Tailbone pain post-delivery

[votre_ami03]

Ditto! I did the same thing broke/unalligned my tailbone. The OB offered me pain med's which I didn't want to take b/c I was BF'ing. I too sat on the Boppy *lol*, it's the only time we really used it. Getting back to work & sitting on an uncushioned chair was the worse part. I think mine finally healed at around 6 mos or so, but it does flair up now & again & come unalligned too.


Christy, mommy to Nolan 7/22/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030722/1/7/2/-7/.png

[MorganMom]

I agree, visit a chiro!!! I labored mostly on my side and delivered DS sidelying as well so my back/pelvis was horribly out of whack. I was lucky not to have tailbone pain but I couldn't walk down the stairs at all for a week.

My chiro took pity on my and did a house call, adjusting me and my DS. Immediately after that, I could finally walk normally. It took another 4-6 visits over a month before the pain finally went away completely but it did.

[american_mama]

I too had tailbone pain for about 5 months after my DD's birth. Mine was not bad, and I felt it mostly when sitting in slightly hard chairs or sinking into the driver's seat of my car. My tailbone would also wobble a bit when sitting, kind of like your elbow can wobble if you are leaning on it. I asked my midwife about it at my 6 week appointment and she thought yes, I might have dislocated it, but she implied there wasn't much that could be done.

In retrospect, I think there are some things that could be done. I have since found out that some physical therapists specialize in women's health (for labor, incontinence, etc.) and wonder if they could have helped me. From reading these posts, I now think a chiropractor could have helped.

I felt really good the first few days after birth, but was feeling a bit worse by the end of the week because of the tailbone pain. I remember that surprised and bugged me.

Finally, I am copying some info. from a post a few months ago by a woman who had severe tailbone pain. I hope your situation is not as serious as hers!

Karen - I discovered that something had happened with my tailbone as soon as my epidural wore off. I could not sit... at all. My doctors suspected that I had cracked the tailbone during labor. They suggested that we give it 4-6 weeks to see if the pain subsided. When it didn't, I was referred to an orthopedic specialist. My actual diagnosis is piriformis syndrome. It is when the piriformis muscles (attached to the tailbone) experience extreme trauma, they tighten and can refer pain to the tailbone itself. I go to physical therapy twice a week for treatment. I can now sit for periods of time, but I still do have pain. Of course, it subsides a bit when DD comes up to me and gives me huge hugs I'm sorry that you also experienced tailbone pain. I'm glad that it was able to resolve itself though! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[proggoddess]

I had bad tailbone pain while pregnant. I bought one of those seat cushions at the drugstore that have a cutout in the back for the tailbone. (Not the doughnut ones for episiotomy.) Helped a lot. You may want to give it a try after seeing your doc. I think I bought mine for $15 in the "As seen on TV" section of CVS.

As for weight gain, I was pretty much back to pre-pregnancy weight within the first month. (Couldn't fit into my clothes for a while longer though.) I drank those nutritional shakes that you can find at the health food store. I had a difficult time trying to eat and nurse at the same time, so this made it a little easier to get my vitamins and protein while I was stuck on the couch with DD.

[arcoe]

Karen - thanks for re-posting that. It was me who was diagnosed with the piriformis syndrome.

Sherri - I say that it couldn't hurt to visit with an orthopedist or physiatrist. They can help to assess what might be causing you the pain, and recommend a good chiropractor or physical therapist if appropriate. I will tell you that I did (do) have a pretty serious injury, and even with the level of discomfort that I was experiencing, things have improved quite a bit over time. I hope you start feeling better soon!

Robin
Mom to Lexy (2)