Rib pain - ouchy ouch, what can I do?

[StrangewaysHereICome]

Ooooh I am 35+2 and my ribs on my left side are agony, they ache from front to back. I can't get comfy whichever way I sit.

Is there anything I can do to alleviate it, it's starting to get me down a bit tbh.

Have you tried getting on all fours so your belly is like a hammock? It takes the weight of the baby off the skeleton and encourages the baby to settle into a new position. Hope it helps!

Thanks oneof4 I will try that now - fingers crossed it works ...

its most likely trapped air/wind. hot drinks can help displace it. also wind eze is suitable for pregnancy and i think deflatine is too. but you'll only get proper relief when the baby drops....

Oh, I really do feel your pain - I have been in agony with this on the right side all day and on and off for the last 2 weeks. Im 32 weeks. I happened to see the consultant today and he had a feel around - he said it is basically muscular and caused by the uterus pushing everything up in to my ribs that would usually fill the gap between them. All he could really suggest is taking paracetamol. I find that lifting my right arm above my head helps (so your left arm) and also, if I hook my fingers on to the skin just under my right bra cup and push down, it somehow takes the pressure off a little bit.

Really hope it eases for you soon. I find that mine suddenly stops, only to come back with a vengeance a couple of days later.

Thanks everyone. Being on all fours did help and the baby must have moved a bit but when I went to bed the pain shifted to the other side aaah! Now it's back on the left.

muslimah I think you might be right about getting relief when the baby drops, but as this is my third I suspect that won't be until a lot later .

Shelbee that is interesting, thanks for the explanation. It is really painful isn't it? I slept with my arm above my head last night until it went numb!!

Not much longer now .

God I'm having this as well - it's like a knife in the ribs. Worse when I sit down... is this the same for you guys? I'm only 24 weeks but do have a really short torso... could it be the uterus in my case, do you think?

Oh I don't know Janoschi - probably your uterus pushing other things up under your ribs? I hope it eases for you as you still have a while to go . I would mention it to your mw at your next check. Take care.

Did the all-fours thing and it really did help. Wish it was possible to sleep in that position - guessing my DH would think me very odd if I tried! Will definitely mention it to my midwife next week though. Thanks.

I have the same thing, and Im only 24 weeks. Its been going on for the past three weeks. It got so bad last week that the pain was mistaken for kidney infection and I ended up in hospital on morphine! It turned out the muscle had gone into spasm for about two days! bloody agony! I still have pain, sleeping is a nightmare.

I joined a pregnancy yoga class and that really helps with the pain. Getting down on all fours or leaning up against the wall helps too.

Hi, I'am on my third pregnancy 30wks and although im ok at the moment, I did suffer with this the last two pregnancies, it was horrific, at times I could barely walk or drive, like another poster said, going on all fours, or raising your arm all helped, I also found lying on my side helped. The bad news is I still had this pain when I was in the labour ward, head had engaged at 33/34 weeks and at no time did I get any relief until baby was out, I think I have a short torso as well and I anticipate this kicking in at around 35wks like the other two!