how do you sleep?

[craftycottontail]

Is anyone out there managing to get a good night's sleep? If so how?!!!

I've tried pillows everywhere - wedged under bump, between length of legs etc - but end up kicking them out the way through the night. My hips/thighs end up aching making me need to turn over, but that wakes me up as it's such a huge effort!

My pelvis clicks sometimes and a bit in my lower back crunches every now and again. Midwife gave me a number to refer myself to maternity physio which I've done, but they don't have an appointment free til a month before my due date.

30 wks today :)

I'm nearly 37 weeks and sleep very badly now! My hips are incredibly painful and I have lower back pain during the day. Sounds like you have the same thing - PPP (posterior pelvic pain).

The best thing I've found is lying on a folded double duvet as it just gives your hips extra padding. I also have a little pregnancy wedge (like a big piece of cheese!) which I pop under my bump on days when it's achy. This can also go between your knees as I find a pillow too thick. If worse comes to worse, see if the Doc will prescribe you co-codemol which is okay in pregnancy and just take a couple right before you go to sleep, which should see you through the first few hours.

As I tell myself... This too will pass! It'll all be worth it in the end!

I'm 29 weeks and can relate too. I think for me it's not just back pain but as I'm such a sensitive sleeper, baby moving disturbs me too and wakes me up! I haven't found a solution, I've tried using the long pregnancy pillow, and sometimes it helps and other times it doesn't really. I think I've just had to accept that my is going to be restless sadly

I'm now 39 wks and was sleeping really badly up until 2 weeks ago. Then I moved into the spare room - now I've got room to move in the night and can arrange pillows however I like them. I have one on each side so there's one whichever way I turn and I put one end between my knees and the other end wedged under my bump. My left hip hurts if I sleep exclusively on that side so I just have to turn over - I still sleep on my back quite a bit too.

I have a proper maternity pillow that can be used as a breast feeding pillow later. As soon as I got it, I started sleeping better. Lots of people swear by the Dream Genii. I have this one.

I am 39+3 and have not slept since i was about 30 weeks :)

When I read the title of this thread, I thought ... I don't!

I have the Dream Genii pillow and have had it since about 15 weeks. I'm 39 weeks today and sleeping very well apart from the toilet trip in the night.

Another one for the spare room here. Have decided to spare DH the pregnancy snoring and the monumental grunting effort that is turning over. Have a skinny pillow on either side for bump and back (so as not to have to move them when turning over) - and an Ikea V shaped pillow between legs (which does need adjustment, wakes me, hurts as I try to untangle myself to flip over -PGP/SPD). There's a widgey nearby as well for occasional use. But yes, sleep is interrupted (and of course there's wee breaks - typically as soon as you do manage to find a comfortable spot!)

Am avidly taking notes here... Only 21 weeks but finding sleep a growing drama at the moment. The last three nights I've woken up in agony with severe hip pain, like someone is grinding a hand drill into the bone from the outside in. It's worse on the right, but when I lie on the left, it then hurts both hips at the same time!

Lying on my back offers a bit of respite but then I start getting short of breath so have to roll back onto a side! It's been so bad that I've started whimpering in my sleep, and every time I move. I have a pillow on the left which I wedge myself onto so I'm on the front edge of the hip and that feels better, but cannot do that on the right as OH is there (although I have started sneakily using his legs to wedge me on a slight angle)

In the daytime, I'm getting more and more tailbone pain as well (deskjob, arghh). Will look into these magic pillows...

Timely post, OP - may your quest be fruitful!

Brave it might be worth speaking to your GP - could be SPD/PGP and some physio and painkillers might help (especially at night).

Eek - I hope not! But thanks HavingALittleFaith - have to see GP for 24-week check so will mention it then.

That's good advice from Faith - I had exactly the same pain symptoms you describe and was diagnosed with SPD/PGP and sent off to the physio. They don't do too much, but will give you more advice about how to manage. The GP said if things get worse she can prescribe some painkillers that'll help before bedtime. The Pelvic Partnership also have some practical suggestions that I found very helpful.

I have an E shaped pregnancy pillow and its the most comfortable pillow. I'm 25 wks and sleeping was becoming an Issue.

Rarely sleep through but at least I'm comfortable.

I have struggled to sleep since about 28 weeks onwards and now 36 weeks. At first got annoyed with the pillows but ended up having one between my legs and hugging one infront of me when laying on my left or right side. Can't lay on back at all.

Sounds like you have a bit of SPD. I have mild SPD but luckily no clicking of the hip, just the odd shooting pain there.

Sorry to hear that you are suffering.

Brave, I'd contact your midwife/GP ASAP in case there's as long a waiting list as my area - at this rate there's going to be no point me seeing a physio!

Thanks for all the tips ladies - wish I had a spare room preferably with a big bed!!