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s_gosney
09-13-2004, 11:24 PM
Okay, my butt has been killing me for months now and I've got to know if anyone else has been through this or has any ideas. I was skinny pre-pregnancy and am back to maybe even a little thinner than before (don't throw anything at me please! :)). Anyway, just wondering if there's a possibility of something being truly wrong...like should I call my doctor or what? DH says I need to just gain some weight. I tried to explain to him that I gladly would if the first 10 pounds would go straight to provide a tailbone cushion, but unfortunately it would just go to my thighs. :)

kelly ann
09-13-2004, 11:32 PM
I would definitely call the doctor - especially if you have had this pain for months. Maybe you need to have an xray??? If nothing is found in the xray, then maybe physical therapy can help. You definitely have more endurance than me...I would have called the doctor after one week :)

Oregonmother
09-14-2004, 12:17 AM
I had back labor with my DS and I he actually broke my tailbone according to my OB. It hurt worse than anything else after delivery, and I tore pretty bad also. When I would stand up from sitting I could hear it make a cracking noise. It is better now, but it occasionally still makes a loud noise when I stand up. I didn't do anything for it other than take ibuprofen. It's one of those things that has to heal on it's own. I know mine was feeling better after a couple of months though. Maybe go have it checked out.

Jeanmick
09-14-2004, 12:54 AM
After I delivered my DD, my bottom was so sore! I could not sit well at all. The Boppy was used for my sorry butt instead of my kiddo :)! I didn't know what was wrong with me since it was my first time having a baby. I saw all these other women walking/running (well, maybe not running :P ) around shortly after their delivery and here I was still not able to drive or sit well, climb or go down the stairs. I was stuck upstairs in our bedroom for a full month because it was too painful to go up and down the stairs. I did not fully recover until about six months or so after I had my DD. My girlfriend said the same thing happened to her and it was because her tailbone was bruised during delivery. I truly believe that was what happened to me. When I had my second child, I didn't have a problem at all and I was up and about within a couple of days.

I'd just check in with your PCP or OB/GYN to see if a bruised tailbone may be the reason why you're in so much pain. I TOTALLY know what you're going through. Hang in there...

COElizabeth
09-14-2004, 10:18 AM
You might also see a chiropractor. I have heard that it's fairly common to push the tailbone out of alignment during labor and delivery, and a few chiropractic adjustments might solve the problem.

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
EDD #2, 10-30-04

lfp2n
09-14-2004, 11:16 AM
I've had tailbone pain prebaby that just went away after a couple of months, I went to the Dr and they did the usual 'come back if it doesn't go away'.

It just came back about 2 months ago and I'm not sure why, I didn't do anything to damage it recently, DD was born 18 months ago so I doubt it was that, although that is the most common cause.

I've been looking at some websites about it which say its pretty common thing and some peoples coccyx just get unaligned and I have the symptoms they describe, like its worse sitting on a soft surface and hurts going from sitting to standing. The pain seems to be going away now so I'm not sure if I'm even going to see the Dr this time.

Here I some links that I found interesting, I'd definitely get it checked out if you are worried.

http://www.coccyx.org/
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/lowback/coccyx_pain_coccydynia.htm

Lucy DD 3/03

s_gosney
09-14-2004, 12:43 PM
All very helpful!
Lucy, those links you posted are informative too. The times I experience most discomfort are when I sit too long at the computer, so I've been adding more and more cushion to the chair. I guess from what the second site says though, that's actually making it worse. I guess I'll have to swallow my pride and go find a donut pillow. :) That has to be better than the coccyx manipulation though...yikes! I'm not sure why that seems intimidating even after childbirth, but it just does not sound like something I want to go through...

calebsmama03
09-14-2004, 12:52 PM
I had a bruised/cracked tailbone from a rapid delivery. I asked my chiropractor about it as well as my midwife at my 6 week checkup. For me, I felt the treatment would be more traumatic than the injury (internal manipulation by the OB) and I waited it out. The chiro did normal lower back and hip adjustments as well as massage and u/s. The pain was gone shortly thereafter, but will recur if I sit funny or for long periods of time, but it goes away by the next AM. I also took anti-inflammatory drugs (advil, etc.), which helped. I also found mild pelvic exercises (tilting, stretching) to help. Good luck!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]

g-mama
09-14-2004, 01:32 PM
I also bruised/broke (who knows?) my tailbone delivering my first ds. He was in a posterior position (face facing up rather than down) and I pushed for 3 hours before having a c/s. Within a couple of days, I realized what hurt the most was my butt, not my tummy. I could hardly walk or sit, and yes, getting up from sitting was the absolute worst.

He's almost 4 and to this day, it still hurts me. It took a good year to improve at all, then it did some, and got worse again with my 2nd pregnancy. Now, it doesn't hurt very often but sitting on the bathroom floor giving kids a bath is a killer.

Funny how you never hear about these things til they happen to you, huh? I'm surprised to hear how common this is.


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03

Rachels
09-14-2004, 02:27 PM
Chiropractor, chiropractor! It makes a world of difference.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Two years and counting!

votre_ami03
09-14-2004, 05:47 PM
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
09-14-2004, 06:59 PM
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
09-14-2004, 08:29 PM
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
09-14-2004, 10:29 PM
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
09-15-2004, 12:58 AM
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)