Sciatica?!

[Millypad]

I’m 12 weeks (scan is next week, erk). For the past few days I’ve had excruciating pain shooting down from my bum down into my right leg - usually after sitting or lying down - and it’s got to the point I can’t put my right foot on the ground. What on earth would cause sciatic pain at only 12 weeks and how can I ease it? Am 32 and feel like an old woman!

Um...

Please report it Millypad, she's spamming all over the boards, it's against TGs and she's putting the post all over totally unrelated threads, some of a rather sensitive nature.

I can't help re your sciatica, sorry, but I hope it clears up quickly.

Speak to your midwife or GP they might be able to refer you to a physio to help. I’d also look up excerises you can do to help relieve the pain during pregnancy. I have sciatica out of pregnancy and have had a few flare ups and it’s horrible. It’s started again at 29 weeks for me 😖 Sorry your having to deal with it xx

It might be pelvic girdle pain - apparently can often be mistaken for sciatica but is a pregnancy related condition. Lots of good advice on pelvic girdle partnership website - hope that helps

Reported ☺️ Thanks all, that’s great - and you poor things suffering too! I’m just so surprised to get anything like this so early. I’m just hoping it’s a good sign for the scan next week...

I have this from 27weeka too. No relief so far :(

Hey! I'm joining in as i am really struggling and want to hear if your gp is more helpful than mine! I'm 17+ 4 but have had it since 15 weeks ... it's bloody awful 😩!!!

I had this really bad in my first pregnancy, so much so my legs would buckle underneath me! Awful. I'm now pregnant again and it seems to be creeping back I went to see a physio last time but I didn't find it helped much. Plus side is it went after pregnancy

I had it from 4.5 weeks. I did have a history of sciatica pre-pregnancy but at the time of getting pregnant I was very fit and in the gym 4 times a week. I have been told it’s completely down to the pregnancy hormone relaxin. Like you I thought it might affect me much later down the road. I got s physio referral which in my case didn’t help, but I also got an occupational health referral which provided me with some tools to help me cope with daily life (bed rail, an aid for putting on socks, a tool for picking items off the floor). I have been on cocodamol since week 6 of my pregnancy to help me cope. I also tried an osteopath, reflexology, acupuncture and a chiropractor, none of whom worked for me but other people sometimes get relief. The physio did provide a set of crutches which I use if walking any distance as I was nervous of falling over.

I've had it since week 16. I've had no feeling in my big toe since February.

Stretching helps a bit. Swimming helps a bit. Getting desperate now though

I am finding hot and cold 'therapy' helpful. Also placing the hot pack on my sciatic never in my back even thought the pain is on my leg ... I think it loosens the muscles of you do it regularly. X

So many typos sorry!

Hi.
I had it so bad I couldn't walk.
It's Piriformis Syndrome. Basically the little muscle in your bum going in to spasm and pressing against your sciatic nerve (later on in pregnancy it can be sciatica with the baby pressing on it)
I had a few sessions with a private physio (too long to wait for nhs) she pinned and stretched and massages the area and she gave me lots of stretches to do.
I also Googled lots and spent most evenings in funny stretching positions in front of the TV.
For once I actually did the exercises I was told to do, it took a while to work but it did. Soon as I stopped it came back so I try to do it every day (was doing it 100 times a day before!!)

There is loads of videos and pics you can see on the internet showing you what to do

I keep this one on my homescreen on my phone

www.alwaysfysio.nl/en/piriformis-syndrome-treatment/

I went back to the physio yesterday because I'm starting to feel like it's coming back but she knew straight away I hadn't been stretching as much.

When it was bad tho it would make me scream, I feel your pain!!

I had sciatica in my last pregnancy (DS is now 4 months old). I'm in Switzerland and my obstetrician recommended a course of treatment with an osteopath. I was a bit sceptical but got desperate when I was reduced to crawling around on hands & knees, so I made an appointment.

After 2 sessions I was almost back to normal and I had maybe a session every 4/6 weeks until about 7.5 months to keep it at bay. I can highly recommend it!

So odd this thread has made a resurgence today as the sciatica made a very unwelcome reappearance after a three hour meeting and a very uncomfortable chair... at a bit of a loss (and keep worrying the pain is coming from tummy instead of lower back) so I think I’m going to try some of your recommendations, thank you!