Hip pain and sleep positions

[natividad]

Hi all,

I was wondering if any of you have or is currently experiencing hip pain. For the past few weeks my hips have been aching to the point where I have a hard time getting out of bed. Once I start walking and moving, the pain gets better. I was given an electric heating pad to use and I was wondering if they are really safe to use around the hip/lower back area. I did use the pad last night to relieve the pain, but was worried that the heat transmitted to that area could be too "close" to the baby. Am I just being paranoid?

Also, I am trying to sleep on my side, either left or right, though left is more comfortable for me. The problem is that I often times wake up on my back - I guess from turning in my sleep. I have been reading how sleeping on your back is not good for the baby due to oxygen reduction to the brain. I am scared that I keep on waking on my back - again, am I being paranoid or is it really dangerous for the baby to sleep on your back? Sleeping so much on my side does not help my hip pain, by the way. Thanks in advance!

Naty (March 03)

[nigele]

Naty,

I experienced really bad sciatic nerve pain during my pregnancy that started out as hip pain. I went to a physical therapist for a few weeks and she gave me exercises to help. She also told me to use a heating pad and said it was safe. She also told me to avoid walking up and down stairs as much as possible as your joints become flexible from pregnancy hormones and the up/down motion can aggravate hip pain. Sleeping on my back was most comfortable for me as well but I avoided it and slept on my sides anyway.

Hope this helps!

[juliasdad]

Hi again, Naty-

Using a pillow between the thighs/knees really helped my DW get some relief from hip pain. She slept mostly on her side, but was concerned about the occasional back sleeping as well. Our OB claimed that the idea of the extra weight impeding the vena cava was utter nonsense, and that we shouldn't worry in the least about back sleeping. Third-hand information from a doctor you don't know... for what it's worth. You could also try a compromise position by getting one of those pregnancy wedges or propping pillows behind you to keep you from rolling completely onto your back.

-dan

[mamahill]

I'm with Dan and his DW -- my doc said that back-sleeping might make my legs feel a littly tingly (like they were going to sleep), but that it would't harm the baby. I slept on my back (and sides - I can't be in one place ALL night) up until I delivered. Granted towards the end I couldn't sleep on my back for more than 15 minutes or half-hour (my legs wouldn't actually fall asleep, but they did feel weird). Anyway, if sleeping on your back feels better, go for it. For me, that was really the only way that my back felt better. And I had terrible sciatic pain. When I did sleep on my sides, I used an extra pillow between my knees, like Dan said. The only other thing I did (besides buy one of those maternity belts at Motherhood for $14 for day-wear) was keep a small stool in the kitchen for when I stood for long periods of time. Placing one foot on it helps keep your hips level, rather than sinking to one side (does that make sense?). Talk to your doc about it and s/he should have some literature for you (besides the wealth of info online). HTH

[nigele]

Until Dan and Sarah posted, I'd forgotten - I did buy a body pillow at J.C. Penney for about $15. It was a lifesaver! I used this to prop between my knees and also jammed it under my belly for support when lying on my side. I was also able to swing my arm over it for extra comfort.

[nohomama]

Sleep however you feel most comfortable. That was my midwives advise to me and my advise as a massage therapist to you. Pillows are good for added support, but like I said do what feels most comfortable.

Heat to soothe the pain is also good but I'd recommend moist heat - a hydrocolator pack (expensive and not something most people have), a hot water bottle, or a TheraBeads heat pack (they're available at many drugstores and are microwavable). Not only are they moist but you can't fall asleep with them plugged in and risk burning yourself. Ouch!

Other than that I found moderate exercise helpful in reducing joint discomfort. Definately avoid deep stretching! You may be able to get your knees up next to your ears, but that doesn't mean you should ;).

Hope you're able to find some relief. This too shall pass.

[egoldber]

I had a lot of back pain in my pregnancy as well. A pillow did help me (mine was $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond). Unlike some other folks, I did find that being on my back made very lightheaded and short of breath during my last trimester, so I would try it cautiously.

HTH,

[KathyO]

I was nervous too about the number of times I woke up on my back. I mentioned it to my OB, who smiled and said, "So, what do you think woke you up?" Her approach was that the body knows what is working for it, and if you're doing something it doesn't like, it'll wake you up to correct it!

I felt a lot better after that...

Cheers,

KathyO

[maddeesmom]

I had horrible back and hip pain. The doctor gave me the usual ways to help the problem but nothing was working. The body pillow only put a little dent in the pain. On a whim I tried the swimming pool, within minutes of getting my hips and back into the water the pain lifted. I now go to the pool 4 to 5 times a week, for about a hour at a time. I use arm floatation devices and go to the deep end to walk. Not only did this help with the back and hip pain but I sleep so much better at night. I hope this helps some.

[Rachels]

My hips were killing me also. In addition to the actual weight and pressure of the baby, your body is producing relaxin, which sort of unglues your ligaments. It lets your hips move in preparation for birth. A good design, I guess, but it's miserable for sleeping. I got relief by using a body pillow at night and a nursing stool during the day. My work involved a lot of sitting, and it made a huge difference to have my feet slanted and raised. You can find a nursing stool for about $20 at BRU. Also, seeing a chiropractor helped, and acupuncture helped. Hang in there! It passes.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[natividad]

Thank you all for responding to my message. As always, you have provided me with great insight and suggestions. I will definitely try some of your recommendations. The Thanksgiving drive back home certainly didn't help me this week. Our trip from Pittsburgh to DC took us 9 hours, ouch! It usually takes us 4. Again, THANKS!!!

Naty

[dogmom]

I'me 36 weeks and been dealing with hip/sciatic pain since week 12. As a got bigger body pillows positioning helped. But the BEST thing for me was an ice pack. People tend to go for heat/moist packs because they feel good and comforting, but often they make things worse. If you have an inflammation around an area it means you have too much blood/chemical activity etc. That's what meds like Motrin and such is for, to cut down on the inflammation. (Not that we can take any of those!) Because of the changes in pregnancy, extra weight, baby pressing, extra blood volume, etc. etc. we are all prone to this kind of inflammation. (Many woman get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for the first time when they are pregnant.)

If you put ice on an area in clamps down on the local blood supply in that superficial area, but NOT deep enough to effect the placenta or baby. It helps "quite down" the inflammatory response. I found that keep feels good to start with, but doesn't do anything in the long run. An ice pack on the hip that was bothering me for 15-20 minutes would take care of the pain for at least an hour or two, and sometimes until morning. I got my husband trained that soon as I grunted in pain when I turned he got out of bed to get my ice pack! Now my hip isn't so bad because the baby dropped 2 weeks ago, but the pelvic/ligament pain is killing me. Any suggestions for that, besides getting the labor over with?

I'd be interested if the cold packs work with anyone but me.

[luvbeinmama]

I had hip pain with both kids. With DS I even had periods where walking was too painful. With DD I got a good maternity belt at BRU and started wearing it as soon as the hip pain appeared. Good thing I did, too. It saved me from a lot more pain I'm sure.

As for the back sleeping thing... I did the same thing with DS and DH was paranoid about the vena cava thing. But nothing happened. I did sleep with a pillow BEHIND me, though, just in case, but I tended to roll in place and the pillow didn't help. HOWEVER... with DD, I had no problems when sleeping (didn't have quite the back sleeping problem, and did the pillow at my back thing again, which helped). But because of my AFP results I was on the fetal monitor weekly from week 30 on. Of course, during this I was on my back for 20 + minutes at a time in the doc's office. Once I almost passed out after DD moved to right on top of that particular blood vessel. Also, when I went in for my c/s, when I was on the table and the anesthesiologist was getting everything ready ahead of time, she did it again, and I almost passed out on the operating table, and did throw up (not pleasant). So the reality is, that probably it won't be a problem, but watch out, just in case.

HTH