnancy, especially at your stage of pregnancy, when the uterus is growing into the abdomen. The pain is described as you did on putting on your pants, lifting things, getting up from bed, getting up for a sitting position, or suddenly turning while walking when someone calls to you. It can be alleviated with a heating pad, a warm shower, Tyleno, or other analgesics. Symphysis pubis separation is a manifestation occurring late in pregnancy with excrutiating pain directly on top of the pubic bone. An X-ray can diagnose this separation of the bones. A belt usually helps alleviate the pain. I think that you have round ligament pain. It will go away. Don't worry.
