How To Deal With Lightning Crotch?

A lightning crotch is a pain that women sometimes experience during the time of pregnancy. There are a lot of reasons this pain happens to women in their crotch, amongst which, the most prominent is the movement of the baby inside the womb. There are a lot of other reasons why this happens as well.

All these reasons or causes will be discussed by me in this article along with other things. Lightning-like pain in the crotch is something that almost all women who are pregnant might have to go through. I mean, weren’t all the other issues enough? Add this to the list as well.

Honestly, women have to suffer through so much just to bring a child to the world. I know that the child brings its own happiness with it, but the things women have to suffer through to do that are just so much.

Most of us women have to suffer through periods for more than half our lives and with that, comes all the problems like mood swings, bad smell, discomfort, and worst of all, cramps. If you are a woman who goes through cramps, I do not think I say anything to comfort you. If you have had a child already, it might be wise to just get hysterectomy surgery done.

Even with all those things, we do get a child or children in return, it is not fair, women getting all the bad parts of the deal and men getting almost nothing but at least we get a child for all our troubles and I guess they make everything worth it when we get to live with them.

So in this article, I am going to be talking about what these lightning crotches are, how they happen to pregnant women, what are the symptoms, causes, etc.

What Is Lightning Crotch?

Looks like some fancy fictional term right? Well, the explanation of ‘lightning crotch’ isn’t fancy nor the cause. This is not a medical term but we do have medical reasons behind this pain well known as ‘Lightning crotch’.

Women are generally aware of other pains like cramps or morning sickness and Braxton-Hicks contractions during the pregnancy period. But they may or may not be familiar with this new term ‘lightning crotch’, especially the young ladies.

Being a woman, have you ever felt like some electric wizard or the almighty Thor zapped you right in your crotch? Or bring men, have you ever seen your better half collapsing in the middle of something caused by some unusual pain?

If you ever faced the pain anywhere close to the one described above then you may call it lightning crotch pain. It is a sharp unbearable pain for a short duration. This pain generally occurs around the crotch area.

The lightning crotch is not a scientific term or a medical term, but it is widely used as it describes the pain, probably in the best possible manner. There is no scientific term rather it is an umbrella term.

However, no matter if you are a man or woman, everyone should be aware of such pain, its symptoms, its causes, and remedies for the same. Let’s go ahead and see this pain is associated with which part of the body.

Where Does Lightning Crotch Pain Affect The Most?

You may say that it is obvious that the lightning-like crotch pain occurs in the crotch of the female. Well yes, you are right but there is more to it.

This crotch pain as the name suggests occurs around the crotch in females. To be more specific, it can occur in the vagina, rectum, or pelvis. This crotch pain will occur for somewhere around 20-40 seconds or even for a minute or two in most normal scenarios.

This pain is greatly associated with the reproductive region of the female body and involved in activities related to the process of reproduction. Even men are aware of the pain which occurs in the lower abdomen during the menstrual period of a female. Similarly, this pain is caused in several areas around the crotch.

The lightning-like pain in the crotch will always occur either in the vagina, rectum, or around the pelvis but the causes are not as straightforward as the affected regions. There is not one single cause of the pain in the crotch.

The term lightning crotch is mostly used by pregnant women and pregnancy is one of the main causes of this pain. Let us see what causes this pain during pregnancy.

Lightning Crotch Caused During Pregnancy

The pain caused during labor is considered to be one of the painful events a woman experiences in her life. However, it turns out that it is not the only pain women suffer. Throughout the lifecycle, they have to deal with a lot of pains related to reproduction.

The menstrual pain due to cramps during periods, the labor pain during pregnancy, and now this lightning crotch pain. However, the good thing is, none of these pains is harmful or something to worry about.

The crotch pain during pregnancy can occur several times, especially during the third trimester that is during the last few months of pregnancy. The intensity of the pain increases as the delivery date approaches.

This intense pain is not something that every pregnant woman will experience. Even the experience of cramps during the menstrual period is different for different women. Similarly, the lightning crotch is not something every woman has to go through. They may or may not experience this pain at all.

For those women who get to experience this pain, it is not much of a pleasant experience. This crotch pain during pregnancy occurs for a short duration but can occur several times in a row.

Now, as we have an idea about how the lightning crotch pain will be during pregnancy, it’s time to see the events which cause such intense pain during pregnancy.

Causes Of Lightning Crotch During Pregnancy

The causes of this crotch pain are clear in the case of most people. We will discuss these reasons one by one. Whereas, the reason I said most of the people is that the causes of lightning crotch are still not clear to the doctors.

If we are talking about this crotch pain during pregnancy then it does not occur at the very beginning of pregnancy. As your time of labor gets closer, the crotch pain happens several times indicating your baby has grown big enough.

In a brief manner, this pain is caused by pressure exerted by the baby as they move around or descend into the birth canal. Let us see all the possible causes of the same.

Movement Of Baby

The first kick of a baby inside the mother’s womb is probably the most beautiful and emotional moment for all the parents. However, it can be the beginning of the lightning crotch too. A baby grows big enough to move inside the womb.

After the baby’s first kick, they start to move around which can put pressure on some nerves. These movements include stretching, turning around, and of course the kicking. These movements then cause a sharp pain in the pelvis, rectum, or vagina and not just the womb.

The reason the pain of the lightning crotch increases as the date of labor gets closer is that the pressure exerted by the baby increases with increasing strength and movements.

Baby Descending Into Birth Canal

As the baby develops and gets matured it moves in the birth canal in the lower part of the uterus being ready for delivery. While being in such a position, the baby is usually grown in the ideal infant size.

The birthing position for most normal deliveries is the head down towards the lower part of the uterus. In this position, the head pushes pelvic bones. The mother’s pelvic bones expand and get separated.

The baby’s head will be pressed against the cervix of the mother which can lead to crotch pain. Also, in that position, the baby’s organs can hit a number of sensitive nerve endings around the pubic bone.

The pressure exerted by the head and other parts of the baby on the nerve ends of a mother can cause terrible pain in the vaginal area. This pain is not just during labor but 1-3 weeks before the delivery.

Round Ligament Pain

Ligaments are fibrous tissues that are designed to hold two bones or structures together. A pair of such ligaments are present in the abdomen. These ligaments help to hold and support the pelvis and uterus.

During pregnancy, the belly of a woman expands to accommodate the growing baby inside the womb. Thus these ligaments holding the uterus and pelvis get stretched as the growing belly exerts pressure on these ligaments.

The bones of the pelvis are held together by these ligaments but the growing belly separates these pelvic bones from each other. Therefore the ligaments holding these bones also get stretched and become thin.

These ligaments which are called round ligaments when getting stretched too much or too fast can give a sharp and sudden pain which is considered as lightning crotch pain.

Pregnancy is one such period when most hormonal changes occur, similar to the menstrual cycle. In the case of a woman showing higher hormone levels, these ligaments can be stretched excessively causing severe and more intense lightning pain than in normal conditions.

Deficiency Of Magnesium

By now you must have understood that this lightning crotch pain is mainly linked with the nerve ends and the suddenness of this pain is directly associated with the nerves. If you manage to keep the nerve connections in a healthy manner, there are chances that you will suffer from little to no pain.

The proper function of the nerve is taken care of by the magnesium that we consume. Magnesium plays an active role in protecting the nerves and makes sure the transmission or any other function of the nerves is working in a proper manner.

The food or nutrition requirements for any woman are always doubled during her pregnancy. The magnesium provided by the food may not be enough for both mother and her baby. Therefore the deficiency of magnesium can intensify the pain caused by the lightning crotch.

A rich source of magnesium like coconut water can help to accomplish magnesium goals. However, it is advised not to take any supplements or tablets without consultation with your doctor.

Varicose Veins In Crotch

The varicose vein is a condition where veins get swollen or enlarged due to faulty valves in veins which allow blood flow in opposite directions or cause pooling of blood. This case is more common in legs and is found in many human beings.

However, this can also happen in the vaginal or rectal area and what is worse is that it can happen while being pregnant. In that case, the pelvic pain can contribute to the lightning crotch pain.

Are There Any Other Causes For Lightning Crotch?

So far we have discussed lightning crotch pain during pregnancy. But the question that has to be asked is are there any causes for this crotch pain other than pregnancy? The short answer is yes.

This lightning crotch pain is limited to a region and is associated with the reaction of the nerve of that region. Thus, any other events in the region between the lower abdomen and legs can be considered as this crotch pain.

Therefore lightning crotch pain can happen without any pregnancy. However, the causes for the same are different from the causes due to pregnancy.

Let’s take a quick look at these causes.

• Menstrual Cramps
• Endometriosis
• Mittelschmerz

Menstrual Cramps

During menstrual cramps, severe pain can be experienced which can be considered as a lightning crotch. The uterus contracts in the menstrual process which sometimes can lead to pelvic pain similar to lightning-like crotch pain.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis can only occur in females and crotch pain too. Sometimes tissue similar to the endometrial tissue can grow outside the uterus. This will in turn result in pain in the pelvis area causing terrible crotch pain.

Mittelschmerz

Mittelschmerz is also termed ovulation pain. As the name suggests this pain occurs at the time when females ovulate. It can occur every month or once in a while. However, it is not necessary that a female will get lightning crotch pain every time during ovulation.

As we can see, all the causes of lightning crotch are linked to reproduction in some way or the other. Though, they do not possess any immediate threat to your baby or organs. This means that treatment is not necessary for such short pains but home remedies can be practiced to get relief from pain in some amount.

Other Pains During Pregnancy Period

Pregnancy involves a variety of pains that a woman has to face throughout the 9 months period. Most of these pains are associated with the pelvic area which is the main hub of the reproductive organs and processes.

Here are the 3 most severe pains a woman will have to face during pregnancy.

1. General Pelvic Pain
2. Round Ligament Pain
3. Sciatica pain

   

• The general pelvic pain is common and mostly a discomfort rather than pain. The reason it’s more like discomfort than pain is that it will not give you a sudden shock of intense pain. Instead, there is a lot of aching involved along with cramps.
• We have already discussed round ligament pain in detail. To summarise in brief, it is a pulling or forceful stretching sensation in the pelvic region.
• Sciatica pain is caused due to the Sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve begins from the lower back and runs down to both of the legs. Thus the pain begins from the spine and goes to the legs. Although, it is felt more intensively in the pelvic and rectum area.

Is Lightning Crotch Preventable?

A lightning crotch is something that comes out of nowhere and it usually lasts for less than a minute. I mean, ‘lightning’ means it comes for a very short time. Because the pain happens for such a short time, it becomes difficult for anyone to predict when they are going to happen and how, or rather if, you can prevent them.

The best thing to do in the case of getting the pain will be to just wait. Things that can help with the pain are sitting down or stretching when the pain comes as that will help the baby move to a better place inside you.

To help prevent this pain from happening, what you can do is exercise daily, keep changing your positions all day, wear a belly support belt, and relax muscles that are tight. I have explained these things in a better way in the next sub-topic, so read ahead and find out.

6 Tips To Ease Pain Of Lightning Crotch

As we have seen, the lightning crotch is not a disease or any sort of disorder. It is a normally unavoidable phenomenon caused due to certain reasons. Therefore there may not be any preventive options but you can follow the tips given below to get slight relief from this intense pain.

These tips won’t make you completely free from the pain but I hope they will definitely help reduce the intensity of the pain.

1. Exercise Daily

The primary cause of the lightning crotch is the position of your baby inside the womb. Therefore if you stay idle for the most time, the position of your baby will hurt you the most. Thus, it is always suggested that a pregnant woman should always do some kind of exercise throughout the 9 month period.

Exercising and moving your body will help you relieve your pain by shifting the position of your baby off the nerve. Also, there are many benefits of exercise during pregnancy, but we are not concerned about them in this article.

2. Take Hot Showers

Who doesn’t like to take a hot shower? It is a great stress and strain reliever, especially for a pregnant woman. Pregnant women suffer from a lot of body ache and stress during this period, Therefore a hot water shower will help to relieve the stress and relax the body muscles.

3. Swimming Once In A While

You may wonder how swimming will help me get rid of my lightning crotch. There is a scientific answer to it. The pain you get is mostly due to the weight of the baby which exerts pressure on the cervix and the nerves in your body.

While swimming, Your body becomes slightly weightless which definitely will help you to relieve some of the pressure and pain. Additionally, you will get the benefits of swimming as an exercise. However, it is advised to swim under supervision during pregnancy, or even consult your doctor if you have second thoughts.

4. Prenatal Massage

This kind of massage is specifically designed for pregnant women and is performed by specialists. However, it is your responsibility that you get your massage done only by a certified massage therapist.

This prenatal massage will help you to relax your muscles. It will reduce soreness and aching in muscles and joints. It mainly focuses on muscles that are involved in the lighting crotch.

5. Use A support Band

The idea behind using a support band is to lift off some weight from the pelvis or cervix. It will help by taking off some pressure by holding your belly, which will offer comfort to your hips, joints, and muscles.

You can wear this support band over or under your clothes. It is easily available online and in medical stores. This is a “must-have” accessory for every pregnant lady. This support band can not only help you with the lightning crotch but will also come in handy otherwise.

6. Stay Active

You might have heard about resting as much as you can during pregnancy. That is absolutely true but instead of being lethargic, be active and it will give you tons of benefits. Staying in the same position or posture will amplify your lightning crotch pain as the baby will be exerting much pressure on the same spot.

Keep on changing position, stay active throughout the day. Being active does not mean doing intensive movements. Avoid bending or any such movements and you will definitely get some relief from the intensive pain.

Symptoms Indicating That You Or Your Partner Is Having Lightning Crotch

This pain is something that will start around the crotch but then slowly spread to the groin area and to the inner-upper thigh as well. The lightning crotch pains happen randomly as I said but there are chances it will happen soon if you have not changed your position in a long time.

These pains can feel like electric shocks or like someone is shooting pins and needles at you or even like burning twinges. The pain will come at random and might last up to 15 to 60 seconds. The symptoms for this pain are very barely perceptible or they might feel so intense that your worst cramp would feel like nothing.

There is no way of telling how you will get this pain. This pain does not just happen in the crotch or pelvis region, you might also feel the pain in your vagina, rectum, or uterus. This pain usually happens during the 3rd trimester and the intensity might increase as you get closer to the delivery date and the pain might increase when the baby starts moving as I said before.

The pain usually does not happen after birth, so you will not have to worry about that. If you think something is wrong when you feel this pain, before or after the delivery, talk to your doctor and tell them about the symptoms and they will help you out.

It is especially necessary to go to the doctor if you feel other symptoms like bleeding, dizziness, severe headaches, blurry vision or even leaking fluid. All these symptoms can indicate an infection or some other complication.

The lightning crotch pain does not indicate labor so it is important that you don’t panic. But remember that there are other things that can tell you that you are actually going into labor.

When Does It Indicate Labor?

As I said, this does not indicate labor but sometimes, when you feel other things along with it, those could be a sign of labor. You should call or go to your doctor if it feels like strong cramps or equally or more intense and also when you feel backache, blood-tinged discharge, these things can indicate actual labor.

As I said, this pain is very common in the third trimester. For the women who feel this pain often, their symptoms might get even worse as they get closer and closer to labor when the head of the baby starts dropping down into the pelvis.

The signs of labor include:

• Lower back pain
• Nausea
• Regular contractions
• Blood-tinged vaginal discharge
• Stronger than normal cramps

Even when you start feeling these symptoms, you should not panic. These things are not unheard of. Any problem that you might have can be solved but you will just have to go to the doctor or just get a consultation on the phone if it is taking you some time to get there and you are feeling some sort of discomfort on the way.

It would obviously be good if you had someone with you whom you trust. It will make the whole process a bit easier and make you feel a bit relaxed and less scared. You should keep in mind that the doctor is there to help deliver the baby safely and they will do their best to lessen any kind of discomfort that you will feel.

Closure | Lightning Crotch

Lightning crotch pain can be very bad sometimes but it becomes necessary that you keep a level head and have someone to help you out. If you are getting closer and closer to your labor, it would be a good idea to shift to a friend or relative’s place that has a hospital very close to them.

Something you would obviously not want happening is getting late on the way to the hospital if the lightning pain in your crotch spikes exponentially. Along with all the tips that I gave you, it is essential that you follow all the things that will help you during the pregnancy because it is essential that you and your baby feel safe and comfortable through everything.

I have explained all the things like what is lightning crotch, what things cause it, whether you need to be concerned that you are suddenly feeling all this pain when you should consult your doctor, what are the symptoms of this pain and also what things could indicate that you are going into labor.

If you keep all these things in mind then you will have a better time getting through it all. Even when you know all these things and you get this pain, it might be difficult to tell if the pain will pass or if there is seriously something wrong, so it will be better that you went to the doctor. It would be better to be safe than sorry.

When you go to the doctor with the issue for the first time, they will tell you everything that will get you through this all and tell you when you will need to go to them if the pain persists and other such things.

If you feel like I may have missed out on some points, you have some suggestions or want to share some tips, go ahead and mention them in the comments section.

Till then, Stay Healthy Stay Safe!