Pregnancy causing hip pain?

[PoisonxHisxDelight]

I am roughly 19 weeks pregnant and 18 years of age, this is my first child and I am very excited. However, ever since I became pregnant I have gotten this severe pain in my left hip only. As soon as a lay down to relax for the evening it seems to spur and it makes everything from sitting up and rolling over to walking such a pain that I need help to perform such simple tasks.

[TXLMT]

As a massage therapist, I see hip pain in pregnant women all the time.  Normally there isn't much the doctors can do because it is caused by the spreading hips, and possibly by postural and exercise changes due to pregnancy.  Some clients theorize the position of the baby affects the pain also.  Massage can help...I think every woman should get one massage a month MINIMUM when pregnant.  If you can't afford a professional:  Lay on your side, supporting the upper hip and shoulder with pillows.  Work the actual femur-joint area with a loose fist, as if you were kneading dough.  

Most of my clients report the pain disappearing completely after birth IF they watch their posture and don't try to carry too much (baby in left arm and 3-yr old on right hip, for example!!)

Good Luck!

[chantal21]

I am almost 19 weeks and get pains all the time! This will be my second child, and the pains seem worse this time around for me. My hips, thighs, and pelvis hurt everyday now, for the last month. If I do too much, I aggravate it more. These pains are pretty common in pregnancy, but always mention it to your doc. I have an appt. on wed. and plan on asking about it, and about some new pains I'm experiencing in my vaginal area.

Sleeping with a pillow between your legs is seriously one of the best things you can do. I always feel so much better when I do that. Hope you get some relief soon!

[hkenny]

hi ladies,

i have had the same thing, from very early on in my pregnancy, the only thing that really helped was seeing my chiropractor. he explained and showed me on his skelelton model what happens to our bodies when we are prego and there is no wonder we get these pains! anyways i see him once a week....or whenever it seems to flair up and it really helps.

[JoyRenee]

Thanks for that NicMom! I've been sleeping with a pillow between my legs since before I got pregnant. I need to convince DH to give me a massage, though. That always seems to help a little. And I'll try the exercise ball!

[NicMom]

Like Joy I have bad siatic pain when I'm not pregnant as well, but I would say at this point the hip pain is worse.

I did some research and found that sitting on a yoga ball for at least 20 minutes during the day, sleeping with a pillow between your legs, massage, a warm bath, and tylenol can all help. Since using pretty much all of the above I've got the pain more under control now. I can at least move around and function during the day. Oh you should also try to avoid crossing your legs when you sit down.

Hope this helps!

[JoyRenee]

I'm not from Scandinavian descent, so thank goodness! No wheelchairs here, please!

[PoisonxHisxDelight]

It's possible. I have told my doctor about it previously but he said it was no big deal. But, that was before it was inhibiting my ability to walk. I did some research online and found that in the US there isn't a lot of research into hip pain during pregnancy, but there is a growing awareness in the Scandinavian countries. Apparently it is common in people of that kind of decent and it can get so severe people end up in wheel chairs, sometimes for months and years after birth.

[JoyRenee]

Oh and I had another thought. Yesterday it felt as though my hip was out-of-socket. So perhaps that is what may be going on with your hip.

[JoyRenee]

I also have extreme pain in my left hip. I have an appt. this Friday and will mention it to my doctor. If you see your doctor first, let us know what s/he says!

I know sciatic pain is normal in pregnancy but that is usually your lower back and typically on your right side (where the sciatic nerve runs). So the left hip pain is weird. This will be our third baby and never had pain like this.

I also want to mention that your hips do shift in pregnancy. They tilt so that baby can come down the birth canal, so some discomfort is expected. But to the point it is keeping you from simple tasks is definitely something you should mention to the doc.

[spade22]

Absolutely mention this to your doctor at your next appointment - if you cant wait that long, make an appointment sooner. This may or may-not be pregnancy-induced but it needs to be investigated due to the extreme amount of pain you are in and measures taken to help you manage this.