Help :(

[jessyoliver]

Just after some advice really. I'm 35 weeks pregnant on Monday and I've got a midwife appointment on the 24th.

Just wondered if anyone else has had pains in their undercarriage/foofoo area 🙈 sorry for the technical terms there but I don't know how else to describe it other than a sort of bruised pain, as if someone has kicked me really hard in the foofoo area 🙈😭 it's like a bruise/pressure pain! It's getting me down. I feel uncomfortable doing the smallest of tasks like getting off my chair or getting in and out of he car etc. It's like a nagging pain which is pretty constant. My belly does feel like it's dropped a bit so wondering if he's turned? I also don't feel like my bump is over big but somehow the baby feels really heavy. This is my second and I don't feel like I had as much water as my first, it just feels all bones and hard lumps & when he wriggles, boy do I know about it!! My other half is convinced that he's not far of ready and that he will come early!! (I really don't feel mentally prepared yet for the pain lol! I feel so exhausted that I honestly don't know how il muster up the energy to push!! I feel like I want to go back to sleep as soon as I wake up!)

Has this happened to anyone else and could it possibly mean that he's getting ready to pop out or am I being paranoid?? I was 2 days late with my first but I was given a sweep on my due date which I'm convinced started things. Not sure why they did it to be honest, at the time I thought it was just standard practice.

Anyway sorry to ramble on! 🙈

Thanks in advance for any replies :) xxx

Yeah I had that last time and have it again now (23 weeks, have had it about a month). I don't get much of a bump so most of the weight/pressure is in internal and low down for me, I think that's why I get it quite early. It's totally normal, I can't say if it means baby will be any bit early as I had an emcs at 37 weeks. I don't think it would make much difference to baby being early or late though.

Yup - probably around the 32-36 week mark it felt like someone had punched me in the fanjo. It's back again at 38 weeks but this is because midwives have been examining and popping pessaries up there.

Nothing I found to alleviate it I'm afraid - I can only sympathise with you. Although I did start sleeping with a pillow between my legs around the time the pain lessened - could of helped - could just be coincidence!

Thanks ladies, glad I'm not alone!! Love the word fanjo! That's definitely my new word of the day haha! It's a horrible feeling :( I'm tempted to go and get a hot water bottle, freeze it and sit on it!! It's making me walk like a duck too! I was really going in a way that it meant he could be early, it's so blummin uncomfortable! I sympathise with both of you guys x x x

Varicose veins of the vulva maybe?
Another joyful condition that can come with pregnancy!!

Oh my god is that actually a thing?! 🙈 xx

Yup I had that last time too I'm kinda "lucky" in a way because I get the bruised achey feeling often during my period, so have a bit of a tolerance for it.

Oh gosh you poor thing! At least you're used to it I guess! Xx

Omg - you sound like you have SPD/pelvic girdle pain! I have it and am spending an absolute fortune on seeing the chiropractor to try and improve my alignment before labour! It's excruciatingly painful - I thought at one point I was going to need crutches to walk!

Advice from my chiropractor is to stop crossing your legs/bearing weight on one side (if you do) - every posture you are in (including and especially during sleep) you need to keep your body aligned - pillows between legs. Avoid any positions that potentially will result in further unbalance of your pelvic area! Oh, and do not sit in any positions with your legs open wide... even if you think you don't do these things, I was told that pregnancy highlights any imperfections that you already have, resulting in the pain!! DO mention it to your MW!

Xx

Oh... AND, when doing things like getting in the car, get in bottom first and use your hips to turn (try and keep knees together) - similarly if you're rolling over in bed/getting in/out of bed, no swinging one leg at a time!

KikiA SPD/PGP is around the pelvis, back or front, we're talking about underneath, as in a swollen bruised sensation around the genitals.

Yes, appreciate that - as I say - I have SPD. But part of that is that I also have a considerable bruised feeling/permanently feeling like I have been kicked in the lady parts exactly as OP described - in fact it was one of the earliest things that led to my SPD diagnosis. Thought it was worth a mention anyway.

Actually now that you say that I realise that yes I have heard of it as a symptom of PGP/SPD, I just assumed it happened along with pelvic pain rather than the possibility of it alone being an indicator of it. Sorry!

Well, as I say - there are a number of things that can be done to prevent it from worsening, but it's unlikely to go away of it's own accord (until baby is born)... I've found using a hot water bottle when the pain is at its worst very effective, but my chiropractor is a specialist in pregnancy-related conditions and she really is working wonders for me! Worth considering if finances allow for it!

Thanks everyone have got a midwife appointment booked so I will hopefully get some answers! My lady area is still hurting quite a bit but no pelvic or back pain with it. I've spent the past couple of days napping and lying down though. Feel utterly exhausted!! Is that normal for 35 weeks? Xx

Well, my gal pal said her lady parts actually swelled up the closer she got to DD. Is it physical swelling or just the feeling of? Don't forget that your pelvis is held together by muscles, tendons and the like and that pain can be referred - the vast majority of my SPD pain has been concentrated right in my lady parts and the groin/inner thigh area! Definitely mention your symptoms to your MW though.. have you tried using cold/heat therapy at all? Xx