Hypermobility and a toddler: how are other hypermobile mums managing?

Anyone will be tired working at 50 hour week. It doesn't leave a lot of time for cooking and self care, let alone when you have other responsibilities.

I don't have any issues with joints either. My issues manifest with muscle pain.

Do keep an eye on it with your children. I have a lot of children. My husband is not hypermobile, I am. Every one of my children is hypermobile. Unfortunately they are also, just like me, having to find ways that work for them. Doctors are pretty unhelpful. I even had one tell me the other week that if you're hypermobile, you're going to have pain.

Hi my people! 👋
Me and both my daughters are hypermobility, flat feet + ADHD. Life is so tough. And nothing is visible on the outside making this a hidden disability. Infact I didn’t know my conditions until the DC got diagnosed. And now all the super exhaustion post birth and ever since and now at peri - all makes sense!

@DreamingSunnyHolidays1234 all I can say is that I coped only by going part-time and working remotely (going in as exception) since having DD1. This was decades before covid and it meant huge compromises to the roles I could do and never thought much about promotions etc as I simply could not cope. I stayed 3 days a week for 8 years after DC2 was born and regretting having gone back to full time even though I’m in the office only 1-2 days. It’s not just the job that needs my energy but the house, kids and marriage. Wish I were rich enough to quit my job and just take care of my health. The best I’ve been is when I lost a lot of weight, strength trained and swam regularly and felt like superwoman. Alas, injury stopped me and I need to get back on that wagon again.

go easy on yourself. Goals can change. Health comes first now.

I've had a lot of success working with a personal trainer and sports physio who are both experienced with hyper mobility. Between them they've got me free of pain and doing strength training, and the sports physio has explained the instability of my right hip will always be a problem and I should never stop doing side planks with leg raises.

All other joints are also hypermobile but the strength training had helped eliminate pain

I've been doing pilates for years, I notice a difference if I stop but it isn't the be all and end all for hyper mobile joints.

Two other things that have made a huge difference to me recently are:
Taking iron bisglycinate with vit C (I'm 52 and deep in perimenopause)
Significantly increasing my protein intake, more meat and eggs and supplement with protein shakes. The protein will help preserve your collagen too support your joints and connective tissues

Tbf, there is i suppose the possibility that I could be too, but I've never had any issues with joints. I do however have PCOS / PMOS so plenty of other issues to be dealing with.

You need a decent osteopath for a start!! They will help sort putting you back into alignment and then he next thing is going to somewhere like the gait Lab in London. You need to get your feet sorted and most likely need custom orthotics and once you get them the rest of you massively stabilises along with the osteopathy.

where is the father of the child in all this?? He shoudl be doing 50% of the parenting for a start!!! Get yourself a day off during the week and spend it either sleeping or going to Pilates classes as you need to exercise when hypermobile. Don’t be stupid and get another child in before menopause as then you end up even more decrepit and menopause is a nightmare yes so be prepared and make sure you get oestrogen and progesterone replacement before it starts!!! Go private as NHS are shit about peri menopause

Compression leggings and orthotics help.

I am not hypermobile (my DM is) but my DD1 is very hypermobile. She has been seeing the paeds physio since she was 3.5y (now 5y) and we have advice on how to protect her joints as she grows. If you havent already been doing so, for everyone on this thread, id say please keep a close eye on the DC, as it can have a genetic element and far better to catch earlier than later. Potty training can also take much longer as it can interfere with recognising the signals to need to go to the loo.

I have EDS and yes have always suffered with tiredness. I’m not a good sleeper either though also have ASD and ADHD (which are common with hyper mobility). How did you not know you were hyper mobile though, or was it just you didn’t know there was a name for it? It always fascinated my friends that I could bend my joints in odd ways and my legs, arms and fingers in particular have always really obviously bent the wrong way.

This is honestly mind blowing. I have been told I was lazy my whole life because I just need more sleep. I’m feeling a bit angry now.

I've muddled through with chiropractic and other things, like massage therapy and myotherapy and osteopathy. It's expensive, but it helps. Chiropractic may not be suitable for you though, so you'd have to check that out. I find avoiding high impact exercise helps. No running for me. Watching posture, swimming and walking are all good.

I am very much perimenopausal and haven't found it worse. If anything, it might be a bit better. I've also learned to accept that my body will go through good and bad patches. Naps can help.

Same here! I was recently told I was the maximum possible hyper mobile by a physio and have spent a lifetime shattered - are the two things connected??

This is so interesting that you mentioned POTS. I went to the GP a couple of weeks ago because I've always been a dizzy/sickly person for as long as I can remember and they tested my pulse on standing and sitting and possibly mentioned POTS. It nakes sense if its hypermobility related!

Jesus Christ. I think I have this! I’m hyper mobile but didn’t know about the tiredness and other symptoms that marry up perfectly with how shit I’ve felt for years - this is a bit of a thunderclap…

Oh also see a good podiatrist, orthotics have been life changing for reducing falls and feet, ankle and leg pain

I'm just in pain and exhausted all the time, recently also diagnosed with labile hypertension so I have high blood pressure spiked, sometimes very high, but it also dips low so it's hard to medicate. I was told I needed to get enough sleep, eat well and reduce stress levels. Also cut out salt and caffeine which are easy but everything else? With an autistic 8 yr old who can be combative and a 5 yr old who still shouts uppies. I'm waiting for ankle surgery which may not work but the ankle has gotten too bad. I'm 43.

My mum had hypermobility, scoliosis, a heart valve defect (myself and my sisters also have) and she died at 56. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia which was just a nonsense as she had so many reasons for her pain while fibromyalgia is a diagnosis of exclusion. Anyway she was eventually properly diagnosed while hospitalised. Then she died of cardiomyopathy.

Dunno the answer, hypermobility can either be just pain or a warning if something more serious than pain so make sure any symptoms are checked.

Tens machine is great for pain, as is exercising to build muscle to support the lax joints, but that does mean exercising through severe pains Nd injury risk. Everything is just harder with no credit given to how hard it is.