The most intense pain! OUCH!

[curlyfry]

This can't be normal. But, please feel free to enlighten me if it is...

For the past week, towards the end of the day I've been having the most intense pain in my lower belly/groin area. It's been so bad that my husband has had to help me lift my legs into bed, and when I try to get up from a sitting position it literally *snaps* me back down. DH has to pull me up by my arms and help me walk to bed. I'm retaining a ton of water and my ankles get pretty swollen if I don't put them up whenever I get a chance. Could that be related? Some people have said it's because I've stayed pretty small up until now and I'm probably going through some kind of intense growth spurt which will continue these last 8 weeks, but it's really horrible. Is anyone else getting anything like this? I've had round ligament paint this whole time, but NOTHING like this...help???

[Autumn Breeze]

Have you soaked in the bathtub, with DH around to help get you out? or a heated rice sock?

If its swelling the bath can help, so can drinking more water...

I'm sorry you hurt!!!

[curlyfry]

Thanks for the tip. I'll try the bath. I find that if I put my feet up as much as possible during the day that the pain is not as bad at night, so it has to be related to streching/swelling. I'm going to ask my m/w on Wednesday. Until then, any more suggestions? Thanks!

[gr8tfulmom]

Your pain sounds very much like mine, but mine is located at the top of my belly, burning, ripping, tearing, interior bruising kind of feeling. Sort of a rainbow shape around my belly button. I think you are right on about the stretching/swelling. This kiddo is a boy and I am carrying him SO much more out front than the girls, I have asked the mw's about it and that is the only thing they can come up w/...and "yeah we hear that a lot about this time". Just keeping my feet up doesn't help, it's almost as if my belly has a time limit on just how long it wants to remain upright.

What has helped is wiggling into a position that keeps the majority of weight/stress off that area. For me it is left side, pillow between knees & feet, and a few to lean on. Maybe you could modify it by a pillow under your backside to reduce pressure in your ouch area. Well, at least we are all getting closer. Hope you can take it easy

[curlyfry]

Originally Posted by gr8tfulmom

Your pain sounds very much like mine, but mine is located at the top of my belly, burning, ripping, tearing, interior bruising kind of feeling. Sort of a rainbow shape around my belly button. I think you are right on about the stretching/swelling.

My midwife mentioned this pain yesterday. She said that if I experience it, not to be alarmed...it's probably just your ab muscles separating, and you feel it right around your belly button.

As far as mine goes, she confirmed that it's round ligament pain. I never thought it would be this bad, since I've been having it on and off for the last few months, but the baby (and me) did indeed go through a growth spurt, and that intense pain was because of that.

She called it the "normal discomforts of pregnancy". Lovely.

[Goldiemom]

Don't you love that phrase? "Normal discomforts of pregnancy" They should really come up with something better. I don't know that there is anything better, but calling it "normal" is what i think gets to me. My brain says... "Nope, not normal to hurt there, or have a butt under my ribs, or a wiggly person bouncing on my bladder." Now it is absolutely true that it is normal for pregnancy, but you know what I mean right? Has this pg stolen my ablility to make coherent thoughts?

ETA: Btw, I hope your round ligament pain gets better. I do know how awful that can be at times.

[BennyPai]

Round ligament pain with my first pregnancy kept me up at night, and finally was so intense I was afraid something was wrong... I woke DH up for a trip to the emergency room at 3AM. I felt pretty silly : but the pain was nothing like was described in my book.

I hope your pain eases. I think mine did, or maybe I was just distracted by the pain that soon developed in my hips as my body made its next transformation...