Is Cramping at 18 Weeks Normal?

Serious causes of cramping at 18 weeks or any time during pregnancy include:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
  • Cramping accompanied by painful urination may mean a UTI
• Ectopic pregnancy 
  • Is usually a problem earlier in pregnancy when a fertilized egg implants outside a uterus
  • Causes painful cramps
  • A serious condition that requires treatment
• Miscarriage
  • Cramping may range from mild to sharp and be accompanied by vaginal spotting
  • Contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe cramps and/or heavy bleeding
• Preeclampsia
  • A serious complication of pregnancy in which high blood pressure (hypertension), protein in the urine, and evidence of organ injury develops in a pregnant woman after 20 weeks of pregnancy
  • Can cause pain and cramping in the upper abdomen
• Preterm labor
  • Cramping before 37 weeks gestation may be a sign of preterm labor
• Placental abruption
  • Occurs when the placenta separates from the uterus before the baby is born
  • Cramping is painful and does not go away
  • A potentially life-threatening condition
  • Contact your doctor immediately if this occurs

Contact your doctor if you experience cramping at 18 weeks or any time during pregnancy characterized by: 

• Severe pain that does not go away
• Lower abdominal pain accompanied by contractions
• Vaginal cramping
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Cramping, along with pain in the shoulder and/or neck
• A sudden increase in thirst, accompanied by a decrease in urination, or no urination for an entire day
• Severe headache that does not go away, sudden swelling, changes in vision, or unexplained weight gain (symptoms of preeclampsia)
• Bloody diarrhea
• Pain or burning during urination, difficulty urinating, or blood in the urine
• More than four contractions an hour, which may be a sign of labor 

Call 911 or go to a hospital’s emergency department if you experience cramping at 18 weeks or any time during pregnancy accompanied by: 

• Heavy or ongoing bleeding
• Fluid leaking from the vagina
• Tissue passing from the vagina
• Severe abdominal pain
• Fever or chills
• Prolonged nausea or vomiting
• Lower back pain
• Pelvic pain
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Loss of consciousness
• Low blood pressure