Any Suggestions for Aching Hips During Pregnancy?

I would suggest chiropractic care or at least some physical therapy/massage. It helps a lot.
I had lots of pain when in bed too and nothing really helps totally. Taking Tylenol before going to bed helped some. Then towards the end I finally had to take vicodin to be able to get any sleep in the last 2 weeks, but that was more from sciatic pain than anything.
I wish I had carted by butt to the chiropractic office a time or two!
Good luck.

Aching hips are a common complaint during pregnancy.:) There are a lot of changes going on in your body, and particularly in the ligaments of your pelvis and low back. Many women find great relief with help from a chiropractor. If you would like to find a chiropractor near you that specializes in caring for pregnant women, this website has a directory: www.icpa4kids.org. It's nice to know that not only does chiropractic care make you more comfortable, but may also help to make labor shorter by balancing your pelvis! Good luck, and congratulations.

My low back and hips were incredibly painful during pregnancy. Try a heating pad and also since I am a massage therapist, I would recommend massage. It is a great stress reducer and feels wonderful for achy muscles during pregnancy.

H. H.

I did two things while I was pregnant that you may want to try....1) weekly massage-she would work on my hips and tailbone so much that it was amazing how well I would sleep for about the next 4 nights....awwww it was such a treat and a lot of insurance companies cover pregnancy massage (especially if your midwife/doctor prescribes it due to your pain). 2) I used to sleep on an air mattress when I was really sore and that would allow me to sleep on my tummy more comfortably. I also tried walking/exercising slowly every day-this helps come labor also. Best of luck to you Megan!!!! It's all worth it in the end! :) Take care.

Although I am not practicing right now, I am a massage therapist. One of my specialties is pregnancy massage. It is wonderful for those aching hips and lower back. I also had massage while I was pregnant with both of my boys. It worked wonders. If your insurance does not cover, you may want to ask your ob to give you a referral.

Also, I bought a full body pillow. I couldn't sleep with out it. You can hold it up to you and put one knee up over it. It helps to take off a lot of the pressure from your hips.

Good luck!!
T.

Chiropractic adjustments or massage.

I would see a chiropractor.

I feel for you! I also had horribly painful pregnancy's. I didn't know until I was preg with my second child that pregnant people can go to chiropractors. I had horrible back pain, so painful I walked like an 80 year old by 12 weeks (6 weeks with my first). And headaches, foot pain, everything that hurt went away when I started going to see a chiropractor around 12 weeks with my second son. I NEVER had pain after that. I went 2 x's a week, and if a new pain started up, I'd just tell him and he'd focus on that part as well and I had a pain free pregnancy until my son was born.
The other thing I would like to mention is that if you have good insurance there is a chance you won't have to pay a thing. We have blue cross and I never once got a single bill from my chiropractor, just paid the $15 copay. That was that. And our insurance isn't "that" great and we didn't have to pay a thing.
Hope you get feeling better. Those chiropractors can fix anything in your body as far as I'm concerned. I'm so convinced after how much pain I went thru and horrible headaches and everything, how he was able to fix every pain without medications almost immediately. I'm sure they can also help your hips.
Good luck~
H.~
SAHM of 2 boys, Rlan(4) and Rory (2)

Hi Amy,

I suggested for two of my client's egg crate and in the extreme case I suggested a pool ring lightly blown up so that her hip did not actually touch the matress and that gave her relief.

You have awhile to go in your pregnancy, so it might be worth the investment. I would also consider the assistance of a chiropractor as an investment in your pregnancy health.

Good luck and have a GREAT pregnancy and birth!

T. Nelson CD

I slept with a pillow between my legs around the knees. I had a lot of pressure on my hips and that seemed to balance me out. My husband and I just bought a sleep number bed and that helps out tremendously. I know you probably don't want to buy another bed but this one conforms to your body. Good luck.
C.

I totally feel your pain! I'm 20 days from my scheduled c-section with my third child. The lifesaver for me was a body pillow. I put it between my knees and then up my body supporting my belly. It really does help!

Congratulations on your little one!

Hi Megan my name is A. and I'm a mother of 4 two girls and 2 boys, have you tried asking you OBGYN i know that when I was pregnant with my first I was some of the same problems what i did was I slepted with i pillow between my legs, and if that didn't work I would sleep on fluffy blankets so that my bed wasn't to firm. Hope this helps any.

Hello,

I know what you mean. I started feeling it around that time, too. Now I am 32 weeks and still feeling it. My doctor says it's part of the pressure being put on the sciatic nerve. I haven't found anything to stop it, but I got one of those long pregnancy pillows and use the bottom half between my knees. Since your hips are usually wider than your knees laying down, it helps to keep you more aligned. Sometimes I use a small pillow at my ankles, and maybe one behind my back/butt to keep me propped up. Also, rotating from left to right helps me, not only because of my hips, but I just got used to being on my left side, because they say it's the best, but then I ended up with a pinch on my left shoulder and neck. Not good. Hope this helps.

C.

My hips ached and were sore while I was pregnant also. I slept with a pillow between my legs and it really helped me. I would also switch sides a lot during the night. I hope this helps and I feel your pain. Good luck it is all worth it in the end. My daughter turned 7 months today!

My girlfriend swears by her body pillow. I never had one, I just propped regular pillows all around me, or sometimes slept/napped in my recliner.

Just a few suggestions, try using a pillow between your knees to keep your hips in alignment, I actually loved this so much I use it even not pregnant. I read tucking a pillow under your tummy to turn you a little helps but I found my children just kicked the pillow all night. Also, a warm epson salt bath will help the ache morning or before bed. If it gets really bad ask your ob if you can take some tylonol and dosage. Congrats on the new babe! Jen

I also used a body pillow between my legs and a heating pad when things got rough. Just make sure you go easy with the heating pad, you don't want to over heat your little person. I was at work 35 hours a week on my feet until 3 days before delivery and this helped a lot. The pain did last after delivery for me, but it was much less and finally disappeared after a few months.

Congrats Megan,
I wnt through this 4 times, the first was the worst. As your pregnacy progresses your body structure will change and the ache and pains will seem realy bad. I recumend getting not using the feather bed (later on it will make getting up to go pee very hard). I bought a pregancy body pillow at Babies R Us for 50.00, It was totally worth it. It is designed to support your back, belly neck, hips, knees and feet. and keeps it shap very well.
Good Luck

The only thing I know that helps is some Tylenol, heating pads and a nice hot bath or shower. Unfortunetly its just the price we pay being pregnant. Some women have horrible hip pains, leg cramps, backaches, etc while other women seem to just fly by wondering why all the other pregnant women are complaining.

Since this is your first pregnancy and if you are a small person frame wise that is probably why you are hurting so much. Everything is stretching out to make room for that little guy in there. Hang tight and hopefully after a few weeks of stretching it will go away. If not talk to your OB and see if there is anything else they can recommend for you.

CONGRATULATIONS on joining the Baby Club! :)

i had really bad hip pain and my pelvis popped every morning both times i was pregnant..i would put a pillow or two between my knees and that helped a lot! usually it was a body pillow and a regular one.

Ok so I know this is going to sounds WAY crazy.....but when I was pregnant with my second I had cramps all down my legs at night when I was trying to go to sleep. My Husband's grandmother said to sleep with a bar of soap...so here's what I did AND IT TOTALLY WORKED!!!:

I USED A BAR OF SOAP FROM A HOTEL BUT ANY WILL DO AND i PLACED IT UNDER THE FITTED SHEET ON MY BED...IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DIRECTLY UNDER YOU, JUST UNDER THE FITTED SHEET SOMEWHERE.

VIOLA...MY CRAMPS WERE GONE!!!!
I hope this helps!!!

-K.

Have you tried putting a pillow between your legs while your sleeping on your side?

i would invest in like a foam egg crate pad, or something similar. only don't get the one that when you put your hand on it, your handprint stays. i forget what its called lol, but that actually made my pain worse. but something thick helped with me. i had an older pad my mom gave me that was AWESOME! it was thicker than the eggcrate one, and i couldn't live without it. i don't think theres anything you can do to totally get rid of it except for pain meds, and even then it only helps so much. just one of the joys of pregnancy no one warned you about lol. good luck! and congrats!!

What helped me was a body pillow, and sometimes using many pillows to prop up my torso and under my knees, so I could sleep on my back, sort of, like a recliner position.

I found that sleeping with a pillow between my knees and one behind my back saved me. Give it a try!

I had this problem too. Before I would go to bed I would use icyhot on my hips and I would place a pillow under my belly and one between my knees and one at my ankles because I found that with out one at my ankles too it pulls funny over a few hours.

Get really good walking shoes! Go to the walking/running store on nw 23rd (portland). They will fit you for shoes, this helps so much. My hips hurt from the middle of my pregnancy until my son was 3. I finally went and got good tennis shoes and my hips have not hurt since. It would effect me a lot of night from the wear of walking/working out during the day. I really couldn't believe how much it helps to be properly supported during the day. My pair of shoes cost $90, so it's not too bad. Good luck.

I found a couple things helpful when i was pregnant, a pillow between the knees when you sleep and a heat pack for my hips were the best. I also had a lot of pillows in my bed so I would put one or two behind my back so I didn't have to be completely on my side. I would be able to lean back a little which helped take the pressure off the hips. Then as I got further along I also had a pillow under my stomach too. I was surrounded by pillows, but it did help.

I'm a mother with three children I know how your feeling. When my hips would hurt like that I would take a bath for about 20 minutes before I would go to bed.If that didn't work I would put my pillow between my legs for support.

I had the same issue and what I found that helped me was lots and lots of pillows. I put them under my hips, upper torso, and between my legs. It didn't take the pain fully away but it relieved a lot of it where I felt I could at least move around throughout the day. After awhile, I even slept a little reclined on my side and that seemed to help as well. My Dr says try anything and you'll have to keep adjusting througout the weeks so whatever works. I just went through it and had my first child on May 17th. With all the aches and pains, it's a very exciting time especially the moment of your new arrival. Good Luck and Congrats!

I have one word for you, this is the only thing that allowed me to sleep at night... PILLOWS, PILLOWS, PILLOWS! I am so serious, I got a body pillow, and slept on my side, with one of my legs on the pillow hugging it to my body... it takes the pressure off of your hips, and also, this may sound silly, my husband would put his hands on each side of my hips, while I was standing up and pushed them together... it took the pressure off my hips later in pregnancy... good luck, and CONGRATS!!!

PILLOW IN BETWEEN YOUR LEGS, THATS ALL i CAN THINK THAT MY LADY WAS ABLE TO DO...ALTHOUGH IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO GET A HEATING PAD TO LAY ON YOUR JOINTS...IT'S YOUR JOINTS THAT ARE SPREADING IN PREPERATION FOR THE BIRTH, SO IF YOU RELAXED THEM IT MIGHT EASE THE PAIN A BIT...i AM UNSURE OF THE LATTER THOUGH IT SOUNDS REASONABLE

I am 26 weeks pregnant with #2 and I have had the bad hurting hips both times. I try sleeping with a pillow between my legs and it seems to help. I just use a regular semi flat pillow/ Nothing makes it completely better that I have found yet....who knows maybe #3 will be the answer:)

You might try one of those body pillows, you can get them at Walmart for like $10. if you aren't a walmart shopper, I think they have them at Costco and Target. I slept with it between my legs and under my belly. It takes some of the pressure of your legs and helps you sleep more aligned. Also, once you get bigger, it helps so much to have something under your belly, I always felt like my tummy was hanging to the side if I didn't sleep with it. =)

Congrats!

I had the same thing happen to me with my daughter. What really helped during the night was to sleep with a long body pillow between my legs. During the day i bought one of those big exercise balls or "birthing balls" Sit on it for 15 minutes (more of less dempending on when your pain subsised. They both really worked for me. Hope you get a little relief.
H.

My sister-in-law used to sleep on the couch when her pain would get really bad. I guess it offers different support because there is something to lean on (the backrest). Hope you get relief!
E.

Having MD refer to physical therapy helped.

I had the same problem when I was pregnant. I took a body pillow and placed behind my back while on my side then layed back onto it. This helped take the pressure off my hips and not too much on my back. During the day you can take a large exercise ball sit on it and roll your hips. When standing up for periods of time sway to move the weight. Hope this helps!

I work for a chiropractor and my best friend is a massage therapist, I did both of those when I was pregnant with my daughter, helped with pregnancy and labor both..I'm doing them again this time for sure. Good luck!

I had the same problem. What is happening is that you are expanding for the baby. The only thing that helped me was yoga. And a couple of Tylenol to take the edge off of the pain. Good luck to you and your baby.