What to Do if You Get a Hernia During Pregnancy Everyday Health Menu NewslettersSearch Hernia What to Do if You Get a Hernia During Pregnancy If you get a hernia during pregnancy, different factors can determine if you should wait until you give birth to repair a hernia. By Quinn PhillipsMedically Reviewed by Justin Laube, MD Reviewed: April 20, 2018 Medically Reviewed Previous abdominal surgery, a family history of hernias, and being overweight are all risk factors for hernias during pregnancy.Cara Dolan/Stocksy A If a hernia is causing discomfort during your pregnancy, it can usually be repaired in a surgical procedure with little risk to you or your pregnancy. And if your hernia develops a serious complication, emergency surgery will be necessary. But if your hernia isn’t causing any unpleasant symptoms, you may decide to wait until after giving birth to have it repaired. (2) Risk Factors for a Hernia During Pregnancy Because pregnancy puts pressure on your abdomen and may cause you to strain due to your increased body weight, all pregnant women are at increased risk for developing a hernia. According to the Mayo Clinic, certain factors make it more likely that you’ll develop a hernia when you’re pregnant:Being Symptoms of a Hernia During Pregnancy Not every pregnant woman who develops a hernia will experience symptoms. You may only find out that you have a hernia when your doctor does a physical exam or imaging tests related to your pregnancy care. Related Do You Know How to Ease Chronic Constipation? But in many women, a hernia shows up as a bulge or lump that appears when you lie down or press on a nearby area. You may only be able to feel this bulge, or it may be visible. A hernia may also cause pain, which is typically dull but may become sharper when you exert yourself by walking quickly, bending over, sneezing or coughing, lifting heavy objects, or laughing intensely. Your symptoms may become more intense as your pregnancy progresses and your body weight increases. (1) You should be able to push your hernia back into your body when you’re lying down. If you have trouble doing this, applying an ice pack to the area may help. If you can’t push your hernia back into your body under these conditions, this may indicate that your hernia is trapped (incarcerated).If you suspect that this is the case, see your doctor immediately to help avoid the serious complication of a Treating a Hernia During Pregnancy There’s no strong consensus about the best time to repair a hernia in pregnant women, according to an article published in January 2018 in the journal Frontiers in Surgery. (2) If your hernia is small and isn’t causing any unpleasant symptoms, you and your doctor may decide to wait until after you give birth to repair it. But if your hernia is causing you discomfort, most doctors will recommend repairing it while you’re still pregnant. And if your hernia develops a complication, like becoming trapped or strangulated, emergency surgery will be necessary. (2) In the absence of an emergency, the following options may be available to treat or manage your hernia during pregnancy: Elective Repair During Pregnancy Your doctor may propose surgically repairing your hernia while you’re still pregnant if it’s causing you symptoms, or if it's large enough to risk developing complications. The exact timing of your surgery isn’t likely to follow any specific rules. Some doctors recommend it during the first or second trimester, while others believe that the second trimester is the optimal time to operate. If your hernia is repaired using only sutures — without using steel mesh to support the area of weakened muscle — then the risk of your hernia coming back during your pregnancy is high. But using mesh in the operation can limit the flexibility of your abdominal wall and cause pain, both during your current pregnancy and in any future one. NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Digestive Health Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking Hernia During Pregnancy. Show Less The Latest in Hernia What Is Hernia? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and PreventionBy Quinn PhillipsAugust 14, 2020 Is Robotic Surgery for Hernia Repair Right for You? 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Here are the facts.By Denise SchipaniApril 25, 2018 Hernia Treatment Options Many hernias can only be repaired through surgery, but some initially warrant only watching and waiting.By Quinn PhillipsApril 23, 2018 How to Prevent a Hernia Not all hernias can be prevented, but there are steps you can take to make them less likely.By Quinn PhillipsApril 23, 2018 Hernia Complications and How to Deal With Them Both an untreated hernia and surgery to repair it can result in different complications.By Quinn PhillipsApril 20, 2018 What Are the Symptoms of a Hernia, and How Is It Diagnosed? Symptoms of a hernia can range from slightly uncomfortable to extremely painful.By Quinn PhillipsApril 20, 2018 Study Shows Depression Affects IBD Patients and Their Siblings New research is the first to show a bidirectional link between inflammatory bowel disease and depression.By Ashley WelchOctober 6, 2022 MORE IN What Is an Abortion? 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