Pain in left bum cheek and tingles down left leg

[mopsytop]

12 weeks pregnant and since about 8 weeks have been getting a twinge in my left bum cheek, only once in a while, not too bad or anything but noticeable twinges. Now it is getting a little more frequent/worse and I am having tingles in my left thigh/calf as well. Anyone know if this is related to pregnancy?

sounds like sciatica, I had it during my pregnancy quite litterally a pain in the arse!, its when baby is resting or pressing on your sciatic nerve usually or you may just have twisted or bent wrong at some time as you can get this outside of pregnancy as well. I saw a physio to help with mine but had to go private at 40 quid a session! ouch! as i couldnt get any help for it on the nhs.

oh dear, I can't afford £40 a session! I hope it doesn't get worse. Anything I can do myself to help it?

I have also been getting a pain in my left wrist, I hope that is not dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome. Ugh. Only 12 weeks, is it normal for these things to be starting already? already suffering from very bad headaches and sometimes migraines.

misshey's first three words were exactly what I was going to say.

Not a heck of a lot you can do unless you wanna take some pain relief. It can get really bad as baby gets bigger, sorry to say, but baby will still be able to change position at the moment, so maybe you are not destined for another 5/6 months of it.

Or what about those heat packs that you can take instead of pain relief - might help.

Will try. Also bad pain in wrist which started today. Ugh. I had no idea pregnancy could be this little fun - already! I thought it would get better after first 3 months - no more vomiting and exhaustion. I'd rather exhaustion than these pains. Sorry to be a moan! Feeling a bit sorry for myself!

my advice would be to stay as mobile as you can with gentle excercise and standing but rocking gently side to side can help to loosen it but it does really depend on the cause (whether its baby or possibly you have just moved wrong) unfortunately mine did get worse :( had to stop work an driving at 6 months in but i did develop pelvic disorder on top of it so that was a major factor in it. I found warm baths were heaven though so plenty of pampering is highly recomended!, fingers crossed for you that it goes away x

What you have described is sciatica to a tee. It is caused by compression in your lower back which is touching the nerve that goes down your leg. Likewise the wrist pain could be a similiar "something causing compression" problem. These are both common in pregnancy as things swell and ligaments are looser due to hormones - sorry thats not very technical but my DD is 9 so its been a while since i was in your position

Out of pregnancy ibruprofen is a good first choice of meds followed by Diclofenic. However i dont think you can take these so best go and see at least a pharmacist if not a GP.

Hope you are feeling more comfortable soon

Thanks everyone. I am going to see my GP tomorrow actually about something else so I will ask about these things as well. My mum never had a thing in pregnancy, I was hoping I'd take after her. Clearly not!

Search Mumsnet for sciatica tips: someone posted a great link about ten yoga exercises you can do to help stretch out the relevant area (I have it bookmarked at home but I'm at work). The other good tip is to sleep with a pillow between your legs. I had exactly what you're describing for a couple of days and then it cleared up again - I guess the baby moved, but it might be back.

I had this start at exactly the same time - about 8wks pregnant with DS. Unfortunately I still have sciatic (DS is 19mo) but it is so mild now I barely notice it. The physio said it was most likely something that I would have got anyway but the stretchy hormones you secrete when pregnant make it likely to show up then.

Get your gp to refer you for physio on the nhs and make sure they don't fob you off with spd (symphis pubis disfunction) which is common in pregnancy (unless you have that too!). It is different and the belts etc that work for spd won't work for sciatica.

If physio gives you exercises then make sure you DO them, I was terrible and I think I would have got better much quicker if I'd bothered. Also consider pilates (maybe get a preg pilates dvd?) as good core strength will help.

I used to find lying on my tummy and doing a sort of half press-up (so you are bending backwards at the waist) was really helpful, and it was annoying when I got too fat to lie on my front!

Good luck

mopsy I've had exactly the same thing, started at 12 weeks and now 14+6.

The only things I've found that work so far are a warm bath, DH rubbing right at the top of my bum on the side it hurts, and a yoga DVD (particularly pigeon pose, and getting on all fours and doing circles with my hips).

So far yoga is the best and longest lasting thing for me - I think I recommended it on our ante-natal thread too, the pregnancy health one with Tara Lee.

I have been doing beginners yoga uptil now (the instructor knew I was pregnant and gave me the nod when there were things I shouldn't do) but joining pregnancy yoga next week, so I will ask her to show me pigeon pose and anything else that might help - thanks for that!

I am thinking of starting swimming again, went quite a lot last summer, then couldn't face it in the chilly winter, but now it's so warm I think it would be nice. That might help?

OH dear I have had sciatica on and off for more than 10 years now all stemming from bad posture and havIng 1 leg shorter than other which means I put all my weight on 1 side. Am terrified it's gonna incapacitate me later so have bought some groupon chiropractor sessions in preparation.
I've been offered a session on posture and back care from my local midwife so taking that up too on 05th July I'd ask if u have something similar u can attempt.

I also have one leg slightly shorter than other (only about 1cm) but I don't know if that has an effect as it hasn't so far (I mean before pregnancy). Only had sciatica once so far. It wasn't fun. It was in other leg though. Hmm groupon sounds not a bad plan, may look. Will ask doctor tomorrow if I can see physio or something

I have this too, but it has changed slightly as the pregnancy has progressed. It used to shoot down to my right butt cheek, like an electric shock, and then my toes would feel completely numb and freezing. Nowadays (at 28 weeks), I just have a constant pain in my right hand butt cheek. TBH, I would say that pain is worse, but as it is a constant, I feel like it is more bearable as opposed to shooting pains out of nowhere all the time; if that makes any sense at all....

I find moving around does kind of help (although not much to be honest!) I have also bought a little massage gizmo, which I use regularly. I am not sure if this actually does anything, or if it is just has a placebo effect... lol.

Do try and get referred for midwife physio - I had an appointment yesterday, it turned out I didn't have sciatica, but muscle spasms instead, and I got given some exercises, lots of advice and another appointment for follow-up. The physio said it was best to be seen early as they is often more they can do then than if you leave it till later on.
I know it does vary by area - here I can self refer but well worth seeing what is available in NHS were you are.

Does anyone think swimming would be good or not?

Oh I will definitely ask to be referred tomorrow. Thanks for the advice as I mightn't have asked the doctor otherwise.

Swimming is fine, just don't do breast stroke legs. I did an aqua-natal class in my first pregnancy, it was absolute bliss to have the weight taken by the water!

Good oh. Going to buy maternity swimsuit in Mothercare later. My boobs have expanded so much, there's no way they'll fit into my normal swimsuit - neither will my fat ass I fear :$

Saw GP just now and he gave me the number to self-refer to physio. He said both leg and arm pain caused by pregnancy. Great. Hope don't have to wait weeks for an appointment now ... !

Sounds more like Pelvic Girdle Pain to me, this is something that I have suffered with throughout my whole pregnancy, I am now 36 weeks!

My midwife provided me with some tubigrip which does support my hips and offered to refer me to physio but I declined as my experienc eof physio is that it only makes the pain worse.

I notice that if I sit on a hard surface or carry weight it gets much worse.

www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/pelvicgirdlepain/

mopsytop - I hope this link helps :) x

Thanks Kerri - will ring the physio today and make an appointment. I really hope it doesn't get worse :(

I tore my pinosa muscle which swelled and caused sciatica whilst using an exercise back with the seat too high (not when pregnant) bloomin painful was given industrial strength painkillers by GP, and the only thing that eased the spasam was for me to crouch down, which was quite entertaining in the supermarket.

Waffle sorry.

I am getting the same as you now (25 weeks pregnant) never had it with my previous two, and whilst it isn't as painful as previously it is in a similar area and and burns down my left thigh. I can't take the painkillers obviously, but have found swimming good.

Hope it eases soon.