Hip pain keeping me awake

[MintyTea]

I've seen a few posts on hip pain but most of them refer also to pelvic pain, SPD, etc. I don't have pelvic pain (touch wood!) but my hip pain keeps waking me up during the night and I'd love any advice from fellow MN-ers.

I have bought a Dream Genii pillow, I lie on a folded king-size duvet and I wear a simple Mothercare support belt during the day. But recently the hip pain has become constant through the night, even when I'm not lying on a particular hip.

I've got a physio antenatal class next week but suspect I will need individual physio treatment. While I wait for an appointment, though - does anyone have any further tips?

Sorry to hear you're suffering. I get a bit of it during the night, and find there's no real answer, just keep swapping sides and use all the pilows and cushions you can find! Then just see what works best. It's really frustrating I know, but perhaps it's just a stage...

paracetamol before bed helps me get to sleep, sometimes I take some in the night too...apart from that I can't think of anything else. Some people swear by memory foam mattress toppers. If you get any more tips please come back and share them! :o

How far gone are you?
I had a terrible time with hip pain (no SPD) from about 6m onwards, and ended up sleeping on a saggy old studio couch, with two folded duvets on it. This worked. (The memory foam topper didn't.)
I believe that what actually made the difference, apart from the "give" in the sleeping surface, was the back support of the couch - it seemed to allow me to take the pressure off the hip because I could lean into it, which I couldn't in bed of course.

If you don't want to leave the bed (and you are unlikely to have a really old saggy studio couch to hand) then you could try packing pillows in behind your back, so you have similar back support.

HTH. :)

I'm 38+4 and for a few weeks I have been waking up in agony with hip pain (no SPD) I just have to keep swapping sides every hour then by about 4 I have to get up for an hour to give my hips a break. For me getting up in the middle of the night is the only thing that works otherwise I just lay there worrying about the pain!

Me too MintyTea! Am almost 25 weeks and have been suffering every night for the past week with this. Barely slept and now dread going to bed each night :( . Am afraid I don't yet have a solution but wanted to let you know that you're not alone.

Am going to sleep on a duvet tonight to see if that helps and am going to get an appointment with an oesteopath who specialises in pregnancy asap. Am fine during the day, it's just at night. I even tried to sleep sitting up in the early hours last night, propped up with three pillows and my dream genii but it's not ideal. Was in tears earlier on today as was so tired so had a nap, which really helped.

I'll let you know if I come up with a solution.

Had this for two years - have you tried acupuncture or white tiger balm? I found both gave relief, or lying on the side which hurts.

PGP is a coverall term, now used as well as or instead of SPD, just to confuse us all! I have had no pubic pain at all-can easily sit with my legs in a v shape, get in and out of bath, no pain on walking etc. but have had all my pain in my hips and legs. This is still SPD/PGP as it's caused by pelvic instability, in my sacro-ileac joints.

I'm only saying this, not because labels matter much, but because it means advice aimed at minimising SPD is valid for you. I fought the label for weeks until a physio, GP and chiro all in one week told me firmly that it was what I had! Don't be scared that it'll necessarily evolve into anything else.

I've had a real improvement since having chiro treatment, using crutches for a while, resting as much as possible and using pain relief, alongside physio exercises and a support belt. Now at 39 weeks and am off the painkillers, sleeping through the night (mostly!), barely using crutches and fairly mobile for very short distances. But while I was refusing to believe it was anything but a dodgy hip, it got worse and worse.

Got bad hip pain too, feel like a bloody see saw swinging from side side to try and sleep. I feel about a hundred years old when I get up in the morning, hips so sore, but no other pelvic pain, it's just the pressure on the hips.

My dp suggested a doughnut pillow, like people have for piles, with a hole in the middle so you can try and spread the load off the hip? I haven't got one yet but I might if this keeps up!

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. It's good to know I'm not alone (but not good to know you're all suffering, IYKWIM).

I shall definitely look into the tips such as the 'wall of pillows' at my back, and tiger balm, as well as the 'piles' pillow. I did see one on a physio website and I also saw inflatable exercise balls there which I believe can be a helpful alternative to sitting on the sofa.

I do take paracetamol every few nights if it's really bad or if my back's sore before bed. Is it ok to take it as often as you need to? You read so much contradictory advice about it (as with everything else!).

I've now also made an appointment with a chiropractor, for a couple of days after my physio antenatal class, so am feeling positive about that.

StiffyByng, thanks for the explanation - I do find the terms a tad confusing so that's really helpful and I'm glad you're sleeping better now.

Good luck everyone with your hips, pelvises and any other bits

Hope it improves for you! I had osteopathic treatment all through my pg due to having an unstable pelvis (had been seeing osteo for years previously as well) and I'm sure it helped me avoid any worse SPD issues (didn't get any in the actual symphisis pubis), plus it kept my sciatica mostly under control. Just the awful hip pressure pain that he couldn't really do anything about.

It sometimes helped me to have a pillow between my knees when sleeping, other times I found I was ok without it.

Be careful about putting things directly under your hip with no other support - you could shift things in your lower back, which would be more detrimental than otherwise - you need to keep your spine relatively straight, and having anything just under your hip won't let that happen.

Thanks thumbwitch - sounds sensible advice re the pillow. I did see an osteopath before pregnancy which was so helpful but he's 60 miles away from where we live, so going to try chiropractor in home town.

Did yours ease off after you gave birth?

Thanks again.

I'm 24w+2 and the last couple of nights I have had this pain too. Last night woke 7 times with leg cramps sore hips and numb hands. Might try some of your suggestions ladies. Hope everyone gets some relief soon.

try this pose www.yogajournal.com/poses/2477 ... always helps me. do make sure that your legs are bent to as close to a 90 degree angle as possible, can you blankets underneath for support. hope you feel better

Minty - yes, it did. As soon as the lump DS was out of there, it was much easier again and a huge relief to be able to lie on my side again! Of course, still no sleep but for completely different reasons

Just as an aside, I was away last week and had to sleep on hotel beds - and one of them was so hard that it brought the pain on in my hip again without me being pregnant. So the softer you can make the surface on which you are lying, the better, I think (but without compromising your back straightness).

Agree about the soft surface - added a single duvet to my folded double duvet and it's sooo soft now :)

Am also looking forward to being able to lie on my back again in about 10 weeks...

Lilly13, thanks for the yoga pose - will check it out!

Try a rolled up towel under your waist when lying on your side - otherwise all your weight is balanced between shoulders and hips because of the natural gap. I have bad PGP/SPD and my physio suggested this - has really helped.
Mine went within a fortnight of delivering the last two times so fingers crossed for this time (33 weeks and counting)

I get bad hips when lying on my side. i have always had problems which have started flaring up again. historically mine were down to short hamstrings, cauding a hyper extended back which put presure on my back and hips. before being pregnant i did a lot of kickboxing so didnt really have the issue any more. however, its creeping back on me, i just do a lot of stretching of my gluts and hamstrings to try and relieve it.

Thanks for the towel tip, it makes sense to distribute the weight more evenly. Wish I'd done kickboxing before :) but there are always the stretches as you say.

Just wanted to add a quick extra to this thread - my hip pain doesn't seem as bad now (I'm at 37+5). There were a couple of things I tried which may help you other sore-hipsters:

• I got Omega 3 capsules (from the health food store, as I'm veggie, although you can easily get fishy ones from chemists) and take one every night with dinner. It says on the box they are safe for pregnancy.
• I had a couple of sessions with a massage therapist who really worked and stretched my outer and inner leg and 'glut' muscles. It was not extremely pleasant at the time but I'm sure this has helped.

Hope everyone else's hip pain is no worse!