how can I sleep so my hips don't hurt?

[neonalee]

All night I toss and turn from right side to left side. This has been going on for a couple of months, but now it's even worse. When I wake up, whichever hip I was on the most during the night just continues to ache for a couple of hours. Sometimes I end up on my back for a bit, but that's not really helping. I tried to pile the pillows under hips and chest so I could sleep on my stomach for a bit, but then my back felt like a huge, painful U. It's too hot for hot showers. I'm guessing there's not much I can do, but maybe someone knows something I haven't thought of?? Otherwise I might start small amounts of Tylenol (not even sure that will work). I'm not sure I can manage 7 more weeks of this getting worse (oh my gosh. Is it really that close?!)

[welsh]

Same problem here.
I am so tired even though I'm going to bed ridiculously early....

[CoBabyMaker]

Oh mamas. I feel your pain. If you can see a chiro that can help some and get them to give you exercises too! It didn't totally take the pain away but it helped some.

[slgt]

Seriously, whoever invents the solution to comfortable-ish sleeping @7+ months will be a millionaire! I do ok until about 4am, and then I wake up every 20 minutes b/c my hips just feel bruised. Ugh.

I am going to a chiro that helps with the joint aches & pains some, and I definitely find that doing yoga & getting regular exercise helps, too. But the bruised feeling...don't seem to be able to do anything about that!

[Terrilein]

wish I knew of a reliable chiro here since my hips are bugging me, too. It's not a popular method at all. In all the years I've lived here, I've only had one orthopedic specialist adjust my back. Back in the US I basically survived off of chiro due to neck issues.

[neonalee]

I need to figure it out. I need to be a millionaire Yeah, badly bruised is exactly how it feels. Like my hips have been used as a punching bag all night.

I know this is not at all logical, but I'm kind of afraid of chiros. The last one I had a couple years ago, she adjusted my back and I was all good, but she said I needed to have adjustments every other week and do PT the other weeks. None of the adjustments felt nearly as great after that, then my back started bothering me more and more. Eventually I ended up in the ER for the worst pain I've EVER been in (this makes me less scared of labor though). Long story short, I know it's not her fault, but I can't convince myself that the visits after the first were good/necessary and now I don't want to go back. To any chiro.

[emilyash]

You've probably already tried this, but I put pillows between my thighs/knnes when I sleep and it really helps. I actually have one of those "snoogle" body pillows, but any pillows would work. Good luck!

[somegirl99]

I use various pillows, but depending on which side I'm sleeping on, either my hips and back hurt, or my hips and ribs hurt. Just can't get comfy.

[Momma2DoubleCuties]

I'm in the same boat too. And even having the pillows between my legs doesn't work. Some nights I'm ok and pain free but most nights I toss and turn all night long.

[mamakaikai]

Aside from seeing a chiro which has helped me immensely, though I read that you do not want to see one and fair enough! What I have found heped a bunch was to sleep on my back as much as possible. My hips were killing me when I was sleeping on them but I found that when I woke up in pain and then lay on my back the pain would go away after about an hour or two.

The other thing I found helpful was to be on hands and knees or knees and elbows. Sometimes I would use 3 or 4 pillows to rest my chest on. I'd let my belly hang and keep my knees as far or close apart as needed to get the feeling that the pressure was off of my hips/pelvic bones. All the weight was supported in my leg bones and letting the belly hang just really helped everything feel reajusted.

Hope this helps!

[Amynf1]

The chiro has helped mine. I do sleep with a thick body pillow between my legs for the length of my legs as well. I have been known to wake myself up doing pelvic tilts to relieve the pain.

[frolick16]

this is why I basically sleep on a couch, propped up in the lotus position...my solution, a weightless chamber, like a womb...a womb within a womb because for me ANY pressure makes my hips ache!

[neonalee]

Yep, I have lots of pillows, including a thick one between my legs the length of my legs. DP is running out of room on the bed My MW has suggested some PT sessions with a therapist that specialises in prenatal (because of previous back problems), and I think I will take her up on that when I see her Friday. I think I'll try the hands and knees as well.

[neonalee]

Originally Posted by frolick16

this is why I basically sleep on a couch, propped up in the lotus position...my solution, a weightless chamber, like a womb...a womb within a womb because for me ANY pressure makes my hips ache!

Now THAT sounds ideal! (the weightless chamber I mean )

[CAmum]

I do the pillow between the legs and make the bed as soft as possible by putting down fluffy comforter to sleep on (a feather bed or foam topper would be great). For my second pregnancy I moved to guest room which had the softest bed ever and felt fine (that bed is now gone as my 2 older kids now have that room).

[UCmamaToMany]

Originally Posted by neonalee

I need to figure it out. I need to be a millionaire Yeah, badly bruised is exactly how it feels. Like my hips have been used as a punching bag all night.

I know this is not at all logical, but I'm kind of afraid of chiros. The last one I had a couple years ago, she adjusted my back and I was all good, but she said I needed to have adjustments every other week and do PT the other weeks. None of the adjustments felt nearly as great after that, then my back started bothering me more and more. Eventually I ended up in the ER for the worst pain I've EVER been in (this makes me less scared of labor though). Long story short, I know it's not her fault, but I can't convince myself that the visits after the first were good/necessary and now I don't want to go back. To any chiro.

Look for a Chiro that practices Kinesiology and one that is more holistic.

Lots of chiros are just there to crack backs and keep you coming back in thinking you need to be "straight". My Kinesiological Chiro believes our bodies know who feels good and what doesn't. You KNOW when you need and adjustment and you KNOW when you don't. You feel the pain or discomfort. She doesn't do x-rays and that other stuff most chiros do.

I've had the bad chiros like you were you can tell they are just there to make money and keep you coming back and then there are those out there that really do want you to feel better. I my chiropractor because I make the call on when I "need" to see her.

[expat-mama]

I'm so here with all you mamas! Gah...last night was horrific. My hips and back and ribs- ouch!
I've tried everything mentioned (minus the chiros and PT)...pillows everywhere. One thing that seemed to work for me a couple of weeks back was making a giant sort of armchair out of pillows in bed- but after a week of sleeping like this I noticed baby had turned sunnyside up and I didn't want to continue that. So back to switching sides painfully all night. I tried making a pillow mountain with a dip in the middle for my belly so I could sleep on hands-and-knees sort of, and that was ok but I couldn't stay in that position for very long- too much stress on the knees to be comfortable. One thing I do now when I absolutely cannot sleep on my sides anymore is make a pillow mountain and kind of lean on it sideways on my left, so I'm kind of sitting up but keeping baby in a good position. But honestly, at 36 weeks now, the only way I ever REALLY get sleep is when I'm so utterly exhausted from not sleeping for days in a row that I just eventually pass out. It's terrible and I'm soooooo tired.

Lately, I'm giving baby a pep talk every morning after not sleeping: "Okay baby, mummy loves you and wants to meet you VERY soon! So get ready to move out! Daddy is waiting for you, everything is ready for you! It's nice and sunny out here..."etc. When DH first heard this he gave me his "woman, are you crazy?" look.
Now he chimes in "Baby- put your head in the hole! Come on out!"

I try to imagine that the baby is just as uncomfortable as I am all squished up in there, so I don't hold it against him/her.

[CookAMH]

Not in your DDC, but what about putting a pillow under your belly to support its weight when lying on your side? I did that and it seemed to help.

[queenofchaos]

I can start out OK, but it doesn't take long for that achiness to set in, so I am right there with you. The only thing I do, other than pillows, is just keep switching sides. That has its own set of issues tho.

[mamakaryn08]

I discovered this at the end of my 1st pregnancy and it has proved to work this time as well... I sleep halfway on my side and halfway on my belly. Not enough on my belly to put any pressure on baby, but basically, you start on your side, straighten your bottom leg, bend the top leg, support it with a pillow, and pull your hip slightly backwards out from under you so the pressure is not on your hip. I rarely have any hip pain from sleeping. Before I figured this out with DS#1, I had a lot. This time, I have been sleeping like this from the very beginning and it has definitely worked!