Friggin OUCH!

Jaspenelle
by Jaspenelle
Wed
27
Feb
2008
2:19pm
Posted in sub-blogs:
Tagged as , ,
4 Comments

I have this pain that has been developing for a couple days in my butt/leg area. It seems to start deep in my left butt cheek and when I walk more then a few steps it radiates like a piercing fire down to my knee area along the outside of my leg. It is excruciating! Pelvic rocking seems to relieve it slightly but basically every position (sitting, standing, walking) is aggravating to some level.

I was at the doctor’s yesterday and I sugguested it might be ligament pain since my pelvic bones are stretching to make room for le bebe and she said such pain is normal. Today it hurts more and differently then ligament pain though and I am thinking it may have something to do with that butt nerve (sciatic nerve?) I don’t consider myself a wimp when it comes to pain, but this is seriously kicking my butt! Literally!

I’m about to see if a warm bath with help ease it but has anyone else (who has been pregnant) experienced this variety of pain?

4 Comments

  1. Atara
    Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 2:49 pm | Permalink

    Ive never been pregnant, so I can’t speak from personal experience, but I can speak from a caretakers point of view. My aunt had surgery to replace her left knee last summer, and was having a terrible time in the rehab, her left bumcheek and thigh hurt terribly, and hurt in every position. The doctor thought it might be the sciatic nerve as well (yes, that’s the one that goes through your rear) but what it did turn out to be was a slipped disk in her back that they sort of randomly found when doing an MRI to check the sciatic.

    Im not saying that’s what you have, of course! But you’re putting a babyload of new strain on your lower back, and are still being quite active, and with the fall the other day, something might have happened on your back, too. If the pain persists (sitting on a hotpad was the main thing that helped my aunt, but she wasnt able to get in and out of a tub) I’d suggest maybe seeing what your doctor thinks of a back injury of some sort. Hopefully it’s not that, as that required surgery for my aunt, but your symptoms really struck me as similar to what happened to her.

  2. Kim
    Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    That was very common for me in the last 2-3 weeks of my pregnancies. I always thought of it more as a pinched nerve from the weight of the baby. There wasn’t a lot I could do about it. The pain was a killer, worse than labor as far as I’m concerned. I hope you can find some kind of relief so you don’t have to suffer with that pain for so long.
    Hugs!

  3. Swandog
    Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 3:19 pm | Permalink

    Speaking from one who has been pregnant, and suffered the exact same pain, I would say that this sounds like you have a pinched sciatic nerve, possibly because the baby’s head is laying on it (as my son was doing to mine). Acupuncture helped me a little, but bed rest helped the most, until the baby shifted position and it didn’t hurt as much. Anyways, here’s a little of what Google has to say about it:

    “Symptoms of sciatica can include pains such as cramping, burning, or shooting sensations in the hip and thigh, though the pain can extend all the way to the foot and toes. These symptoms can be aggravated by simple movements such as coughing, bending, or squatting, all of which put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Pregnant women often suffer from sciatica as the sciatic nerve runs directly under the uterus from the spine to the legs. The developing baby puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, resulting in mounting pain through the course of the pregnancy.

    Treatment for a painful sciatic nerve begins with an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. Often, once the inflammation subsides, so does the pain; this is usually the time that a doctor will prescribe stretches, exercises, and even physical therapy to build up the muscles around the sciatic nerve. Recovery can take anywhere from one to three months. Sometimes the sciatic nerve is so compressed that surgery is required to make more room for the nerve. This can include prying up the bone around the nerve or removing a ruptured disc. Most people recover completely from sciatica without surgery.”

    …

    “A physical therapy regimen can work wonders for sciatica; it’s the most under-used treatment for the aches and pains of pregnancy! Unfortunately, your insurance company might not cover the expense. But from a pain relief standpoint, it may well be worth every penny you spend, even if you have to pay for it yourself.”

  4. Aunt Ruth
    Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 5:38 pm | Permalink

    You are describing classic sciatica. I had it intermittently during pregnancy. Sometimes sitting on a large balance ball can help relieve any muscle spasm/imbalance. I wouldn’t worry about it being something serious. It is apt to clear up as quickly as it came on. Most cases do, but they are very painful before that happens.