Lightning crotch... any way to ease it?

[Gerty1002]

I'm 30+4 and I'm sure baby is using my cervix as a punching bag! Getting that awful shooting pain that I've heard you all talk about... is it normal to get it so early?

I'm getting it quite a lot throughout the day and sometimes find myself crying out or jumping with the pain, which apart from anything is starting to freak out colleagues and customers at work! I work in a fairly busy gastropub so am on my feet pretty much. the whole time I'm there.

Is there any tips for easing it/preventing it happening so often? I have a feeling the answer will be to rest/lie down but hoping for some MN pearls of wisdom...

I started to get the odd shooting pain at around the same time as you but they only really became more frequent at around 36 weeks. 39+6 today and I am still getting them but no signs of a sodding baby yet.

Mine get worse in the evenings and I found through trial and error that sitting on the birthing ball stops them completely for me, but I guess that's not an option while you're stuck at work!

No I don't think that would be very practical haha. Thankfully I only have 3.5 weeks left at work before maternity, so I can bounce to my heart's content then :). I'm convinced this baba is coming early, getting an overwhelming urge to pack my hospital bag! I bet he ends up two weeks over :).

I had this. I asked my MW about it and she advised to sit and rest when I came on. I was a bit because I'm a nurse on a busy ward so like yourself it's often not an option to stop! It got easier when I stopped work at 35+3. Also I was convinced DD would be early and she was by 9 days. :)

Well hopefully it'll ease a little when I'm on maternity leave then... people at work look on in horror as if I'm going into labour there and then haha!

:) yes I had that too!