FTM - long post but any advice appreciated!!

[PomXmama]

Ladies - FTM, 36+4.. sorry for the long post but after some advice please x

Since Sunday I've had quite a severe pain in my left side which radiates across my lower back and sometimes across my low bump.. at its worst I feel like I have to sit/support myself against something as my back and legs feel so weak, I feel very nauseous though haven't actually vomited and usually need a BM (sometimes going back and forth to the loo 2-3 times in quick succession). Almost like food poisoning type cramps/feeling?!

I would probably say I get 4-5 bad attacks a day where I can barely move until it passes (could take anything between a few minutes to an hour) and in between am surviving on paracetamol every 4 hours, hot water bottles, lots of baths though I still have a persistent back ache and nausea between the bad flares.

I ended up in hospital assessment unit on Sunday night just to check all OK as was so sudden onset, monitor was showing braxton hicks going up to high 30s, Dr checked my cervix and said "some change but still long and closed so wouldn't say anything imminent"

From your experiences, do you have any advice for me? Would you say its the start of anything or is this normal late pregnancy pain? Increased weight of the baby? I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself for 4 or more weeks of this.

I wondered about pulled muscle but between bad flares I can pretty much move about as normal without twinges, just a dull constant ache, and there doesn't seem to be anything specific to trigger it.. sometimes I'm just sitting watching TV and I feel it getting more intense!

I've had a very simple and easy pregnancy and felt great from the very beginning and this is so quick onset, but I don't know how I can get through the rest if this is a daily thing! The pain is waking me up from any sleep I am managing to get so I've only been getting a couple of hours a night and I can barely leave the house because I can't drive when it flares and if I'm out somewhere I don't want to be causing a scene by collapsing to a heap!

Thank you if you got this far 😟

Have they checked for gallstones?

Not as far as I'm aware.. checked urine, blood pressure, temp then just on monitor for half hour then checked cervix and sent me home, told me to keep taking paracetamol

I was going to suggest gallstones too. I've never had them unless pregnant! And it sounds very similar, especially the pain going through into your back? Not that there's a huge amount you can do about it right now I don't think 😫

Thank you I may ring them again tomorrow and ask about gallstones then but if there's not much they can do then I guess ill have to prep for a long few weeks

My experience, if that's what they are, is that it's really bad for a couple of days and then before you know it's gone. As if by magic! So don't assume that you're stuck.
But of course you just keep on if you're worried and in pain, because after all I don't actually know...

Thank you! That gives me some hope!

How are you feeling now? And better? Any answers?!

Thank you for asking, much the same unfortunately! I've seen my regular midwife, a physio and GP is ringing me this afternoon to discuss if I can have any stronger pain relief.

They don't suspect gallstones and physio says all the muscles down the left side of my back are rock solid and going into spasm, but they can't offer any more advice than heat and basic pain relief

I managed to get all of 3 hours sleep last night which is the most in a night since Sunday, and very emotional due to lack of sleep and constant pain/nausea. Now sure how I will do 3-5 more weeks of this and then still push the baby out, I have another midwife appt next week to see how I am coping with the pain since I cried through most of my appt yesterday.

My pain tolerance has always been pretty high so the fact that I'm struggling through this has made me feel completely useless

And the physio can't offer anything to assess / help? Can you see a specialist Pregnancy Physio / Osteopath or something? If it's muscular, which it sounds like it is, they must be able to help somehow?