Conference moira::parenting_v3

    The baby's head is probably resting on the nerve that passes
    through the pelvic area.  I had this problem during my first
    pregnancy, only with my right leg.  I know people who have had
    this pain in both legs.  I don't know how they stand it.  
    
    Mine was in the right hip because my right leg is shorter than my
    left leg (most normal people don't have legs the same length), so
    gravity pulled the baby's head to the lower side.  A heel lift in
    my right shoe helped A LOT.  And almost instantly. 

    Sleeping on my left side so gravity pulled the baby away from the
    sore spot helped a lot, too. 

    Some other things I found that helped some: 
    
    Resting with a couple of pillows under my hips, again so gravity
       helped tip the baby away from the sore spot instead of into it. 
       I'd put my feet up on the arm of the sofa, the pillows under my
       hips, and read for an hour or two.

    Swimming (and this though I'm a lousy swimmer).  The motion helps
       strengthen and stretch the muscles, and the water holds the
       baby's weight, again reducing the pressure. 

    Doing the pelvic exercises in the baby books.

    Not sitting unless I had to -- that pushed the sore spot right up
       into the baby's head. 

    I hope you can find something here that will give you a little
    relief.  I know how awful this can be . . . ugh.  Don't try to be
    a hero about it.  The work will still be there when you get back. 
    Right now the important thing is to take care of yourself and the
    baby.  
    
    --bonnie

I had very severe back/hip pain during my first pregnancy, toward the end
(last trimester).  I too was told that the baby was on a nerve.  I have
scoliosis (curvature of the spine) so I had thought that maybe I couldn't
handle as much with my back not straight.

Sometimes the pain was unbearable, but I never considered staying home (it
didn't get any better there, so why not come to work?).  I went to a chiro
for a while, but she could never really set the right spots because I couldn't
lay on my stomache.  I also went to the back institute and got some exercises
to relieve the pain (which helped at times).

This time around I started back exercises from the start so that I won't have
to endure it again - so far so good, but I'm just now getting to be 6 months
along.  I know how painful it can be, and there isn't much relief.  Some of the
things that helped me were:

o	exercises
o	keeping a box under my feet at my desk
o	heating pad (at home and at desk) occasionally
o	changing positions often
o	backrubs from hubby

Best Wishes!
Kristen

    	I had problems with the sciatica nerve, starting around 5 months.  
    There were times when both my legs would go numb and  I couldn't walk.  
    At first, I would use a heating pad, but seemed the problem only got 
    worse.  A friend suggested ice.  Believe it or not, that worked.  It 
    was kind of uncomfortable at first getting used to the cold.  
    	My friend's theory on this was;  the baby moved to the warm spots,
    if I put ice there, it some how (?????) would feel the cold and move to 
    a warmer area and off my nerve.  
    	Like I said, I'm not sure how realistic the theory is, but for me 
    the method worked.  
    	Good luck!!!!

    
    re.1, .2, .3
    
    Thanks for the info.
    Did your hip pain go away right after delivery? Did the hip
    problem cause back labor?
    
    I think I'm just getting old...My first one didn't give my body
    me that much stress...
    
    
    
    Eva.

    I have not had a problem with my hips or legs since I gave birth.  I 
    didn't experience back labor but then I was real lucky I was only in 
    labor 3 hours. 
    
    I also found that using pillows helped ALOT.
    
    Malinda

    I had the same thing, for most of the latter half of pregnancy - down
    my left hip and leg. Chiropractic care helped me tremendously -
    especially just the idea of being able to lay on my stomach (my
    chirpractor has a table that drops in the middle).
    
    I was concerned about where the pain would be for labor, and even
    discussed with my doctor about delivering on my side if need be, to
    lessen the leg pain (she was all for it). Although I did have a great
    deal of back labor the pain in my leg/hip was neglible during the
    actual labor.
    
    Swimming also helps, as do some good lower back exercises. Send mail if
    you want a copy of the exercises (10 minutes worth) that my
    chiropractor gave me.
    
    Regards,
    

Eva,

Yes mine went away immediately after delivering, but I didn't even notice
it (or miss it?) until several weeks later - too many other things on my
mind, I guess.......

Hoping to a short but worthwhile period of discomfort for you,
Kristen

    Yes, the pain went away immediately and didn't come back.  No, I
    didn't have any back labor with that pregnancy.  I did have it
    with my second pregnancy, though, when I'd had nary a twitch in
    the hip/leg the whole time -- so if you do have back labor, it's
    not necessarily because of the nerve problem.
    
    Ice helps because when the baby's head is pressing on the nerve,
    the nerve swells and becomes more painful.  Ice helps reduce the
    swelling and hence the pain.  Heat draws body fluids to the area
    and can increase swelling, so I wouldn't put it right on the
    affected area.  It's a big help for back pain, though.
    
    My mother says she had severe hip pain with both me and my
    brother.  She recommends kneeling on all fours, or with your head
    lowered, for several minutes when it starts hurting.  
    
    --bonnie

    Me, too!  I have had a lot of back/hip pain with my pregnancy.
    What helped the most was chiropractic care.  My chiro also has
    the "table" with the mid-section that drops out so you can lay
    on your front without squashing the baby.  It felt wonderful.
    I have had to go get adjustments quite regularly....it isn't a
    problem that you can go and get "fixed" in just one visit.
    All your joints are becoming looser due to the hormone relaxin
    (sp?).  Everything just continues to get less stable the closer
    you get to term.
    
    That's what I've been told anyway!
    
    Linette
    

    Eva,
    Bonnie (.8) mentioned a good one that's not in the exercises I gave
    you. Getting down on all 4s with your head resting on your arms folded
    on the floor, takes all the weight and pressure off your lower back. I
    would do it nightly, after the exercises, when I was pregnant.
    
    

    I am in my 36th week and although I've had psyiadic (spelling?) nerve
    problems previous to this, they were NEVER this bad.  I was told to
    take Tylenol, use a heating pad and hot baths while pregnant and
    suffering from this.  I'm surprised by the use of cold packs but to me
    this sounds more "beneficial" and in this humid weather, you can
    imagine how wonderful sitting on a heating pad has felt!  
    
    I have never thought of going to a chiropractor because I thought they
    dealt with bones rather than nerves.  I have other back problems and
    it's not recommended I go to a chiropractor.  But I like the exercises
    alot of you have prescribed and intend on trying them.
    
    I agree with one of the previous noters in that staying in bed doesn't
    seem to help.  I come to work and hobble around and look foolish but
    I'm getting paid and it somehow helps to keep me occupied.  I don't
    know about anyone else.  But I feel the worst when I have to get myself
    up and out of bed for a bathroom run and have a VERY difficult and
    painful time trying to upright myself and then walk.  There is an
    intense amount of pain on my left side.  Lying down, for me, seems to
    aggrevate it more.
    
    Rebecca
    

    
    
    Well,the chiropractor really helped and the exercise helped a lot
    too. The pain is less frequent and more evenly distributed on both
    sides.
    
    I have been avoiding sitting for too long, I get up and walk around
    every 30 minutes for so. I also avoid going up stairs and watch
    my posture closely. The chiropractor recommends that I keep
    exercising (walking, swimming or riding the exercise bike) to 
    keep the joints moving. Also, no squatting or anything that put the
    weight on the hips.
    
    6 more weeks to go, I just can't wait to get it over with!!
    
    
    Eva.

    re: .11
    
    I'm not too sure about the advice you got on hot baths as they have
    been shown to cause brain damage with the baby.  I haven't missed the
    caffeine, alcohol or Nutrasweet, but I do miss taking a long hot bath
    to relax while pregnant.
    
    - Sandy

    re: .13?
    
    Excuse me..."hot baths have been shown to cause brain damage with
    the baby".     Could you site your source?  I find this amazing.
    
    carol

    
    I have heard that whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms should be
    avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy...
    
    
    
    Eva.

    Last couple - I also heard something about NOT going into water
    over 103 degrees (or something like that).  I went to a hot tub
    place and I think their water was set at 104 and they had a sign
    that said something to the effect of what Eva said - first trimester,
    etc.
    
    Donna
    

    re last few - yes, i guess that i misunderstood the original noter's
    meaning of "hot bath"....i figured that she was taking a "warm" 
    bath and i didn't really see a danger in that. 
    
    carol 

    
    My doctor banned them for the entire pregnancy, and said
    if it was hot enough (showerr or bath) to steam the bathroom
    mirror, it was too hot.
    
    Bev

    re: .14
    
    I received a book from my doctor on my first prego visit.  It is "A
    Doctor Discusses Pregnancy" by William G. Birch, M.D., L.L.D. and
    published by Budlong Press Company.  I will quote without permission
    from page 87.
    
    "A daily shower or bath, whichever you prefer, will assure freshness. 
    Tub baths are not harmful, even at the end of pregnancy.  However,
    recent research at the University of Washingtonton indicates that soaking
    in a hot bath (water heated to 102 degress F) for more than a few minutes
    may be associated with an increased incidence of birth defects.  So
    limit your time in the tub to less than ten minutes or take only
    lukewarm baths.  (This warning applies also to saunas.)"
    
    I read other books from the library saying that the hot baths were
    linked to brain damage.  Unfortunately those books have been returned
    and I'm on indefinite bed-rest so I can't research this issue further. 
    I happened to have remembered this issue because I didn't go to the
    doctor until 9 weeks pregnant, and I took an awful lot of _long_ HOT
    baths up until that time.  So far the sonograms look great, so I try
    to not add that one to my current bag of worries.