My vagina HURTS!!!!!

[StarCat]

...or more specifically my hips and my pubic bone. I work 12 hour overnight shifts and am on my feet for most of it. And to top that off, we are moving as well, so I am doing more lifting, stretching, bending than I probably should be. But last night I was in tears the pain was so bad. Sometimes after a night of work I feel so much pain and pressure in my hips/pelvis I can hardly stand any more. I did yoga all thorugh pregnancy # 1 but this time there hardly seems to be enough hours in the day or days in the week. I have a DVD that I try to do, but not as much as I probably should.

My midwife said this happens sometimes in closely spaced pregnancies. Anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions??

[hunnybumm]

Sit down and rest! Do you have a SO or good friends? Don't lift anything heavy or over exert yourself. Ask them to do any heavy lifting or anything that is straining to you. I am not having any issues as of yet, but I am a SAHM and lately most of my days I spent sitting on the couch knitting or at the pool. Please get some much needed rest and relaxation!

[Thursday Girl]

everyonce in awhile when i don't rest when i need to i have this happen.

slow down mama. Other people can help. (ok now i know that's not always true)

anyways I am right there with you.

Courtney

[loobop]

I remember something similar with my first pregnancy, and felt it make have been related to the relaxin chemical your body produces, which softens and loosens ligaments etc in preparation for the birth/baby passing through the pelvis. Dont quote me on this though--I dont know a whole lot but it could be similar for you. Its easier to pull a muscle or strain a ligament etc when your body is making relaxin, so ease up on all the heavy work eh?

[xmasbaby7]

I have had similar pains when I have overexerted on our new house. I learned that the big muscle in our butt that goes in to spasms and lead to sciatica is located and you can sit on a tennis ball, in a cushioned chair and roll around and breathe.

The muscles are just to the side of your "sit bones".

This has helped me.

But I really agree with the PP's that you need to put your feet up!

Good luck with that!

[StarCat]

feet up...yeah thats a thought. I went in to work at 6:30 last night and I just got home. Its almost 11 am. I'm almost too tired to even sleep.

My midwife said the pain is because of the relaxin hormone most likely, and there really isn't much that can be done- except take it a little easy guess I'm in for an achey couple of months.

[IncaMama]

i had an extreme version of this in pg #1 and am having it again this time. i actually have what's called separated pubis symphysis, where your pubic bones really separate too far and create MASSIVE pain. here are some suggestions:

if you can, sleep in a recliner. i know, sucky, but you won't regret it if the pain gets bad at night. if you have to sleep in a flat bed on your side, make sure that you keep your legs together at all times. if you have to move your legs, move them together. you may find it helps if you just act as if your legs are paralyzed and move them with your hands. maybe your pain isn't as extreme as mine, but i have to do that or it's excruciating.

don't cross your legs - it messes with the whole area and creates more strain.

don't lift ANYHTING heavy. it WILL strain your pubic bone and your hips. i don't know why, but it does.

when you walk, try to take smaller steps. if you're dealing with a lot of relaxin (that is how it starts, then the pressure from the growing baby makes it worse), you want to keep your pubic bones as close together as possible.

get a maternity girdle. i have one on order and i can't wait to get it. i'm gonna try to find the link of where i got mine. you can just google "maternity google" and get lots of great sites. look for one that has a vaginal support AND a hip support. the regular maternity belts will help somewhat, but not where it really counts.

if you end up having extreme problems with it, be PERSISTENT with your practitioner. if you are in danger of separating your pubis symphysis there are positions during labor that you CANNOT DO. they didn't diagnose me until after the fact, and had me pushing my baby out on my back in stirrups. the absolute WORST way to labor/birth if you have a separated pubis symphysis. i was in danger of literally cracking in half, and didn't know it. it can be really serious if you don't get someone to take you REALLY seriously.

*HUG* i hope it's not as bad as mine...take it as easy as you possibly can. good luck, mama!!!

[IncaMama]

oh, and apparently you should go to a chiropractor too!!! i didn't know they could help!!!

[littleteapot]

I second the chiropractor.

I have hip dysplasia and hypermobility, my hips and pelvis hurt like that even when I'm not pregnant - but when I am it gets much worse. It's particularly notable when I do things like try to move something with my foot, or take off a shoe with the opposite foot. The other day I almost blacked out trying to take off my shoe! I felt rather pathetic.

My midwife reccomended wrapping my pelvis in a sarong at the end of my pregnancy, and that actually did help. I've heard good things about pregnancy support belts so long as you get a GOOD kind... but I'm such a small person I doubt they make them in my size (32' hips?).

[marisa]

I'm right there with you...I just got back from grocery shopping and it's killing me.
Feet up, hehe, that's a novelty around here too. I have two kids already who run me ragged around this house all day - fixing their meals - taking them to the potty - getting them dressed - (forget cleaning!) that as soon as I sit down, I have to jump up again for some reason. I hesitate to spend money on a chiropractor, because I've had friends who had this and they would only get a few days of feeling better in between adjustments...I need the money for groceries instead. It's going to be a LONG 20 weeks.

[StarCat]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

I have really had the feeling that what's going on with my pelvis is bordering on being a medical issue and not just normal aches and pains of pregnancy. I'm kind of glad to know there is a name for this and maybe I can stop it before it gets too bad. The girdle might help with my long shifts. I'm going to look into it.

thanks again everyone!

[IncaMama]

Originally Posted by littleteapot

It's particularly notable when I do things like try to move something with my foot, or take off a shoe with the opposite foot. The other day I almost blacked out trying to take off my shoe! I felt rather pathetic.

omg YES!!! this is excruciating!!! also when i try to push the bottom of our recliner back in. omg. i actually screamed the other day and scared the crap out of DH.

you know, it's so nice to know i'm not alone.

[mother culture]

I saw your post and although I am not pregnant I clearly remmember that pubic pain! I had it through # 2 & # 3 . You really cant do any lifting and preferably no squatting. You have to keep those leggs together and rest. I did know a woman who split her pelvis and had to spend the rest of her pregnancy in a wheel chair. That connective tissue gets so soft and there is little you can do in pregnancy. Isuggest you wear a hip support belt real low while working and moving. Best of luck!

[alilfireball]

Originally Posted by michelemiller

i had an extreme version of this in pg #1 and am having it again this time. i actually have what's called separated pubis symphysis, where your pubic bones really separate too far and create MASSIVE pain. here are some suggestions:

if you can, sleep in a recliner. i know, sucky, but you won't regret it if the pain gets bad at night. if you have to sleep in a flat bed on your side, make sure that you keep your legs together at all times. if you have to move your legs, move them together. you may find it helps if you just act as if your legs are paralyzed and move them with your hands. maybe your pain isn't as extreme as mine, but i have to do that or it's excruciating.

don't cross your legs - it messes with the whole area and creates more strain.

don't lift ANYHTING heavy. it WILL strain your pubic bone and your hips. i don't know why, but it does.

when you walk, try to take smaller steps. if you're dealing with a lot of relaxin (that is how it starts, then the pressure from the growing baby makes it worse), you want to keep your pubic bones as close together as possible.

get a maternity girdle. i have one on order and i can't wait to get it. i'm gonna try to find the link of where i got mine. you can just google "maternity google" and get lots of great sites. look for one that has a vaginal support AND a hip support. the regular maternity belts will help somewhat, but not where it really counts.

if you end up having extreme problems with it, be PERSISTENT with your practitioner. if you are in danger of separating your pubis symphysis there are positions during labor that you CANNOT DO. they didn't diagnose me until after the fact, and had me pushing my baby out on my back in stirrups. the absolute WORST way to labor/birth if you have a separated pubis symphysis. i was in danger of literally cracking in half, and didn't know it. it can be really serious if you don't get someone to take you REALLY seriously.

*HUG* i hope it's not as bad as mine...take it as easy as you possibly can. good luck, mama!!!

Thank you for your post. I have been dealing with pain in my pibis area for months now. I thought it was a postpartum issue but just realize right now that I had this prblem while I was pregnant. I found it sssooooo much easier to sleep on our chaise, upright, during atleast the last two months of my pregnancy, COuld not sleep on my side AT ALL (the pain the pain). This morning I awoke to so much pain that I could barely walk. First day that the pain continued once I arose and began to walk around. I will be seeing a practioner ASAP about this. If anyone has any suggestions as to how I should approach finding help for this issue PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know. I have a solid 4 month, almost 5 month old who loves to be held, (which I realize is not making it better) so I need to work on this ASAP, THank you