Tagged As: Pregnancy Pain
Question:
My partner is days away from her due date (baby #2). When she gets up from a chair or walks about she'll suddenly get an incredibly strong shooting pain in her hips or thighs (exact location varies). Our midwife's best suggestion so far is that it's a trapped nerve and there's nothing she can do about it. She's virtually immobile because of the pain. Has anyone been through this and able to offer any suggestions?
Answer:
I went through this late in my last pregnancy, and though I am 28 weeks along now, it started about a month ago. My doctor told me it usually gets worse with each successive pregnancy. The only thing I have found that helps, and the doctor agreed, is to stay off it. Sometimes Tylenol may help a little if it's really bad. Heat or ice didn't seem to do anything. Laying on the opposite hip when sleeping may help. Wish I could offer more suggestions, but the doctor indicated it's just something you usually have to put up with. I also tried accupuncture, which seemed to help for a day or two. I believe that is called a sciatic nerve pain. It does get worse and comes earlier with each pregnancy. I have been having it since week 30 with the pain being so bad at times that I can't walk. It is a shooting pain. It is quite normal and will go away. I had sciatic nerve pain which almost immoblilized me at about 35 weeks. It resolved completely within days when I checked Elaine Stillerman's book, Mother Massage, out of the library and had my partner do the Sciatic Nerve Massage routine 3 times in 24 hours. After the first massage I was able to sleep. After the second massage I was pain-free for a few hours. After the third it went away and never came back. I've used it on other people as a doula and it has always been effective.
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