why do my hips hurt and what can i do about it?

[sunbaby]

arrg. i got up at five becuase i just couldnt lay in bed anymore. i am fine all day, no pain at all, then the second i lay down, ouch! they start to ache. a little behind my knees too, but mostly just my hips. last night, after an hour of tossing and turning, i rubbed tiger balm all over both hips and loaded up the baby blankets on just that one area- it helped a lot and i fell asleep, but then when i woke up to pee at four, the pain was back and i just couldnt go throuhg the whole tiger balm thing again, so i got up. i dont remember this with dd. what's going on? i feel fabulous otherwise.

[7kiddosmom]

Alot of it has to do with hormones. They are loosing up so that can expand during birth.

Kasey

[mama2m&m]

have you tried a pillow between your legs? that helped me some. i got a body pillow.

[sarajane]

Mine hurt when I have been in bed for a few hours or so. The only thing that helps me is to either switch sides or bring my knees up higher. To more of a 90 degree angle. Pillows help sometimes. Sometimes I will get up and do my pelvic rocks for awhile.

[Headymama]

my hips ache every morning. For the past month or so I actually have not been waking up in the middle of the night to pee, which is great for sleep, but it means that I've spent too much time on one side (i.e. not flipping hips). Two things that help me. In the morning I roll over on to my tummy and do a modified child's pose in bed, are you familiar with that yoga move? I just lay there for 10 minutes to get a dee stretch in my hips.

When I do wake in the middle of the night, for some reason I can never get back to sleep laying on my side. Instead, I just prop myself up and lay back in bed. That position makes me tired and I eventually move back into bed and on my side. Good luck!

[wasabi]

Just wanted to add to the other comments that with a first baby you usually don't have that pain because more of the loosening happens right at the end. The second time around your body has memory and loosens up as much earlier leading to earlier and more severe discomfort.

[ctdoula]

This happened w/my first pregnancy too. Intense hip pain when laying in bed. My chiropractor (LOVE HER) suggested putting an egg crate or feather bed under me to reduce the pressure. She said it was lactic acid building up from laying on that hip so long. Worked like a charm! I used a feather bed I had in the attic from college. At first sign of hip pain this time I got it out again.

[Tummy]

chiro & HUGE pillow!!

[natashaccat]

I've resorted to sleeping on the couch. On the couch I can sort of angle myself so that more of the pressure is on my butt and less on my hips.

[heket]

Originally Posted by natashaccat

I've resorted to sleeping on the couch. On the couch I can sort of angle myself so that more of the pressure is on my butt and less on my hips.

I think the last few weeks of preg. with dd I spent on the couch. Our old house is much more comfy downstairs in the Summer (she's an Aug. baby) and the pillows and angle were much more supportive than our bed.

[speedknitter]

Originally Posted by heket

I think the last few weeks of preg. with dd I spent on the couch. Our old house is much more comfy downstairs in the Summer (she's an Aug. baby) and the pillows and angle were much more supportive than our bed.

Me too!!! I've spent the last few nights on the couch and gotten much better sleep. Creative use of pillows (and dogs) helps too.

How long after birthing does the hip/joint pain go away???

[liawbh]

Originally Posted by speedknitter

How long after birthing does the hip/joint pain go away???

Hmm, that's a really good queestion! With ds, I didn't even notice the hip pain after he was born, but that was probably because the epis. pain was so intense .

My MW said to do pelvic tilt exercises, and pelvic circles. I've only been doing it two days, so can't say if its working, but I figure it can only help!

[speedknitter]

Restless legs too?

I try to do lots of pelvic excercises when I can during the day, and sit on the ball a lot at night while watching a movie, etc.

Does anyone else get "restless legs" at night? Sometimes I am so tired I could just cry myself to sleep but my legs just drive me NUTS, like I can't stop moving them or something.

[canadiangranola]

With ds 1, I was so sore at night with my hips that by 7 months i was turning over at least once/hour, and more towards the end of the preg. I for sure second the egg crate/foamie thing...made a HUGE difference for me.
My hips stayed sore for months after I had the baby ( ihad a back prob and couldn't walk much) ...but when i could start walking again, that made an enormous difference as well...streengthening all of those ligaments and muscles again.

I've also heard of chiro's helping enormously with hip pain.