Back pain when lying down - desperately seeking advice!

[CPBsMum]

I'm 33 weeks and for the last 4 weeks or so I've been getting lower back pain when lying down. It seems to be from lying on my side (I would lie on my back ideally) although it is slightly better lying on the right than left, although I know you're supposed to lie on the left. It is getting worse and worse and am in agony all night now and in some pain during the day too. I have bought a new pillow for my neck, tried a normal pillow between the legs and one under the bump as well as a pregnancy pillow. I have a reasonably firm mattress and have tried putting a board under it to firm it up further.
The only suggestions I've had from doctors is to take co-codamol but it is not managing the pain (I constantly wake up in pain even when I've taken it, although it is impossible to sleep without any painkillers). Last night I took paracetamol before I went to bed, took ages to get to sleep, then woke up in terrible pain just over 3 hours after taking the tablets. I waited until 4 hours had passed and took co-codamol but then had to wait until it kicked in before I could sleep. After that I woke up repeatedly in pain through the night but at least could go back to sleep again.
I've been to an osteopath three times who is flummoxed as she has never had a patient fail to respond before. The consultant today told me that my back muscles aren?t strong enough and it?s OK in the day when I?m using them but at night the muscles aren?t needing to work so I?m getting the pain. He could not suggest anything else to try as he says that physiotherapy won?t make much of a difference before the baby is born. The osteopath has said that she doesn?t think this is likely as my muscles in my back are not that weak. I was a size 14 before I got pregnant and am not really big so weight shouldn?t be causing the pain. The only other thing to try is
Can anyone suggest anything I can try? I?m really desperate as I?m getting so little sleep. I really don?t want to be constantly taking pain killers at night but at the moment I have no option and even then I?m in pain.

That sounds miserable. I discovered (through sleeping on a latex bed somewhere else for a week) that a softer mattress was much better for my SPD. I've actually bought a memory foam mattress topper for our mattress and it does help. Makes turning over in the night more comfortable too! Sitting on an exercise ball in the evening seems to help me too. Also spending an hour just floating in the swimming pool in the evening. If you can manage it, yoga was helping me too, though now the baby has engaged it's much harder getting up off the floor!

I hope you find something to improve it.

A firm mattress with a topper of some sort is best. My physio says that memory foam is not good but suggests a duvet underneath the sheet. Works beautifully for me.

And your osteo is talking rot about physio. It can help before the birth, provided you see a proper womens' health physio. I went on Friday on felt like I'd been abused all weekend but feel better for it now

And TBH, a physio can get you other help too - support belts, crutches, referrals to occupational therapists if necessary. I would be talking to your gp about an urgent referral.

Great - thank you both - I will be putting the mattress topper on tonight and will get the physio organised ASAP as well as having a go with the floating and doing some yoga. I have had a ball for a week or so and will continue with that. I will try pretty much anything at this stage and all those sound sensible anyway. Thank you!