Achy Joints After Pregnancy

Months after having my second child I had sciatic pain & I experienced such pain in my feet I consulted a podiatrist. He explained that in preparation for childbirth the hormones relax ligaments. Massage therapy helped. The pains eventually subsided but about that time I was also inspired to make healthier changes~supplements & vitamins (my hubby swears by glucosamine chondroitin for his knees) & stepped up my exercise~I used a Nordic Track to lose the postpregnancy weight.
Wishing you wellness.

You might want to get checked to see if you've developed an autoimmune condition like rheumatoid arthritis. I haven't specifically seen this associated with pregnancy, but I know it can be trauma-induced (a friend developed it after an emergency appendectomy). I'd probably just mention the achiness to your doctor and see if they think it's worth following up on.

My baby is 11 weeks old and I have had a similar problem, very weak back and knees when trying to change him or get up off the floor. I was never like this before. My doc said it was due to the hormones im pregnancy that relax the muscles and joints (so pelvis can expand) and that it should have gone by the time he is 6 months old. I don't know whether to get a second opinion but seems a reasonable explanation.

I am having my thyroid monitored. I would recommend an endocrinologist for you too!
Pregnancy can affect it.
I also am still on my prenatals (by Metagenics. I also would recommend Whole Foods--the ones from the doc's office were not enough nutrition for me).

Hi K.,

Yes, my knees and shoulders ached (and were very weak) for a good 11 months postpartum. It seemed to get a lot better once I stopped breastfeeding at 8 months.

For the longest time, I thought I had just developed arthritic knees (I'm 41 now) and I'd just painfully hobble around upon getting out of bed in the morning. But, nearly a year after the birth, I suddenly realized that my knees weren't achy/stiff anymore. That's when I finally made the connection to the pregnancy hormones.

Good luck.
D.