ow! nearly 34 weeks and horrible pain in ribs!

[chunkypudding]

any advice? Its on the left side, started quite early on in pg but used to only be during long car journeys etc. Now comes on after a few hours every day and doesn't really go away!

putting left arm in air and over head sort of helps. so does a bath but wears off 20 mins after.

maybe I'm just running out of room inside me????

sounds like you need a physio or an osteopath to me, it might not even be related to the pregnancy because if you can relieve the pain in that position then it sounds like it might be a rib problem, i had the same thing once, osteopath worked wonders.

chunky - i have had the same thing for about 10 weeks now (also 34 weeks). It is worse when i am at work or sitting down, so for me I think it may well be about room... feels almost constanttly bruised on the inside. Have my MW appointment on Wednesday so going to mention it, I had it with my last pregnancy as well and saw the GP and he seemed to think it was just part and parcel really.

yeah there seems to be soo much lovely stuff to contend with, eh mixed mama?? Just can't get comfortable at all now, really achy and lumpy!

Have started throwing up again too and have crazy acid indigestion which all seems to point to a serious lack of space! Am seeing mw on thurs so like u I may mention it then...

tried going on all fours and draping arms over arm of sofa while watching a movie last night, helped for a while but got pins & needles! and felt slightly daft

chunky - i think we are the same person.... i have the acid indigestion aswell and still throwing up.

you're describing me almost exactly too - have had the rib pain for ages and the heartburn has gotten to be almost constant... in fact I can hardly tell if it is hearburn (acid indigestion) or nausea... it has pretty much put me off my food.

I went and saw an osteo about it last week and she said it was my gall bladder being squished, which was an unexpected diagnosis. She reckons that she moved the gall bladder into a better position, but if anything the acid has gotten worse... I haven't been sitting at a desk v much since then because I've sprained my ankle and have to keep it elevated so am working from the sofa most of the time now, so rib pain hasn't been as bad but I'm not convinced it's resolved...

I'm going back to another osteo on Friday for further investigations.

the only ways that I've found to get relief are:

• hot water (shower/bath)
• lying/stretching over birth ball (along the lines of the all fours idea Chunky)
• changing positions frequently

but it is always temporary relief only!

moan, moan!

mixedmama, sabinar, sorry to hear you're both suffering but its kind of nice to have 'Severe Discomfort Buddies'

am planning to treat myself to a nice massage if I can get booked in somewhere.

Can't spend all day eating Gaviscon tablets in the bath!!! Though that would be nice...

Also we have the world's smallest bath, which combined with the world's biggest belly (well it feels that way!) is not ideal.

Blimey if I get anymore complainy this pregnancy I will begin to bore myself as well as everyone around me!! I am just not convinced that my baby actually fits inside me... at the thought of getting chunky jr out!!!

I had this for the majority of my pregnancy. When ds was born it was obvious why, as he was a long baby.

One thing to keep in mind is pre-eclampsia. Can't remember what side it is, but if you get a pain under your ribs on a certain side it can be a sign of pre-eclampsia. It is more likely that it is the bubba pushing against your ribs, but if you have any other pre-eclampsia symptoms speak to your mw.

chunky it definitely sounds like a rib problem. If it was gall bladder it would be intermittent and sharp (when the baby kicks) if it is more constant than that, particularly in certain positions, it is likely to be the rib. Things to try: swimming- if you can face it- can be sorer the same day, but would be better the next. Twisting stretches: sitting and twisting your shoulders around relative to the hips, or side bending. Would also thoroughly recommend a pillow - i got one from blooking marvellous- flat in the middle with a lump at both sides so that it supports the bump when you are on your side. I found that my bump was dragging my ribcage around and making it painful. If heat helps, consider one of those microwaveable pads from boots- particularly if you stretch afterwards.

Hope that helps

Iliketomoveitmoveit you are right, that's pain from an enlarged liver. If it is a constant pain, sort of internal (not a bruising pain just under your ribs) in the hollow where your ribs meet at the top you should definitely get yourself checked out. Highly unlikely to be pre-eclampsia on your third child but better safe than sorry. It is also possible (but rare) to have this pain with no raised bp or protein - if you're worried always ask for your bloods to be taken.

Gall bladder pain is under the right hand rib and radiates through to your back, so if it's on your left it's unlikely to be that.

Sorry I can't be of more use, but sounds like a reflux/indigestion problem!