34 weeks, waking up in pain each night - advice please

[Tinwe]

Long post - sorry.

I'm 34+3 and in generally good health with my first pregnancy. Starting maternity leave at the end of the month. Since Sunday night I've been suffering with bad back ache all of a sudden and was advised by physio (who I saw for first time on Tues for SPD) to 'take it easy' as we're moving house combined with a long drive to work. Consequently I've been resting and off work last 2 days which has generally helped the daytime back ache. The problem is that I'm waking up several times each night in pain with belly/period type ache (and sometimes back ache too). I thought they might be Braxton Hicks but my bump isn't always tight at the same time. I rang up the hospital yesterday morning for advice who insisted I came in and got checked over despite my knowing it wasn't labour - they said baby was fine, no concerns about me being in labour and told me to take paracetamol. I felt like a neurotic first timer!

Obviously I'm glad all's ok, but it hasn't solved my pain or sleep problems. The thought of another 5 or more weeks of almost no sleep is not good for me or poor DH... Any advice to help relieve it or suggestions as to what might be causing it or is this normal now and I'm being a wuss?

your story sounds almost identical to mine, i'm 34 weeks 1st timer and i just find i'm starting to get rediculously uncomfortable now, similar pains as you have described and baby constantly moving through the night i cant get comfortable at all and end up getting up at all hours for backache, sore hips/bum cheeks. i ended up on the couch last night and have been off work all week because of the pain and the fact that sleep depravation have left me a bit emotional lately too. all i can say is roll on may when baby arrives cos at least the sleepless nights will seem worth it when you see baby looking back at you. not long to go now just hang on in there is the only advice i can give.

Im having the same thing im 31+5 it is a night mare, the only thing that helps me is sitting on a gym ball, but then when I get up or go to bed it hurts again.
I guess this is the last trimester! Im seeing my consultant tomorrow, so maybe I shall ask them for some tips.

Thanks ladies, I feel a bit better knowing I'm not alone but just wish there was something we could do to ease it! Let us know green if you get any good advice... Now to decide whether to work or not today, I'm so tired!

Me too, also at 34 weeks. My left hip/ top of leg area hurts if I sleep on my left side, my bump aches especially if I sleep on my right side and I am still trying to work out how to avoid sleeping on my back. Last night my back ached too. I wake up on one side because I ache too much but moving over to the other side is really uncomfortable and a lot of effort, and then I realise I need to get up and go to the toilet anyway and then I can't get back to sleep. I am also still at work until the end of the month (counting down the days) so still sometimes have to be up at 6am after about 4hrs sleep to do a job where I have to be on my feet all day.

Ooh Stegasaurus, poor you being up so early for work! I set off to work today but was in that much pain I was baulking by the end of the road ("pothole alley" as we live in the sticks), so i gave up and I came home again. Just been for routine midwife appointment and she was lovely but basically said that this back ache and pain was part of my SPD and having a huge bump all out front and I shouldn't expect it to get any better :( Feeling a bit embarrassed about my body's lack of pregnancy talent, I'd always thought that was why I had "child bearing hips" ...

Hi,

being a fellow spd sufferer I can sympathise with your pain..

I recently bought a memory foam topper (7cm) and have found it wonderful! Really softened up my bed which is quite hard (normally more comfy for my back when not pg) and eased the numb feeling/ache.
Before that I was using a folded single duvet underneath me but decided on the topper because i kept getting tangled which made getting out of bed even harder (tho I could have put it under the fitted sheet I spose).

That said my sleep recently has been boosted by a pillow under my legs just under my bum/thighs and actually sleeping on my back!
I've NEVER been a back sleeper before, always left side recovery position for me which is nigh on impossible now.
I'm finding this comfy as I don't really feel THAT big at the moment (32 +4) but mainly because I was finding my hip and thigh going numb when lying on my side, even with pillows proping everything up..

I'm sure the new comfortable position won't last long for me but keep experimenting with diff positions/pillow combinations. Also, if you have spd I can highly recommend satin pj bottoms. REALLY helps with turning over as you are so much more slippery.

Don't feel embarrased bout your bodies 'lack of talent', i'm sure you'll think the spd is worth it come 2nd stage of labour. :)

That said, I'm glad this is my 2nd pg, and last. I get very envious of people who carry on almost like they were before pg, especially those wearing high heels (ouch).

Thanks Cazzr, will try a couple of your tips: duvet under me and sleeping on my back. The midwives say I'm "big but not that big" but people in the street/shops keep looking at me piteously and gasping when i tell them i've got weeks left yet!

Hi - I'm 34+4 (DC3) and suffering too - SPD and backache etc - my baby is lying back to back and her head is wedged into my pelvis which is why I'm having lots of pain (2 weeks ago she was lying transverse so my pelvic pain had gone!) - have they said how your baby is lying? I got a gym ball yesterday and that really helped sitting with legs apart (how attractive!) and bouncing a bit! I sympathise cos its v uncomfortable! xx

I've also being getting a lot of night pains in hips and bump, I put a duvet underneath me about a week ago and it has helped enormously with the hip pain. I also have a pillow under my bump to help support it. I find that not sleeping with my legs straight also seems to help ease the pain a little as having them straight seems to stretch out the muscles in my abdonmen IYKWIM. I can also get comfy on my back if I'm half on a pillow, so a bit tilted.

I hope you find something that helps. I honestly never thought I would find lying in bed so bloody annoying.

Hello,

As a few people might know (hello Cazzr ) I've had SPD since about 20 weeks. I am now 35+5 and doing above measures has helped hugely. I am also v.jealous of the foam topper - wow. I've made do with a feather duvet, which has been OK.

Tinwe I am one of those people that courts the sympathy glances. I'm 5ft 1 with a pretty prominant bump out front. Been told I am OK size wise by MW, but I feel huge. I've been putting a really soft pillow under bump when I'm on my side, which is helping actually. Also, DH is away skiing this week, so I've been nicking his pillows to prop myself from behind too!! This is in addition to my v-pillow between my legs. I find that keeping myself fairly foetal helps, but that's just me. Oh, and satin jim-jams are the best thing in the world....I just sssssssssslide across the bed!

My shoulders flipping hurt, but carrying around an extra 2 stone I guess they're going to? Feck all I can do about that. Apart from cheeky sessions just chilling out on my back (and really not feeling guilty either!).

Last thing, and this is for everyone really. In an attempt to cut down on how much I need to wake up to pee I'm trying to cut down on how much I drink in the night. Sounds silly, but it means I am just having one wee now, which makes it easier to get back to sleep again.

We're all in this together ladies...but hopefully not much longer to go! :-) x

Jellyhead - The last thing I was told they thought she was head down, there's definitely a big lump jammed into my ribs which I assume is a bum. The pressure on my stomach adds to the sicky feeling I get when the pain is bad. Just this last week she's been pushing something (a fist or foot maybe) diagonally into my hip and that really hurts! Will try to sort a gym ball once we move, prob wouldn't be a good idea for work though...

Thefurry -physio said there's not much point putting a pad under the bump if I'm on my side in bed as my bump is so big it reaches the bed anyway! I think you might have something with the no straight legs idea... Always seems to be the bottom straight leg side which has the cramps.

Czar - lying on my back didn't work when I tried to kip earlier, bump too big :(

Thanks for the further advice LittleMilla... 20 weeks! I'd been waiting for physio since about 26 weeks and it's felt like a long battle so you have my sympathy! How have you been with work? Are you working now? I'm having daily dilemmas as to whether to struggle in to work or give up but I've only got 7 days to go and am starting to panic about not getting tidied up before I finish...

Hello Tinwe - I too finish work a week tomorrow. Been a flipping struggle TBH, but I have given myself a generous taxi allowance under the proviso that because I no longer have wine it's OK . In all seriousness, I am sat down for most of the day, so make sure that I get up and have a gentle walk around regularly. I also have my chair up quite high and perch on the edge - means bump can push out in front of me. BUT...bump is now so big that I can hardly reach the phone. Ha!!

Oh, and I have also bought these two things:

www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+Maternity-Underwear-Products-Carriwell-Maternity-Support-Bands+A5740
www.amazon.co.uk/Emma-Jane-Maternity-Support-Belt-White-14/dp/B000VLRM54/ref=tag_tdp_sv_edpp_t

I use the top one more as the bottom one is OK, but for it to be as tight as I feel it needs to be...baby get V.ANGRY and kicks hard, which makes me worry. However, top one it simply feels like a very secure top holding bump, which I like. Esp when I am at my desk and walking.

Then when I get home I take off all paraphenalia (inc bra!), wear slouchy clothes and bounce on my ball!

xx

Hi littlemilla. I'm currently trialing a girdle type band that the physio gave me, bean doesn't seem to mind it but it hasn't helped much so far. Main problem is night time... as you can see I'm awake now! It's the sleep deprivation which makes things hard with work as well as back ache of course!