Bruised ribs or breech baby

[fia101]

I'm 30 weeks.

Had a hacking cough for 2 weeks where I've coughed til I vomited (plus the stress incontinence...). Doctor gave penicillin a couple of days a go - not kicked in yet (may be they won't).

Today at work bump became really sore and area under left rib very very sore when I cough or breathe. Not sure whether coughing has caught up with me and it's all muscular.

Or

Baby is breach. Not sure if it's the baby's head lodged under rib.

Using a hot water bottle,
Paracetamol and scared to cough because of pain. Going to try to see midwife tomorrow.

Pain is awful.

So busy at work too and can't afford to take time off but thought of driving and getting on a train then sitting at a desk all day (like I did yesterday) fulls me with me dread.

Ages til I give birth too.

Anyone experience this please? Any tips on relief?

Many thanks

[Gunpowder]

You poor thing. One of my twins was breech for ages and it doesn’t sound like that - it was incredibly uncomfortable but not super painful.

I think you should call 111 or ooh now and ask for advice. It’s been 48 hours and the penicillin should have kicked in. You may need different abx.

[SweetMoon]

One of mine was breech from about 30 weeks and it was painful under my ribs. It was offand on with how bad the pain was but couldn't ever get comfortable. So it could be this.

Go get checked out though asap in case it's something completely different.

[fia101]

Thanks all - I will do x

[mindutopia]

It sounds like pleurisy actually, which would be related to your chest infection, not to baby. It's an excrutiatingly painful build up of fluid around the lungs from an infection. I had it when I had pneumonia and it is awful. It's more painful than giving birth! I had rib pain with my first breech baby (but not my second) and it was more a dull ache, not a sharp one. The fact it's worse when you cough and you are currently being treated for an infection makes me think it's likely pleurisy. You don't really need to do anything other than take the antibiotics and rest. Don't think about going into work. You want to get better. I got really sick with pneumonia (much more severe than it sounds like you have it now thankfully), but the pleurisy lasted on and off for 6 months. You don't want that. So rest now and feel better before you try to go back to work.

[mindutopia]

I should add though that it is normal for pleurisy to last well after an infection has cleared, so keep taking your antibiotics. It isn't a sign they aren't working as the fluid is related to inflammation, not to the infection itself (the infection is inside of your bronchial passages and lungs, not around the outside). But the fluid builds up because everything is so inflamed. The infection will go first and then the pleurisy will go. Mine lasted really acutely about a month or 6 weeks when I was really ill, even though the infection had cleared. But it kept coming back because my lungs had been so damaged (unlikely to happen to you though, I really was very ill, in hospital on oxygen, etc.). More than likely it will clear a week or so after the infection if you take care of yourself.

[Juststrugglingabit]

Blimey OP don't go to work, you aren't up to it!

[fia101]

Mindutopia that is awful!! Last thing you need when pregnant too. Are you okay now? Thanks for highlighting it to me too much appreciated

[notuptoyou]

I had very sore rib/back pain along with some other pain. I was induced as it was suspected blood clot in the lung, it ended up being baby was transverse. I was 39 weeks though.

[notuptoyou]

Clicked too soon.

I think it's best you call midwife or maternity unit to be safe.

I ended up getting couple chest X-rays and VQ scan.

[fia101]

Thanks notuptoyou - doctors haven't seemed that bothered but I think I need to speak to a midwife who can look at records.

Have you recovered?

[notuptoyou]

My pain was more right side rib during pregnancy. I am 19 weeks postpartum and I'm still suffering with rib pain(both sides), I have been back and forth to doctors. I am waiting on hospital appointment to get scanned as doctor thinks it could be gallstones.

My rib/back & stomach pain seems to be getting more frequent.

Good luck op, hopefully baby is just lying a certain way and moves for you 🙂

[fia101]

Notuptoyou that's awful now you have a baby too to deal with

I heard a pop earlier when I coughed and now I'm a lot of pain - boo.

[widgetbeana]

Could be the ribs, pop sounds suspicious.

I had hideous rib pain with dd1, she had very long legs (still does!) and liked to push them straight out and under my ribs. It was incredibly painful and bruised my diaphragm and left visible bruising In the area. But she was head down and born in 3 hours! Apparently if you have bruised ribs its more likely your bump is tight and so stomach muscles stronger and makes labour faster (I’m dubious about this myself, but makes for some nice pseudo science!)