Published on: 5/6/2025
Right lower belly pain during pregnancy can be caused by conditions such as adnexal (ovarian) torsion, appendicitis, or complications like uterine rupture, especially in women with a previous cesarean scar.
During pregnancy, the anatomy changes, and several conditions can lead to right lower abdominal pain. One potential cause is adnexal torsion, where an ovarian cyst or small cystic adenoma twists on its supporting structures, cutting off its blood supply; this can produce sudden, severe pain, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy. Appendicitis, which is sometimes more challenging to diagnose during pregnancy due to the shifting position of the appendix, is another important cause; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used for evaluation when appendicitis is suspected. Additionally, in women with a history of cesarean section, acute pain over the lower abdomen may indicate a complication such as uterine rupture near the previous scar—a rare but life-threatening event that requires prompt attention. If you experience severe or worsening right lower belly pain during pregnancy, it is essential to seek medical care immediately so that these potential conditions can be appropriately evaluated and managed.
(References)
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Oto A, Ernst RD, Shah R, Koroglu M, Chaljub G, Gei AF, Zacharias N, Saade G. Right-lower-quadrant pain and suspected appendicitis in pregnant women: evaluation with MR imaging--initial experience. Radiology. 2005 Feb;234(2):445-51. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2341032002. Epub 2004 Dec 10. PMID: 15591434.
Frank Wolf M, Ben-Nun M, Sgayer I, Shnaider O, Aiob A, Odeh M, Bornstein J. The association between acute lower abdominal pain over a previous caesarean scar and uterine rupture. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2022 Jul;42(5):1169-1173. doi: 10.1080/01443615.2022.2027896. Epub 2022 Feb 12. PMID: 35152819.
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