Back pain & sleeping comfortably

[Rosebay]

Hi ladies,

I'm having a grumbly week- I seem to have one week when it's all sunshine and flowers and miracle of nature and then one week of new symptoms and aches and whinging and whining! Ho hum! Anyway, this week I am mostly discovering lower back pain either side of the bottom of my spine. It doesn't send shooting pains down my legs so does that mean it's not sciatica? (I know there's nothing much I can do about that) I did some weeding last time I had this pain so I'd put it down to that but I haven't done any this week so it isn't that. I do have to sit on computer chairs all working day so I might order a posture cushion to lift my pelvis up a bit but I wonder if it will help at all. It's ok when I wake up you see...?

Also I'm finding sleeping hard. I know you're supposed to sleep on your side but my hips hurt when I do that for very long. I have found that putting one leg over a wedge of bunched up duvet helps so I was also thinking of getting one of those body pillows to see if that helps. Has anyone tried one?

I've been obsessively measuring my belly and it grew by 6cm in the last fortnight which is probably why my back muscles are feeling odd I suppose. I lost three stone before getting pregnant (over a couple of years mind you) so I don't think it can be increased weight as my body has been quite used to that in the past!

Sorry to moan but I just wondered if anyone had an hints or tips?

Ta!
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[-Cat-]

Hi Rosebay, you have been having the exact same problems as me. Luckily Im a reasonably heavy sleeper so I dont let the hip pain bother me to much, I just try to regularly change position swapping sides and paying on my back with my knees bent helps, you can put a pillow under your knees and sleep this way. As fo r the lower back pain, I find it feels like a trapped nerve kind of pain where I go to move and I get a spazm of pain and sort of lock up. My Physio has told me this is very common and you need to work your pelvis everyday. Basically the weight of the baby is making your pelvis tilt, which is why you get that characteristic 'swan' curve to your back. try the following exercises.
Lie on your back with your legs together and your knees bent, if you feel you will find a gap between your waist and the bed, what you need to do is sink yur waist and pull your bum untowards your stomach to flatten yourself out and close that gap underneth. Hold this for a slow count of five and slowly release, repeat this a few times, then do it again but drop your knees off to one side then the other before returning them to the centre (keeping your shomach pushed back) then release.
Also standing with your feet shoulder width apart, do a bit of belly dancing, slowly rotate your hips round in circles a few times then reverse and go the other way round.
Finally get onto all fours for a few minutes making sure your back dosent 'sag' in the middle. This will give your spine a bit of a rest from the babies weight.
Just doing some of these each day should help keep your back and hip joints supple and help against pains.

 

[Rosebay]

Hi Cat,

thank you so much you're an absolute star!

I am going to print that off and put it by my bed so I have a reference. I can't wait to get home today and get a heat pad on my back as it's really giving me gip today.

Thank you a million times again you've made my grumbly week with those exercise instructions!

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[Zor-El]

ive been having real trouble sleeping at the moment i just cant get comfy so i use my duvet rolled up in between my legs or my breast feeding pillow they seem to help

 

[-Cat-]

Glad to be of help. I must admit my back plays up the most when I sit in the same place for to long, like evenings in on the sofa. I tend to be fine at work on an office chair, its the damn sofa. Again my physio has said its important when sitting to support your lower pack with a cushion or a rolled up towel is good, making sure you bum is right up against the back of the chair. and avoid slouching, I have extra reason to sit up straight now as bub is now pushing unto my ribs which is really uncomfortable!
Today I have mostly been kicked in the lower right hand ribs - nice!

 

[Rosebay]

Nice- like you say!

I've just ordered a pilates for pregnancy dvd on ebay so I'm hoping that might help as well. I do some Qi Gong and Tai Chi exercises but they're not specifically for pregnancy and tend to focus on energy levels and general suppleness rather than on the muscles that I could do with toning right now so I'm going to give this dvd a go- I'll let you know if it's any good.

Hope your ribs stop being bashed soon. I was moaning to my Mum last night about my grumbles and she said that I'd been a right swine and had kicked her mercilessly in the tummy unlike my brother who wasn't very active- I did apologise!!

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[Pansy]

I just have to say that I am obsessed with my body pillow!!!
I bought it after I had my knee surgery last year and it has been my saviour ever since...I was having back pain too and am now using 2 body pillows...It takes a lot of pressure off my back and hips and I am sleeping much more comfortably with the 2 body pillows...I would definately buy one...They are cheap and WELL worth the money...
Pansy
PS... my OB said to use a heating pad for back pain...I thought heat was bad for you during pregnancy so that came as a shock to me...But whatever helps!!

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

I am no way near the stage you guys are at but I have managed to find out about belly bras and other supportive underwear things that support the weight of the bump and take pressure off the pelvis and back.

They vary between just a small belt to a full torso bra.

Has anyone tried these with any success before I go out and spend a fortune on all the gadgets available

 

[-Cat-]

Hiya Sarah, I havent tryed one yet, but I have existing back problems as I have a fused spine and I have to see a physio, she has already told me that later on I will have to wear a supporting belt thing. Its worth if you are having back problems to speak to your GP or midwife before buying anything as apparently a lot of people wear them wrong and do more harm then good. You can wear then to tight or inthe wrong position and put pressure on the wrong places and stop your baby from being able to move about properly.
Plus if your GP can give you a perscription for one then you wont have to pay for it at all.

 

[Rosebay]

Hi,

thanks for the thoughts ladies. I had a dreadful weekend of it but by trial and error have discovered that it's sitting on chairs where my pelvis tilts forwards that causes pain- by sitting well back in upright or office type chairs on the lowest they can go with my feet on a rest so that my knees are slightly higher than my pelvis and my lower back is totally supported I don't get the back pain. I'm trying to remember to roll my pelvis forwards when I'm standing as well and that helps too. Heat has worked when it's bad as has doing those exercises when it's already hurting (I think it will take time for them to affect the muscles permenantly...?)- I ended up doing them on someone's toilet floor on Saturday at a BBQ after I'd sat on the wrong kind of chair for an hour and it meant that it was good enough then to walk home!

I'm going to get a body pillow though as they sound great!

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[-Cat-]

Im finding the same thing, its sitting on the sofa in the evening that does my back in, my office chair is fine!
What are these body pillows though? does anyone have a link?

 

[Rosebay]

I was thinking of getting this one as it was a reasonable price:-

http://www.safefoam.co.uk/shopDisplayIt ... uct_no=112

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[alsha]

Sarah, where do you get these belly bras from then?