Pain when sleeping on left side

[hcopp]

Hi all - I'm 19 weeks tomorrow, and trying to get used to sleeping on my left side, so it's not too weird when I really need to. I'm usually a back sleeper.

But when I lie on my left side (even when using Dream Genie pillow), my hip hurts so much! It starts as a tingling within five minutes, and after any more than ten it's an excruciating stabbing pain right in the top of my leg. I don't see how I'm gonna manage with this one bump is bigger.

Does anyone have any recommendations, or should I talk to the MW about this?

Thanks.

Oh my goodness! This is my situation too - though it was my right side that's giving me pain. I'm normally a back sleeper and am finding it hard to change. I woke up this morning with a really achey right hip. I'm just shy of 19 weeks.

Hi OP, I can't get on with being on my left either. Using my Dream Genii made it worse because I couldn't actually move off my left! I'm now 27 weeks so a bit ahead of you. I'm seeing my osteopath on Friday so will be asking him about it.

Have you read Expecting Better by Emily Oster? (If not, I would recommend it!) She covers the sleeping position advice - the actual scientific evidence for left side sleeping isn't that strong so try not to stress too much about it.

I get bad hip pain when side sleeping too. Putting a pillow between your knees (or in my case, 2) is really helpful. I also find that for me the pain is worse the more bent my legs are - trying to keep my legs as straight as possible seems to help support the joint better.

I had this exact problem around the same time.
I solved it by swapping my dream genie pillow for a regular pillow between my legs/knees. I also folded a single duvet underneath the bed sheet to make it softer to lie on. Pain had gone within a couple of days.
I sometimes find it more comfortable still to lie on my right than my left so I swap over regularly, that helps too.

Yep I had this too it was horrendous - didn’t really go away though could sometimes make slightly better with sleeping with a pillow between my knees. It’s very common. Let midwife know but it does completely go away once baby is here if that’s any consolation.

Hi - Thanks everyone, good to know I'm not alone, at least! I'll look up that book as well. I hadn't realised that the left-sleeping thing was contested advice.
H.

Try the right side - it doesn't make much of a difference. I also recommend the Emily Oster book - makes you freak out less if you need to adapt conventional guidelines!