hip pain and body pillows

[melbb]

I have been experiencing achiness through my hips while sleeping. This wakes me up every couple hours and I have to switch sides. I got a snoogle, and it seems to help a little, but I feel like I need to totally take all pressure off my hips to get relief. Has anyone else had this problem and have any suggestions? I haven't gotten a decent nights sleep in weeks and I still have 19 weeks to go!

[paigepea]

I'm 29 weeks and I have the same problem. Some times are better than others, and I remember it being very terrible around 19/20 weeks. I remember crying, thinking how can i go on for the rest of the pregnancy, but i have nights when it doesn't bother me at all.

I have no magic answer. I use the body pillow on one side of me and a regular pillow on the other side. whichever pillow i'm hugging, i kind of roll onto it and stretch my butt cheeks, that seems to help.

I do know how you're feeling, though. Some nights I woke up in so much pain - i could only move while saying "ouch, ouch, ouch".

Paige.

[amp]

I have it and don't have a solution. Would love to hear of one! Just wanted you to know you are not alone in your hip pain!

[melbb]

Thanks for your responses. I am disappointed that nobody has a solution, but I am comforted knowing I am not alone. I don't like the idea that I may be going sleep-deprived for a year at this rate.

[racerl1]

I have the same problem. I bought the Big V pillow, which helped some. I find that sometimes it helps to bring my upper knee closer to my chest. Varying the height of my upper knee tends to stretch my hips and gives me yet another position to lay in.

[DebbieJ]

I had it too. I just used a bunch of pillows and that seemed to help some.

My new rememdy? The Sleep Number Bed. This is the best bed I have ever slept in in my entire life. It's heavenly!

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10029.gif

[paigepea]

yes, i've done the moving my one knee up higher - it does help stretch out the sciatic area.

paige.

[soontobemommy]

Hi Melanie,
I had the same issue about the same time as you (am only a week ahead) and went to Babies r Us and got a mini boppy for my side (it's a little wedge pillow- I believe about $12) and it's been wonderful! I just put it under my hips to stomach and it lifts it nicely and no more pain. I have to change it when I turn over but it's worth it.

Definately worth trying! Hope you feel better,
Lauren

[melbb]

Thanks a lot for all of the replies. I tried sleeping on a folded comforter and the softness seems to lessen the hip pain. I will be going to BRU, so maybe I'll check that pillow out, too. Thanks.

[susan_k]

Hi,
I had this problem also. I found that putting an egg carton foam mattress topper on top of my mattress helped a lot. I can't remember the last time I had hip pain now - I've had it on my bed for over a month. You can get them at Linens or Things or Bed Bath & Beyond for $10.

Susan
due 8/24/05

[Sopamanda]

I've also been plagued with sciatia (a few weeks ago) and now hip pain. I use the Boppy cuddle maternity support pillow and although it's soft; I'm not sure it was worth the $30 or so. Per my doctor's advice, after sciatica started abruptly a few weeks ago, I used a maternity belt. It totally went away after a day or so. Now that the hip pain started, I wear the belt during the day and it helps a lot; not much relief at night, though, but at least I can walk comfortably during the day. I just use one of the plain-Jane belts from Motherhood.

Hope this helps!
Sopamanda
30 weeks

[lilylilac]

I feel your pain! I'm at 30 weeks and started feeling achy hips around week 20. Aside from weekly prenatal massages and about 5 pillows on my bed, I got a memory foam mattress topper from Costco. The topper helps cushion your poor hips and provides enough support for your belly that a pillow under your belly isn't always necessary.

I've been able to sleep without too much tossing and turning, unfortunately 4:30 am hunger pangs set in and again I'm without a good night's rest.

[DeeEast]

>I feel your pain! I'm at 30 weeks and started feeling achy
>hips around week 20. Aside from weekly prenatal massages and
>about 5 pillows on my bed, I got a memory foam mattress topper
>from Costco. The topper helps cushion your poor hips and
>provides enough support for your belly that a pillow under
>your belly isn't always necessary.
>
>I've been able to sleep without too much tossing and turning,
>unfortunately 4:30 am hunger pangs set in and again I'm
>without a good night's rest.

I just picked one of these up at Sam's Club today. I am sooo hoping this works!

[bunnisa]

I know all about it! I was amazed at how painful it was. It took my breath away sometimes.

The only solution I could find was to sleep on the couch, propped up. I slept there for about the last 3 wks of pregnancy.

Sorry that I don't have something better to tell you! :(

Bethany
mom to one and one on the way!
http://lilypie.com/days/060226/0/8/1/-6/.png
"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-J. Torres

[justlearning]

In my last pregnancy as well as in my current pregnancy, I also have had a lot of pain in my hips when I sleep. In fact, I had to sleep on the couch every night in a condo during a vacation a month ago because I wasn't able to get more than an hour sleep at a time on the bed.

What worked really well, though, in my last pregnancy and again in this one is a system of pillows. (By the way, we do have a foam mattress topper for our bed, as suggested by a PP, and that helps but I still need to use the pillows too.) Here's what I have found to work really well for me:

(1) I bought this pregnancy wedge pillow in my last pregnancy and it was well worth the full price--it's on sale now at babycenter: http://tinyurl.com/cqyc7
(2) When I first got that pillow, I was disappointed because it seemed uncomfortable to me and didn't help with the hip pain. Here's the "system" though that I started implementing that works really well. I position the wedge so that I'm lying on my left side, then I make strap big enough that I can fit a pillow against my back in between the wedge and me. The pillow is much softer than the wedge, but the wedge is wonderful for keeping that pillow right up against me to help relieve some of the pressure off of my left hip. I then put a pillow on top of the wedge under my stomach and hold that on my left side. I then use a pillow between my knees. This is an awkward setup of using a total of four bed pillows along with a wedge, but it does really help. The downside is that it's somewhat difficult to turn over onto my right side (which I have to do in order to relieve tension off of my left hip--also, I have low blood pressure so it's not a problem to do so) but it can be done. Usually, though, I'll end up knocking off the pillow that I was holding onto but that's not too bad because the one behind my back does stay put in the wedge and that one's more important to me because the wedge provides support on its own to the stomach.

I will say that I volunteered to test a very expensive maternity pillow for the Fields because I was hoping that it would do a better job than my other "system" at relieving hip pain and was also hoping to avoid the hassles of managing so many pillows. I haven't used it long enough to report any results but I will say that I've experienced a good deal more hip pain in the first two nights of using it than I did with my previous system. I'm going to keep trying different ways to use that pillow so I may have better results to report later but right now I'm still recommending what I've described above. In fact, that "system" is so important to me for getting any sleep that I bought those vaccum space bags (for packing) so that I can make sure that I have plenty of pillows as well as the wedge when we go on vacation in a few weeks.

Hope this helps! I know this response was long but I do "feel your pain" so I wanted to offer what's worked well for me.

[signsing]

I have the same problem. I am 33 weeks now. My first question is are we talking about sciatica pain or pelvic pain or just plain hip pain? I have found a heating pad to be helpful. I keep it by my bed so when I wake up in agony I can turn it on for a few minutes. Also tylenol can be wonderful. My dr suggested I take tylenol pm if I really need it. I don't since I still have to wake up to go to the bathroom and the pm makes me really groggy when I get up.
Also when you are using a pillow between your knees make sure its properly aligning your hips, have your hubby check for you. I have the small Boppy wedge pillow and used it under my belly for weeks but have now moved a bigger pillow under my belly and the wedge between me knees.
Today my midwife suggested I sleep with the pelvic support band. She siad it may not be too comfortable but should help with some of the pain.
She also suggested some time sitting on my birth ball to help my pelvis get some relief.
Also my last key to a good nights sleep is to stretch before I lay down. I find that when I remember to stretch my legs and back especially it helps. You can use a towel to help stretch your legs, this helps alleviate some of the cramps, and stretching the low back can help with sciatica.

And my always works but my insurance doesn't cover it is to visit my wonderful Chiropractor. I wish my insurance would pay for it I'd see him every week if I could. He has a way of taking care of most of my pregnancy aches and pains.
HTH
Betsey
Buddy's Mamma 6-10-2003
Baby #2 due in October!

[melbb]

When I originally started this thread, I was not talking about sciatica, although I am sure that some people have this. At least I don't think I have sciatica. I always thought that was a pain that radiated down the back of your legs. My problem is just an ache in whichever hip I am lying on, so it is associated with pressure on the hip. It compeletely goes away once I am up walking around. I have tried many things, including some of the suggestions here, but nothing has really worked. The best thing is to have a pillow under my belly, and to also have one behind my back and almost sit on it. This lifts me up a little and takes some of the pressure off. But it is hit and miss. Some nights are okay, and others are horrendous.

[holli]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I am at the start of week 21 and have been dealing with this since about week 17. I thought it was just me because I have had problems with my left hip the last couple of years - which has definitely become worse with pregnancy. It does seem to affect my left hip more than my right - so I end up sleeping on my right side all night long. After about 6-7 hours, though, that side hurts - so then I want to roll on my back. But I have never been a back sleeper - and I guess you are not supposed to now either. I have tried the pillow thing as well. Sometimes putting a pillow directly underneath my hip seems to help...and then trying to rotate my body so I am not right on my hip.

So, how I have gotten some relief?: my weekly trips to the chiropracter seem to be helping (at least this week). And I have reinstated my nightly regimine of stretching my lower body - which I think it helping more than anything. (I'm a personal trainer - so let me know if you need some stretches). This along with trying to move my hips around when I get up to pee in the middle of the night seems to be helping.

Here are some stretches I do. It might help to make an appointment with a personal trainer or other expert to show you how to properly do these stretches...since it is kind of hard to describe.
* Hamstring - laying on my back
* Abductor - laying on back
* Piriformis
* Hip Flexor
* Using a foam roller++ to massage my IT band (this is a band on the outside of the leg that connects at the hip and runs down to the knee) and my gluts

++ Foam roller: a long round piece of styrofoam. You can find them by typing in foam roller to google search. But again, you would need someone to show you how to use them. Do you happen to live on the Peninsula of the Bay Area?

Best of luck - Holli

[melbb]

Thanks for the stretching tips. What is the Piriformis? My DH may know about some of these things as he used to be in physical therapy. I happen to be in San Diego. Good luck. My hip aches started around 16 weeks, so it has been a long battle!

[shanfran1]

Hi Holli,

I'm in the Bay Area and would welcome a chance to see your stretches!
I'm 29 weeks and hobble around from hip, back and butt pain constantly.

Thanks!

Shannon

>I know exactly what you are talking about. I am at the start
>of week 21 and have been dealing with this since about week
>17. I thought it was just me because I have had problems with
>my left hip the last couple of years - which has definitely
>become worse with pregnancy. It does seem to affect my left
>hip more than my right - so I end up sleeping on my right side
>all night long. After about 6-7 hours, though, that side
>hurts - so then I want to roll on my back. But I have never
>been a back sleeper - and I guess you are not supposed to now
>either. I have tried the pillow thing as well. Sometimes
>putting a pillow directly underneath my hip seems to
>help...and then trying to rotate my body so I am not right on
>my hip.
>
>So, how I have gotten some relief?: my weekly trips to the
>chiropracter seem to be helping (at least this week). And I
>have reinstated my nightly regimine of stretching my lower
>body - which I think it helping more than anything. (I'm a
>personal trainer - so let me know if you need some stretches).
> This along with trying to move my hips around when I get up
>to pee in the middle of the night seems to be helping.
>
>Here are some stretches I do. It might help to make an
>appointment with a personal trainer or other expert to show
>you how to properly do these stretches...since it is kind of
>hard to describe.
>* Hamstring - laying on my back
>* Abductor - laying on back
>* Piriformis
>* Hip Flexor
>* Using a foam roller++ to massage my IT band (this is a band
>on the outside of the leg that connects at the hip and runs
>down to the knee) and my gluts
>
>++ Foam roller: a long round piece of styrofoam. You can find
>them by typing in foam roller to google search. But again,
>you would need someone to show you how to use them. Do you
>happen to live on the Peninsula of the Bay Area?
>
>Best of luck - Holli

[emilys_mom]

I had a similar problem (unfortunately) my whole last trimester. I also bought a wedge pillow at Babies R Us. It was two wedges, with the thinnest sides held together by a strap. This helped take a little strain off my back. I then slept with a pillow between my knees.

Also, my doctor gave me some advice- she said often you can cause more pain by sleeping with your knees bent at too much of an angle. She suggested I make sure not to bend them more than about 45 degrees, and I noticed that I had had them at around 90. When I corrected it, it seemed to help the pain quite a bit. Hope this makes sense.

[barbarhow]

I so feel your pain. I had this same pain from about 25 weeks on. I also had pelvic pain from diastasis. My last 10 weeks I got little sleep becuase the pain was so severe. Chiropractic adjustments helped, I saw a DO who specializes in maternal fetal medicine-he was wonderful and did adjustments weekly. I also got massages weekly for the last 8 or so weeks. My gluts were so tight-the massages were agony but helped at least for a day or two afterward.
I finally resorted to taking some Ambien the last week or so. The pain was pretty much gone right after delivery.
Good luck to all of you in your last weeks of pregnancy.
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
and Anna 5/12/05, my little Yankee fan!

[MomtoOLT]

What you are probably feeling is SI Joint pain. Feels like it's right in your hip, straight in through your butt cheek?

My DH is a physical therapist and we do some exercises on me that seem to help relieve the pain.

One, have your spouse/so hold your knees together while you try to press them apart. Do that for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Then have DH/SO put their hands into two fists, holding them together like they are holding a pole. Put your knees around the fists and squeeze while they give slight pressure trying to push your knees apart. You can do this alone with a small children's ball, also.

Warning, these sometimes really hurt but after doing them, I feel a lot better.

Talk to your ob/gyn about getting a prescription to see a physical therapist. If you don't have PT coverage, visit one anyway, ask about if they have any kind of discount for someone that has no insurance or bad coverage and see if they'll give you a discount and show you some exercises to do at home and come see them once a week/every two weeks?

My pain is so bad right now that it hurts when I lift my right leg to walk sometimes, sitting down shoots a zinger of pain into my butt/hip and any kind of bending motion hurts, getting into the car, sitting on the toilet, etc.

Sleeping with your knees extended apart does seem to help, too, after the exercises. I've found that when I'm not comfy in bed, I come to the couch and can sleep better by throwing my leg up on the back of the couch a bit.

Hope you feel better soon.