Torn/popped ligament in ribs...extremely painful...

[ApprenticeMomma]

I've had a chesty cough for a couple of weeks now, and yesterday morning I coughed and felt a 'pop' in my ribcage, and the MOST excrutiating pain I have ever felt in my life...

So, I'm 41 weeks, in pretty nasty pain, and hoping like heck I don't go into labour like this.

Anyone who has had this happen, how long was it before the pain went away? What did you do to help ease it?

I went to my doc, and based on the amount of pain I was in, and how pregnant I am, she wrote me a referral to the local hospy and wanted me to go there immediately to be assessed for a c/s, as she did not think I'd be able to cope with labour. Hahahahaha....too funny.

Well, needless to say I'm not going to the hospy, but I really want to try to heal up QUICKLY, as I could literally go into labour at any stage and I'm UC'ing, I'm hoping birth pool and wheat packs etc and massage, pressure on the area will be enough.

I put a cold pack on it to begin with, but am finding heat packs and slathering arnica cream on it to be pretty good, but I'm finding it terribly difficult to get up from lying down, (can't without being hauled up) or sitting without a LOT of pain.

Any thoughts and experiences and "stay put" baby vibes much appreciated!

[ShwarmaQueen]

Wow...I don't have any suggestions but I couldn't read your post and not respond. I'm so sorry that something like that happened to you and especially when you're 41 weeks. I hope someone with some tips comes along and you get to feeling better soon.

[mellowyellowmama]

What do you think popped? A rib? Ribs being out of place can be super painful. Do you have a chiro. They can put it back easy! So sorry mama. And that is funny about the c/s! Ummmm....NO!

[Kidzaplenty]

No suggestions, but wanted to offer a .

[Lazy Gardens]

Just from the symptoms and description, you have a separated or broken rib, which can happen with long-term coughing. Usual healing time is 4-8 weeks, during which time breathing, coughing, moving, sitting, standing, and living can be very painful - you don't want to think about laughing or strenuous exercise.

Heat and massage are poor ideas - massage will just move the ends around and prevent healing, heat (for the first few days) increases blood pooling near the injury and increases swelling and pain.

Taping or Ace bandages is not a good idea, especially if you already have a cough, because it restricts air flow in the lower lungs and increases risk of pneumonia.

Strenuous exercise can re-break or re-separate the ribs, setting you back to day 1 in the healing process.

I've only seen one woman in labor with a broken rib. It happened during late labor and the OB called in a surgeon (cardiac or ortho, I don't remember who it was) who gave some local anaesthetic at the break point to get her through the next few minutes.

[ApprenticeMomma]

Originally Posted by Lazy Gardens

Just from the symptoms and description, you have a separated or broken rib, which can happen with long-term coughing. Usual healing time is 4-8 weeks, during which time breathing, coughing, moving, sitting, standing, and living can be very painful - you don't want to think about laughing or strenuous exercise.

Heat and massage are poor ideas - massage will just move the ends around and prevent healing, heat (for the first few days) increases blood pooling near the injury and increases swelling and pain.

Taping or Ace bandages is not a good idea, especially if you already have a cough, because it restricts air flow in the lower lungs and increases risk of pneumonia.

Strenuous exercise can re-break or re-separate the ribs, setting you back to day 1 in the healing process.

I've only seen one woman in labor with a broken rib. It happened during late labor and the OB called in a surgeon (cardiac or ortho, I don't remember who it was) who gave some local anaesthetic at the break point to get her through the next few minutes.

Thanks, I know it's not a broklen rib, its ligament or muscle damage, so not quite that bad luckily!! The first one that popped is a lot better, but due to the coughing I have now done another one further round in my back. Can't believe it.

I'm desperately trying to control the coughing enough not to do any more of them, and let the rest heal as well.

Sucks.

[xbabymamax]

I had something similar happen to me when i was around 5 r 6 months pregnant with my first.
I don't know how it happened but randomly had severe chest pain under my left breast. Thought it was my heart. Had all sorts of tests and it wasn't my heart.
It was hard to move at all with out the pain being excruciating. after several weeks i went to a chiropractor and he said i must have popped a rib out of place. with out being able to do an x-ray he just guessed.
He did some sort of popping and then got a little machine that taps and attempted to try to pull my organs down a bit.
Next day it was worse, then the day after the pain was almost gone!
chiro might be worth a shot????

best of luck!

[mellowyellowmama]

I wanna come back and say pls do see a chiro! If you have a rib out of place it can feel HORRIBLE. A lot of pain or even like you can't breathe. It's worth it!

[cathicog]

sometimes a rib will separate from the cartilage that holds it in, and it feels like a knife going in and out from your ribcage. A kicking baby can also do that. Can you use a cough suppressant til the baby is born? Then you might want to see about chiro, or maybe a steroid shot in the place where it separated. The steroids (only one time) worked for me, and I was nursing. it took away the pain, and as my belly went down, my rib settled back into place. Chiropractic sounds like the safest alternative though...It shouldn't stop you from having your UC....

[ScarletBegonias]

i agree with the pp to go see a chiro, it sounds like you do in fact have a rib or two (or more) out of place. it should go back in easily, but if you're coughing, they will probably pop out again.

cathicog has a good suggestion on using a cough suppressant. make sure you're keeping your air humidified, and steam yourself at least once a day, even if it's just hot water in a bowl with a towel over your head.

hugs to you mama! my ds cracked my bottom rib and i was still in pain until he was about 3 mo old!

[ApprenticeMomma]

Thanks for the suggestions, I might look into a chiro for tomorrow (Monday) I must admit I'm very scared of having anyone touch me, the pain is not good. But I guess they know what they are doing. I'm doing everything possible to suppress the cough, seems to be working OK yay.

[mellowyellowmama]

Originally Posted by ApprenticeMomma

Thanks for the suggestions, I might look into a chiro for tomorrow (Monday) I must admit I'm very scared of having anyone touch me, the pain is not good. But I guess they know what they are doing. I'm doing everything possible to suppress the cough, seems to be working OK yay.

Yeah!!!!!! It really can help big time! See if you can find a chiro in your area that specialized in PG mamas and babies!!!!

[straighthaircurly]

Glad you are going to a chiro. I have a lot of experience with ribs slipping out of place. A chiro is the only solution. I had a rib pop out of place while giving birth and it was way more painful than the birth! It made it easy to say no to an epidural though, because the epi would not have helped the rib pain...lol.

[mellowyellowmama]

must say that i too have a rib that 'pops' out almost daily and dh has had to put it back for me a lot! ribs being out suck!

[mom2tatum]

whoa...couldn't not respond. In my labor with ds, I had a long long labor with contrax 4 min apart consistently for almost 3 days - no sleep. It was getting pretty bad, and on day 3 at only 4 cm dilated, and lots of throwing up/diarrhea, transition like symptoms - I gave a sudden heave and pulled or tore a ligament on my upper left side of uterus! It was excrutiating...and the contrax I dealt with after this happening were at least double the pain. Needless to say, this was what made me go to hosp and beg for an epidural. The worst part? It only took on my right side!!!! Yes. I thank God, that I gave birth only three hours after the pull/tear, and one hour after the epid. at the hosp. BUT, it took longer to heal than my vagina...it hurt for over 2 months...

So, my point is...depending on how bad it is...hope for the best, but prepare yourself for the worst. And by that I mean everything...it was really awful for me and I feel for you right now.

[ApprenticeMomma]

Well i went to the chiro yesterday, and she did quite a lot of work on me, released my ribs, neck, shoulders, mucked around in my pelvis I was quite a mess! I felt better after, i could breathe more easily, which was such a relief.

The pain has abated a lot now, and my cough seems to be on its way out, so I am just over the moon actually, UC here we come :

I'm approaching 42 weeks now, bub still seems pretty comfy in there

Thanks for all the tips and support, I was seriously losing faith for a while there...

Mumtotatum - what an awful experience!! I'm glad I don't seem to be heading for 2 months of pain, that would be just horrendous.

[mom2tatum]

phew...sounds like its going to get better for you and you'll be alright!!!

[mellowyellowmama]

Originally Posted by ApprenticeMomma

Well i went to the chiro yesterday, and she did quite a lot of work on me, released my ribs, neck, shoulders, mucked around in my pelvis I was quite a mess! I felt better after, i could breathe more easily, which was such a relief.

The pain has abated a lot now, and my cough seems to be on its way out, so I am just over the moon actually, UC here we come :

I'm approaching 42 weeks now, bub still seems pretty comfy in there

Thanks for all the tips and support, I was seriously losing faith for a while there...

Mumtotatum - what an awful experience!! I'm glad I don't seem to be heading for 2 months of pain, that would be just horrendous.

YEA! I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU WENT FOR IT! GOOD JOB MAMA! :::

FWIW...I had my last babe at 43wks 6 dys!

[ApprenticeMomma]

He's here!!

We don't have a name as yet, seeing as we were kinda focussing on girls names, haha cosmic joke on us I think...

Our gorgeous third son was born yesterday at 4:36pm after 3 hours of really full on labour.

I didn't use the pool in the end, felt really ungrounded in there, couldn't find a comfortable position, quite disorientated actually, so got out after a few contractions, and he was eventually born on our bedroom floor.

He was 9lb 4oz, he had the cord around his neck twice, which presented no problems, and he had his fist firmly stuck to his head, so I had to push his head out as well as his hand, which was not too much fun

The two things I was most worried about, tearing and bleeding after the birth were really good, a small tear, and very little bleeding afterwards.

He's ALREADY a boobaholic!! He latched on pretty much immediately, and has been feeding just about non-stop...

We are over the moon :

My ribs were sore going into it, but they held up beautifully for the event, but I sure am paying for it now, they are really sore, but now there is less pressure on them, I know it is just a temporary thing, and I'll be right as rain soon enough.

[xbabymamax]

Congratulations! Wow! What a blessing that you were on the mend.
my son also has his hand up by his head/neck area, but my son was only 6 lb 2 oz!!!
Way to go! So glad that everything has worked out ok!