Pelvic Pain - Snohomish, WA

I had a lot of pelvic pain with my second pregnancy. I'm really don't have any good suggestions, to manage the pain. But, I did want to share that it didn't affect my delivery at all. That's just plain old uncomfortable no matter what. ;)

I had a similar thing happen to me in my last pregnancy where I had so much pain in my hips and pelvis that I couldn't walk. Since I have another child and couldn't imagine the last 6-8 weeks of my pregnancy not being able to walk, I read up about how to treat it. I decided to try a I think they're called a pediatric chiropractor..specially trained to work with children and pregnant women. I had never been to a chiropractor before. I went and was immediately feeling better. I went a few times until the end of my pregnancy and I've been back once since, so you don't have to start going all the time after you start going to one. I would just suggest going until the end of pregnancy and only when she wants to. Good luck and congrats!

I had the same problem and I would lose feeling in my legs and fall over too. Anyway, although my baby was 8 days late, about 3 weeks after delivery the pain went away. There is hope for her, but I remember being MISERABLE the last two months of my pregnancy. Wish her luck for me, I too am a military spouse and it's not easy.

I had this problem with my first child and it was pretty severe. I just didn't want to move! Unfortunately I didn't really find any cure for the pain I would imagine a little pain medicine would help but I didn't take any while pregnant so wouldn't know. Delivering my child also did not do the trick I finally 3 months post partum went to the chiropractor and that solved the problem my hips were way out of whack! If I would have known that I could I would have gone to the chiropractor while I was pregnant. Which she can and I would highly suggest!

Congrats on the grandchild to be our daughter was the first on both sides also and our parents were so thrilled!

I had that same excruciating pain my entire 3rd trimester. The last two weeks were the worst! Plus, I was walking more than ever to get things going and each step hurt more than the last.

I got a pregnancy belt that helped quite a bit. The pain was still there, but manageable (especially when you can't take pain medication). I'm plus-sized, so the options are few, but they do make them for all sizes. The more the support the better. I had to wear mine during the hottest times of the year, but it was so worth it.

It didn't affect my delivery at all. In fact I worked with another woman who had the same problem during her pregnancy and we couldn't have had more different babies or deliveries. She had a huge baby and after a day of heavy labor, she had to have a C-section because the baby wouldn't fit. I had a tiny baby (5 lbs. 14 oz. - 3 days past due date) and had a drug-free, natural birth that went fast (4 hours from checking into the hospital to birth). The pain was gone immediately. :-)

I don't know if it's worth it to her to get a belt at this point, but that would be my recommendation. Also, as much as the walking hurts (trust me, I know), it will aid with birth and work the baby down. Soon she'll have her little bundle of joy and she'll forget that she even had that much pain. Tell her to hang in there - we're rooting for her!! :-D

I had the same with my first and I am due with my second in six weeks and it is the same. It feels like my pelvic is going to rip in two. I took baths, did lots of stretching (butterfly sits, pelvic tilts and hip stretching) and tried to walk. Although at the end it is really hard. This second pregnancy is actually worse for me as my pelvic floor is not as toned as it was with baby #1. (Plus they are only going to be 15 months apart...)

My first labor was fast a natural. Painful, yes, but I don't think any more then any others.

I did go to a chiropractor and message therapist after the birth of my first son to realign everything. But the ligament pain was gone when the baby came out!

Congrats on becoming a grandma!!

i had similar pain with my first kid. it wasn't that severe, but it is caused by the round ligaments attached to the sides of the uterus. they are the sole source of what holds the uterus in place. they stretch an incredible amount during pregnancy, and sometimes cause pain. there is nothing that can be done to stop it, besides maybe taking some tylenol to ease the pain. it should stop very soon after the baby is born, maybe even immediatly, because that extra weight won't be there anymore. It shouldn't affect labor too much, the contractions will likely mask the ligament pain.

I am right there is the same boat! Except mine has lasted through the middle of the 2nd trimester and now into my third with only two more months to go. Some things that have worked for me, heat therapy. I use the packs right on my lower back right above my butt, and it seems to really make a difference. Also try stretching, I get on hands and knees and pulling my back and tummy up as far as I can then relaxing. And the last resort for me was a chiropractor, to do an adjustment... he worked wonders!!

For the most part it doesn't affect delivery at all. Sometimes the pain will last afterwards for a week or so while your body is trying to readjust. I remember mine getting to a point at which I couldn't bend or lift the baby. But that was the worst of it lasting a day or two. The big thing is talk to your OB and she can recommend a good prenatal massage therapist or even stretches to help.

She may be able to see a Chiropractor now or possibly acupuncturist now if she is open to that. A prenatal massage in the last few weeks was really great for me.

Although I am only 20 weeks with my second my hips have already started hurting, my midwife says I need more calcium and she says to take calcium citrate/magnesium mix and it's even better if it's liquid. Calcium carbonate can hurt the placenta. My doctor with the first never said I could help with supplements, but it seems to be working now.

My daughter had similar pain during the last few months of her pregnancy, and it was becoming quite severe for the last few weeks. There didn't seem to be anything she could do for it. My understanding is that the pain is from the ligaments relaxing and stretching, allowing the pelvic bones to be more mobile, which hurts now but is beneficial during delivery.

When your daughter's hormone levels shift after delivery, the ligaments will tighten up again in a matter of days. Thank goodness she only has a couple more days to go! Just getting that weight out of her pelvis will probably help immediately (though she'll be noticing other sources of tenderness – I hope she will have help during the first week or two so she can take it easy).

Hi C.,

This sounds very painful. I went to see a wonderful physical therapist who specializes in women's pelvic therapy...her name is Tami Kent. http://wildfeminine.com/ I couldn't believe how amazing I felt after the treatment (I went for a very old pelvic muscle injury that nothing else seemed to help). Take care....

I pulled my groin about a month before I was due and it was very painful, but I don't remember it hurting during my vaginal delivery. After delivery, it healed quickly and was minimally a problem.

I had this pain 32 years ago and it does go away after childbirth.
It is the ligaments around the womb that have been stretched to their limits and yes it hurts.
At that time they called it 'Round Ligament'.

i had this pain in varing degree with all three of my kids. by the time i had the kid it was gone. i don't think it hurt during labor but ir you don't have pain meds it will be the least of her worries and if she has an epidural she should not be able to feel anything. if possible just don't do more than she has to. use lots of pillow to support herself and her belly in bed. i found using the c shaped pillow worked the best but the important spots are head, belly, knees and back. good luck and it will be worth all of it when you all see her and sounds like it will be over within 2 weeks.

With my third child I had the worst pelvic pain from about the 7th month on until the day of birth. It got to the point where I could hardly raise my leg to walk up stairs. People suggested one of those harnesses to help hold up my belly, which didn't really help me. Once our son was born, that pain disappeared. Of course I had new issues to deal with after birth, like milk coming in (holy mackerel!). Once the baby is born, I'd bet the pain goes away. If not, maybe your daughter could see if she could have some pain medication that won't interfere with breastfeeding if she's going that route.

I am due in two weeks and have experienced the same problem through my whole pregnancy. Luckily...it is totally normal, even though that doesn't make it more plesant. I took warm baths before bed to help and used a heating pad (the kind that you microwave) on the sore area for a few minutes...these things seemed to help. When it got really uncomfortable I took Tylenol.

Hope this helps!

I've had 5 pregnancies now, and I've had this pain off an on for each pregnancy. It should go away after she has the baby. After the pressure from baby and stretching of ligaments and muscles is releaved, there really shouldn't be much of that sort of pain again until her next pregnancy.

One thing I've done to help alieviate the pain is to put a small cushion or pillow or rolled up blanket under my belly and pillow between my knees while I sleep or lay down on my side for muscle support--this has made a big difference. If I must roll over, I try to roll over very carefully, lifting my leg slowly and gradually scooting to the side I want to be on, but I generally avoid rolling over if possible. When she wants to sit up from side-lying position, she needs to use her top arm to support her as she pushes herself up. Many moms prop pillows around them/behind them/between their knees to support their tummies/legs and keep from rolling onto their backs while they sleep at night. I've never really had to do this because I generally stay on my side, but this might be helpful for your daughter if she's in that much pain right now.

I can SOOOO relate! In my case, I have scoliosis, which throws my lower back and hips off, causing one hip to be perpetually higher than the other. When I'm not pregnant, it's not a problem (I can usually twist around and crack my back enough to relieve any discomfort before it gets severe), but when pregnancy progresses to a certain stage (around 5 months) I can't do it anymore. I'm almost 6 mo pregnant now, and my hip is starting to give my trouble. During the first pregnancy, I didn't do anything until it got so bad I couldn't walk without help (ie, a walker loaned from the elderly lady we lived with--she wasn't using it, thankfully!). My doctor said it was either a stretching ligament or tendinitis and told me to take Tylenol, which did nothing, btw. The only way it affected the birth is that I wasn't as in shape as I would have liked to be and couldn't walk through the early contractions, choosing instead to try to rest between them and just survive them as they came. I also had less endurance than I would have liked to have, because I couldn't go for walks the last 5 weeks of my pregnancy. Other than that, it didn't affect the delivery too much.

After my daughter was born, the pain was a bit better, but I still couldn't sleep in bed (I had been sleeping in a recliner for the 5 weeks before she was born) and though I didn't need the walker, I was still limping really badly. So when she was a week old, I went to see my doctor. I told him about the scoliosis (something I managed to forget before) and asked if chiropractic would help. He had a chiropractor in his office, so it was easy for him to make a referral, and he said it certainly couldn't hurt. After a couple of adjustments, the pain was nearly gone, as was the limp, and it didn't come back until a my current pregnancy. I was seeing a chiropractor before I moved from Texas, but I don't think Medicaid will cover chiropractic here in Oregon, so I've been holding off a bit. I will probably buckle down and pay for it sooner or later, or maybe we'll buy a Chi machine (http://www.chi-machine.net/chi_machine.htm). A friend of mine shared hers with me, and 2 minutes on it and my whole lower spine went "pop pop pop" and it felt soooo good! You're not supposed to use it during the last trimester of pregnancy (probably because you have to lie on your back to use it), but I figure if 2-3 minutes would give me relief, it probably wouldn't hurt the baby. It would definitely be fine post partum. But I'm not advertising (just sharing what helped me).

Anyhow, if you live near Gresham, I would recommend looking up Katherine Zieman, ND. Her office is located at 22400 SE Stark Street, Gresham, OR 97030. She was the first person to describe exactly what had happened to my hip during the first pregnancy, and she would know who to recommend as a chiropractor (or her in-house osteopath). If I can get on open card (and maybe even if I don't and have to pay out of pocket for it) I would like her to be me midwife. I described some symptoms and she described some that I had had but didn't tell her, so she really knows what she's doing. She's a naturopathic doctor besides being a midwife, and specializes in pediatrics and women's health. She does free first time consultations, too.

Since the birth is so close, I would suggest finding a chiropractor asap that can adjust pregnant women and get an adjustment or two before the birth. Also 2-3 at least after the birth. This will probably help more than anything else, and as long as the chiropractor knows how to handle pregnant women, it won't hurt the baby. My chiropractor in TX adjusted his wife a day or two before their baby was born! So it's possible, just harder with ligaments and joints so loose.

So in summary, get an adjustment, take it easy, keep doing the light exercise (wish I could do water aerobics! Too much walking aggravates my hip right now), and sleep in a recliner. It should go away after the birth once the stress that caused it is gone.

Hope this helps!

A good chiropractor who is used to adjusting pregnant women can help this even RIGHT NOW!!! I had the same thing and I was adjusted weekly at the end of my pregnancy when I couldn't stand the pain anymore and it really helped!!!

D.

I carried my son so low, so from about 27 weeks on I was in horrible pain. I ended up having to see a physical therapist, but sadly sometimes it took ten min. just to get out of bed in the morning. I could hardly walk, sit, roll over anything. The only thing that cured it was having my son, instant relief. I would say that the only quick fix is having the baby. Tell your daughter to sit tight, try sleeping with a pillow in between her legs and wait for the baby to come.

Round Ligament pain is very common at this stage of pregnancy, due to the baby settling into the pelvis. Not much one can do other than what you are already doing. You might try sleeping in a recliner chair until the baby is born. This ligament stretching shouldn't affect your labor and should dissapear when your baby is born,

I have had increasing round ligament pain with each of my 3 pregnancies. Here is my 2 cents:
1.)Every morning before getting out of bed slowly stretch and do deep breathing. Bring one leg up under the belly and feel the stretch through the outer hip, then switch. Do the butterfly or "Indian-style" stretch, alternating feet in front. Do the Cat/Camel pose on hands and knees (breathe in as you lift the lower back to the ceiling, breathe out as you sway your back down toward the bed.) Do this throughout the day and before bed also.
2.)Get a couple pillows between her hips during the night and wear satin pants. At the end it was the only way I could get out of bed!! By literally falling!
3.)Have her husband give her massages each evening, which will also be a good hypnotherapy exercise to use again during labor.
4.)See a family chiropractor who actually can describe the round ligament and is familiar with adjusting during pregnancy. He/She should be able to describe how the uterus is like a balloon sitting in the pelvic bones, and when it gets twisted it needs to be gently massaged back into place. Wonderful relief!!
5.)Try to spend these last days only sitting "Indian-style" on the floor or a chair, not in a couch or slouching. That only makes it worse. Keeping the hips open is what she needs to do now.
Encourage her to keep mobile during the delivery, trying a lot of different positions. Getting an epidural and laying still for hours might mask the pain, but will not be helpful in getting baby out.
The pain should end right after the delivery, thank goodness!

I too had the same problem when I was pregnant. This advice has probably already been given. Her baby is probably a good size and is putting pressure and weight on that area. If she is due in the next few days, the baby has probably already dropped and is in position almost. She should just stay off her feet as much as possible and keep her feet up, that might even out the weight a little bit. When she lays down, she should lay on her side and put pillow(s) between her knees. I bought a body pillow and used that and it did help. She can also take tylenol as directed if okay with her doctor. good luck and congrats on the first grandchild!

A great resource is Dr. Bryan Bassinger at Clearwater Chiropractic in Portland. He is a member of a National Pelvic Pain conference and may have recommendations for her before and after birth.

i am not sure how extreme the pain is but i had this pretty bad with my son and it went away after birth, the delivery was normal, pretty easy and fast. once i recovered from delivery (about a week for the discomfort to go away) i had no more problem with it. good luck and congrats

I had this pain the entire pregnancy also. The pain went away about a month after delivery. It doesn't affect delivery at all.... Good luck!

Not that you need any more advice but I'll add my two cents :)

I had the same pain starting at 4 months and got so bad I couldn't move. The last three days I had a cold and every time I coughed and would get coughing fits I would feel like the world was going to end sooo much pain. BUTTT the moment I had my 9 pound (doc said he would only be 7) baby boy no more pain! Just let her know the end is near!!!!!!!!! I will pray for your daughter and her baby!

I has some of that pain during my pregnancy as well. It was horrible at night rolling over. I went to a chiropractor and that seemed to help. I didnt' have any pain during labor and it was gone as soon as my son was born. It was the same for a friend who had it. Congratulations to you and your daughter. My son was the first grandchild too!