Hip pain when sleeping - AGONY !

[Lillybobs86]

Hi all,

I am 22 weeks and for the past month or so my hips have been really aching when sleeping, but last night was the worst and absolute agony I was nearly in tears 😭
I bought a pregnancy pillow a few days ago as thought that may help but it isn't helping.
I'm at my wits end my GP is a nightmare to get an appointment with and my next midwife appointment is not for a while.
Any advise or what I'm doing wrong here please?
I try to sleep on my left side and then try to go on to right side, sometimes I wake up on my back and start to panic so quickly roll back on to left side.
Any advice would be appreciated thank you x

I used a pillow between my legs and one behind my back and one in front it did help for a while with my last pregnancy I did find my sofa alot more comfortable. Maybe give your midwife a ring on Monday and tell her how your feeling she may be able to help you . X

I’m 20 weeks and also really struggling. I’ve got rid of the pregnancy pillow for now because I found it was making me sleep on my back for most of the night when I wouldn’t usually.

try and speak to your midwife, they might be able to refer you for physio

Speak to your midwife or GP - it might be something like pelvic girdle pain (PGP) from the joints of the pelvis and hips relaxing in pregnancy. My hips were very painful during pregnancy due to this and I was offered a course of pregnancy physio with the hospital. It didn't completely go away but was a bit more manageable with some safe exercises that I was shown.

I was reading on another forum someone's physio explained you shouldn't be sleeping with hips stacked one on top of the other and pillow between knees, it causes too much pressure. Rather you would for example, lay on left side with left leg out down straight, right leg bent up on a pillow and leaning ever so slightly forwards towards belly on pregnancy pillow. Obviously not laying directly on belly but this way your hips aren't stacked. I just have a standard long bolster pillow and have been sleeping this 'correct' way by chance because I find it comfy and haven't had any hip pain. Maybe give this adjustment a go? But obviously if it doesn't help speak to GP as it might be PGP.

I used a spare duvet (or 2!) on top of the mattress (under the sheet) as a cheap alternative to a mattress topper

Plus a full length (6ft) body pillow to put in between my legs and wrap my arm around too. I still use this 2 years postpartum!

Also do 20 squats (for glute strength) every morning and evening, plus hamstring stretches (touch toes, or do yoga pigeon pose) every night before bed. If you can keep strong but supple, it really really helps support your hips and reduces pain x

Thank you all ..

@FirstMondayInMay is yours in hips as well?

@Sagittarius25 I just tried this out left leg out and straight under pregnancy pillow and right bent up and leaning down slightly - I'll be trying this tonight!

I've got hip pain too, have done for about 6 weeks I think (35+3 weeks now). What helps me is basically what other posters have suggested. It involves a lot of pillows with the aim of getting pressure off my hips:

• spare single duvet double folded and placed where my torso/hips/bum will lie.
• 1 thin pillow to rest my belly on
• 1 pillow behind my back to stop rolling over
• 1/2 pillows to go between my legs but that so the leg on the side I'm sleeping on get be kept straight, my other leg then on top of these pillows at a bend. I don't want my hips stacked.

I get about 3hours sleep before waking and needing to turn onto the other side, which is a total mission but it's where I'm at right now in order to get any sleep at all!!

Good luck.

Try pregnancy yoga as it will help your lower body a lot.YouTube vids are fine if you can’t get to classes. Try them before bedtime hopefully you’ll find some relief. Helped me alot during first pregnancy. Will be doing this time too.