In Serious Pain

[Tootsmaloy]

Man I am so down I just had to let it out. Since last Tuesday I have horrific sciatica/pelvic girdle pain/whatever you want to call this evil thing. It stems from the centre of my right buttock and with literally every step of my right leg the nerve pain spreads out like lightning down my leg to my ankle and halfway up my back. It's awful. It doesn't matter if I sit and don't move for an hour, it's not "rested" it just comes back the second I take a step. Even laying down at night hurts even though I'm not moving. As I can only lay on my right or left the pressure puts a terrible ache on my pelvis joints.

I am just so down, I have a little girl and it breaks my heart when she says "up" and I can't pick her up, or she comes to take my hand to show me something and I can't go with her. I keep crying more because of that than the pain. These are our last months together as a family of three and I can't even interact properly. She must wonder what's wrong with her mother ��

I have some physio appointments lined up but I don't know how much good they will do. I tried taking paracetamol and I may as well have just taken sugar pills for all the good they did. Absolutely useless.

I'm just so down. Does anyone else have this? Has anything helped? Ice packs and hot water bottles are also useless, as are the exercises I've found online.

Woe is me

 

[littletwix]

You poor thing, it really sounds like you're in a bad way. When are your physio appointments? They might be able to do some manipulation and massage that might help you.

In the meantime maybe some glute stretches might help? Or to stretch your sides out? Sorry I'm of no further help. I hope you get some relief soon.

 

[Miss_impatient]

You poor thing! I know your pain as this was me at 34 weeks! Couldn't get out of bed or off the sofa on my own. Totally incapacitated. It can get better before the end I promise!

OH went and got me a birthing ball, I switched position every 10 mins, the key is to not stay in one position too long. The best position I found was with my knees on the floor leaning my chest and arms on the ball. This stretches out the spine and I found gently bouncing helped to loosen it.

The next thing was swimming - the most blissful hour of my day. The second I got in the pool the weight was just taken off my back and I felt almost normal!

I also paid to see a Chiropractor. This was expensive but honestly invaluable. Within a two weeks I was 90% better, back at work and Even now at full term I can pick up my three year old nephew.

Try lots of different things, don't over do it but try to keep a bit mobile. I hope you find something that helps!

 

[Ams1985]

I know exactly how you feel! I can't bend down to pick up my son (16 months) and he wants to go outside to the park and things all the time and I just can't walk that far and push the pram it's absolute agony. I've got the midwife on Wednesday but I don't imagine there's much she'll be able to suggest. Mines by my coccyx just over to the rightso I'm not sure if it's a bit to do with the awful coccyx pain I had from having him. Either way it's horrible and no amount of laying down or resting shifts it does it?

I hope physio helps you, I didn't have this with my first so it's all new and the idea of 13 maybe 15 weeks more of this is quite daunting!

 

[Kelly450]

I had to give up work early due to this. It has helped heaps but it's still very painful at night mainly and after about 15 minutes of walking

Nothing I have found has helped other than doing a lot less. My son is 2 and he is used to it now that mummy has to sit down a lot at the moment xx

 

[CarrieMarshall]

I had this at the beginning of my pregnancy, so before I had any extra belly weight to carry so quite glad its not happening at the moment. I found that if I exercised through it it felt better. so I kept going to the gym, walking around etc. also, maybe try a pair of trainers, or something with a bit more support for your feet to see if it helps?

 

[Emerald rose]

I know how you feel i had it like this with my youngest i was told the shooting pain down my leg was scaitica caused by the spd. The pain isn't as bad this time for me yet.
The physio might give you crutches to help you get around aswell as a support belt.
The only way i found that didn't cause pain was to lie on my side perfectly still which is very difficult to do for long periods of time when pregnant.

 

[MummyBee]

I had this with my first pregnancy. I really do sympathize with you the pain is horrendous! At one point i got stuck on the floor, i was home alone and phone was no where to be seen - i just had to wait it out. Unfortunately its stuck with me since then. Its not constant but it does strike from time to time. I had been given exercises and some of them i physically couldnt do cause i could lift my leg, it was as if i was paralysed. I dont really have any advice cause im still looking a cure myself but physio is worth a shot - it may work for you they can also supply crutches to help while walking. Fx it goes straight away after pregnancy! Xx

 

[Tootsmaloy]

Thank you so much everyone, now I don't feel alone. People see me pushing the pram and as I can lean on it a bit they say "oh I thought you'd look much worse, you made out you were incapacitated!" Well I am, I'm just getting good at
Not wincing as much. It's amazing how much pain you can put up with, though I do cry out a few times a day if I step wrong.

I really hope the physio helps, I really hope something helps. It breaks my heart not to be able to go to the park with my daughter. She understands there's something wrong, but gets really upset if she asks "up" and I just physically can't do it.

The worst part is we have no family anywhere near so there's no relief of help. All my
Friends have babies of their own so they can't really chip in that much which I understand.

Gaaaaaaah stupid pelvis!!

xxx

 

[Mummybexee]

Wow toots! There's a name I recognise from last baby! Congrats I didn't know you were expecting again- no advice but hope you get IT sorted x

 

[JD.Deedee]

Trust me the physio will work.. I have had it and waited until about 6 months post delivery to get seen meanwhile my vagina was in agony because I had some traumatised muscles who would not relax.. If you don't know what's what a stressed out muscles causing agony isn't really encouraging to even try and relax in case it gets worse.. Anyway.. The pelvic physio is brilliant will give you exercises and examine and if you're lucky they can find where the pain is coming from and therefore tackle the root of the problem by it's root rather than masking it and making it worse by covering it up with painkillers! Trust me physio's for anything are top!