Sleeping on side - sore hips

[BadCatDirtyCat]

Hi all. I'm 20 weeks and have started sleeping on my side as I understand it's safer for the baby. The problem is I wake up after a couple of hours with hip pain on the side that I'm sleeping and have to turn over, and so on throughout the night. By the morning both hips are bloody sore.

I'm putting a cushion between my thighs but it doesn't seem to help much. Is there something I'm missing? Some other position to sleep in or something clever to do with the pillow? I'm getting desperate!

My bump's not huge yet so I haven't got a maternity pillow as I didn't think it would do anything yet - maybe I'm wrong

Thanks for any tips...

I bought a 5' pillow and loved it! I put it between my knees and under my bump. You can get them for less than a tenner (for most you have to buy a pillowcase cover seperately), so much less of an investment than a pregnacy pillow. Plus turned over regularly.

The only problem was that if I got out of bed, my DH would steal it and I would have to shove him back to his side!

I can't help much i'm afraid but i'm in the same boat. Nearly 33 weeks and my hips have in the past 2 weeks started to hurt on either side and also my legs go numb down the side i'm sleeping on and i have to keep switching.
I didn't get on with a pregnancy pillow but put one between my legs and under bump.
Would like to know if anyone else suggests anything better too!

I had this in pregnancy. I got a spare duvet and put it under the bed sheet. It really helped

Thanks both.

Tbh I'm not even sure it's a "pregnancy thing" - might just be from sleeping on side when I'm used to sleeping in my back . Or that in conjunction with the extra weight I guess..

Physio recommended lying on a duvet which helped.

Ooh, extra duvet underneath for passing sounds good!

*padding

I had the same thing, the only thing that fixed it was buying a memory foam mattress topper. We got a cheap one from IKEA which did the trick.

I am really suffering with this also at 27 weeks. Have even resorted to sleeping sitting up a few times just so I can safely be on my back/bottom rather than my side. My poor husband keeps being woken every hour with my tossing and turning. The pregnancy pillows don't seem to work for me but I'll try the duvet trick too and hopefully it helps. x

If I'm getting uncomfortable on my side I put a chunky pillow behind my back so I can lean on it - it takes the pressure off my hips and feels like I'm sleeping on my back, but I'm tilted to one side so gravity is still pulling the baby down to the left. I kind of mix between the two - my husband has decamped to the spare room so he doesn't get disturbed by my pillow arranging antics...

It's definitely a pregnancy thing. I only get it in pregnancy. When you lay on your side, make sure your knees and ankles are lined up - not crossing over each other. Try to stretch before and after bed and keep active. Other than that I'm afraid it's normal to be switching over for the least achey side. Sometimes when mine get really bad a sleep sitting slightly upright so I'm not on my back or hips. Pregnancy pillow seems to be making my hips worse this pregnancy!

I'm currently 35 weeks and have had this since 14 weeks. I bought a matress topper, tried 2 types of maternity pillows and now sleep on a memory foam wedge (that I had bought before pregnancy for reflux) and I still have to switch sides every hour or so during the night, but I have got more used to it. My osteopath recommended putting ice packs or frozen peas on both sides for 10 minutes every hour after getting home from work until the inflammation dies down, but I've only tried that twice. she also recommended something called spikey balls which you use to massage over the area. Mine have just arrived but I havent tried them yet.

Ohhh coincidence! I’ve literally just done a post about this!!

Get this pillow! It will literally change your life :)

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NZZL26C/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_api_i_mQczEbWK7SBPY?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I’m nearly 22 weeks and fairly big, not huge huge but deffo big enough to benefit from it! It’s not the weight of your bump so much as the general stress and pressure on your ligaments etc and also the relaxin that loosens everything when Pregnant!

Honestly give it a go! Xx

Thanks all! I'll try with a duvet underneath tonight and will think about getting one of those pillows..

I had a sleeping pillow. Was fine but the accuse hip pain was only cured by the duvet under the bed sheet

I have a 12 foot pregnancy pillow and I don't know how anyone sleeps without one. I have mine looped between my legs. Front but I have one leg under and one leg on top and the end bit I have supporting my bump now that it's grown a bit. The back bit supports my back so I can lean back and forward on it and my hips get a break from holding the whole weight of me. My hips are still sore but without my pillow I doubt I'd get any sleep at all!

Hi OP, get the pregnancy pillow - you are stretching your body too much if you have no support under your bump when you sleep on your side.

I had one and it stopped me getting any backache.

I'm so glad someone else posted about this. I thought it was just me! I am only 11 weeks but already getting these pains and having to switch sides constantly. Pillow in between my legs helps somewhat but I think the tips for a memory foam topper or sleeping on duvet might help more. What causes this? It can't be just extra weight as I haven't really put any on yet!

I'm using a yoga bolster and popping out between my legs so it runs knees to feet.
I've found it makes a lot of difference making sure it supports by feet so they aren't dangling off.

I'm still getting the same pain but it's a bit less bad if that makes sense? I'm flipping over less often.

Last night I have in and slept on my belly! I'm a front sleeper and I'm only 14 weeks. It felt amazing not forcing myself into an unnatural position! But I know I can't do that much longer.

Jesus the auto correct typos in that are awful. Hope it makes sense!

Try putting the pillow between your knees and ankles rather than your thighs. That should help to keep your joints aligned better.

Also, you may just have a mattress that’s too firm for you.

I used to do what @4amWitchingHour mentioned. Pillow behind my back so I could lean into it and take pressure off my hips but not worry about laying fully on my back.