Heart Burn Gas

Q: Obviously, I would ask my doctor, but it's too late in the day to call, so I just wanted some (hopefully) reassurance before then. I'm fourteen weeks pregnant. Last night I had this terrible tightness/slight pain in my upper back, which eventually stretched around to my rib cage too. It was SO uncomfortable, I felt like I was suffocating, and ended up throwing up.... which actually made me feel better. The pain in the back came again about six hours later, but didn't get that bad, and I was able to fall asleep again. My only experience with heartburn is a burning type sensation/acidy in my through and chest.... and my only experience with gas is either sharp pains or in my stomach. has somebody else experienced this? Can anyone in the group help me please?

A:It does sound like a bit of reflux and/or heartburn, but it really... REALLY sounds like trapped "gas" to me. I had the exact same thing!! Try laying on a heating pad (on LOW) for 15 minutes at a time to relieve the pain if it comes back again. My doctor suggested this when I was 16 weeks along and had a pinched sciatic nerve, so it's ok. In combination with the digestive problems there may be other things going on that occur in most normal pregnancies. Here

is an article that I found on WebMD for you: During pregnancy, a woman's center of gravity shifts forward, stressing her spine and pelvis. At the same time, hormonal changes occur which prepare the uterus for childbirth. These hormones also cause the ligaments that support the spine and pelvis to relax so that the birth canal can widen, allowing the baby to pass out into the world. this relaxation of spinal ligaments results in a loss of spinal stability, thereby stressing the joints and muscles of the spine and causing back pain. These postural and hormonal changes can cause not only lower back pain, but may also result in *UPPER* (emphasis added) back pain, neck pain and headaches.