Local community midwife Lisa Bragg, who runs the Offsprings antenatal classes, tells us about aches and pains in pregnancy and what you can do to alleviate them.
Lisa Bragg
Unfortunately many pregnant women I see suffer from discomfort or pain in the joints and ligaments during their pregnancy, particularly hip pain or pain in the pubic bone (also known as Symphis pubis dysfunction – SPD).
These conditions can be quite debilitating and the severity is individual to each woman. For an unlucky few this can start in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy but for most it occurs during the 3rd trimester.
Why does this happen?
The discomfort is caused by the hormones relaxin and progesterone, these have an important role during your pregnancy to soften the ligaments that strengthen the pelvis, so that your baby can more easily pass through your pelvis during labour and birth.
Why does this affect some women and not others?
Although this is a normal process of pregnancy, it is thought that some women experience pain in the pelvic or hip area because one side of their pelvis moves more than the other when they walk. In later pregnancy this is made worse by the growing baby and uterus putting pressure on the pubic bone and altering your posture.
What should I do about it?
If you are experiencing these problems you should discuss these with your midwife. She will offer to refer you to physiotherapy, who may provide you with a specially fitted support belt or in severe cases elbow crutches. They will also discuss with you exercises and lifestyle changes that can help to minimize your discomfort.
Whilst you are awaiting your physio appointment, you may like to consider the following suggestions:
Avoid activities that mean you have to move your legs apart unevenly:
- Get out of the car like a film star with a mini skirt on! (turn your body and get out with your knees together). Putting a carrier bag on your seat, under your, bottom can make it easier to turn your body.
- Minimise the amount of times you have to go upstairs. Put things safely at the bottom to take up in one go or better still get the kids or your other half to put things away.
- To get out of bed roll onto your side, draw your knees up and get out with your knees together.
- Sit down to put on trousers, knickers or tights.
Don’t overdo it!
- Move often for short periods and listen to your body, rest if you are in pain.
- Don’t lift heavy shopping or equipment.
- Stand with your weight evenly distributed on both feet
- Sit evenly with your legs uncrossed. You may find it comfortable to sit on an exercise ball and this will help strengthen your core muscles at the same time.
- Do your pelvic floor exercises to improve your core strength.
- Ice packs can help some women, apply these for no more than 10 mins every couple of hours.
- For some temporary relief paracetamol may be taken at the recommended dose, however this medication should not be taken for more than 48 hours without medical advice so it is a good idea to try the alternative methods described.
Labour
You should tell the midwife caring for you during labour about your condition, she will suggest positions that will not put you at risk of further damage to your joints.
Comments
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