I love being pregnant.
And after over a year of being pregnant, I think I'm getting really used to it!
Except one thing.
Pregnancy is a pain in the hips!!!
Why didn't any of you ever tell me that?!
There are a lot of aches and pains involved in pregnancy. Morning sickness, fatigue, swollen feet, trouble breathing, and emotional/ hormonal ups and downs are pretty obvious expectations because every pregnant woman talks about it. But every woman experiences different pregnancy symptoms and even every pregnancy can be different. This pregnancy I have had ZERO nausea, but extreme fatigue, for example.
I knew that hormones an chemical changes are responsible for these changes, but I didn't realize that yet another one of their culprits was joint pain! About halfway through pregnancy (20 weeks) the chemical Relaxin is released to prepare the bones and joints for labor and delivery. In the meantime, it may cause some joints to shift prematurely.
This is what is happening to me SIGNIFICANTLY! When I wake up in the morning or sit or stand in one position for too long I almost fall over because my hips have started to settle in different positions. It takes quite a few minutes to even be comfortable enough to stand and walk, and usually a much longer time before I can pivot, turn around, or lift my legs (for walking up stairs, for instance.) Ben usually comes into the room after hearing a sharp cry of pain and has to help me to stand up and steady me while I get my "Standing legs" and help me walk up stairs. At this point, my left hip and leg, in particular, feel so badly that I wonder if I'll have a permanent limp!
It doesn't help that I'm small-framed and my body is not growing as much as Dragon is. He feels really powerful in every movement, which I can feel because my skin is stretched as tight as it could possibly be! Ben loves poking my stomach and remarking at how hard and tight it feels! Dragon is really low and all in front, so I think part of the hip pain issue is that the muscles and ligaments around my pelvis are just not used to this much pressure all of a sudden.
But really, every little thing is worth it!
Every time I feel him move, which is almost all day and into the night now, I get so excited and so relieved.
Less than 14 weeks to go (hopefully) before we see this little wonder!
How exciting you are getting further along! And yes, my hips ached a lot when I was pregnant. Not comfortable! It wasn't as bad as what it sounds for you though. But yes, they are worth it. They are even worth 500 dollars and a painful shot in the rear end :)
ReplyDeleteTry the Flexible Warrior yoga series: http://www.flexiblewarrior.com/ It's for triathletes but you can modify it for your pregnancy. There is a lot of concentration on opening up your hips and stretching your hips. Obviously don't overdo it since you're carrying a little one, but it may help decrease your discomfort. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI bet yoga would be awesome for you, Suz. Sorry you're having such a hard time. Pregnancy is no picnic, that's for sure. But what a blessing. Your belly looks great!!
ReplyDelete