Please help, very painful sciatica 35 weeks

[Chester6]

Hi, over the last few days I've started to suffer with very painful sciatica on my left side (left bum cheek area). It's preventing me doing much as I can't put much pressure down on that side and I'm finding myself getting a sore back too from hobbling in a strange position. I've tried a hot water bottle and my husband massaging the area but nothing works. I'm desperate for tips to get rid of it, and also I'm nervous in case it makes labour more tricky, and it perhaps doesn't go after birth. Does anyone have any experience of this/advice? Thank you.

There's an exercise you can do where you sit down and put your foot on the oppose knee, with the knee (of the leg with the foot up) pointed out to the side (towards a wall in in a seated position). Then lean forward. You should feel a stretch going through your bum muscle. I felt that gave some relieve as well as sitting with a hot water bottle behind me, back right up against the wall with legs straight in front of me. Let me see if I can find a link with a better description of the exercises on x

www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/sciatica-pain-stretches

It's the furst one described on here x

Thanks so much @firsttimebumps. I will give it a go. Did you find you had yours until your baby arrived, did it affect labour and did you suffer with it afterwards?

I had sciatica before and after but it came and went and I had a nice stint before I fell pregnant this time without any issues. I had SPD too and recall trying to get home from meeting friends at a restaurant in town and having to stop at my partners work place to sit on the floor against a wall as I was in tears and even getting there took twice as long as it should have as I was getting like electrical shock pains. I assume if you haven't suffered with it before you may be fine after pregnancy. You can also put a tennis ball or similar under where the pain is stemming from (don't know if it's the same for you but the pain is down my leg but I somehow know where it's coming from in my back even though it doesn't hurt my back) and lie on it, although I'm not sure that's safe in pregnancy so check first x