Sciatica - Positive recovery stories

[MilesGabe]

Hi all,

I’m 38 weeks pregnant today. I have been suffering with sciatica for a few months, but as I’m nearing the end, the pain is now very debilitating.

I can barely walk (I truly mean that too). I’ve done what I’ve been advised by the GP/Physio (certain exercises, rest/walk, paracetamol, cold/hot press/TENS machine you name it). But I think I’m just too far gone now for it to have any positive effect.

I was wondering if anyone else has suffered awful sciatica with their pregnancies and whether it cleared after your babies were born? I actually don’t have very long to wait in reality, as I have a planned csection not this week coming but next because I have MS. But, even though I’m so close, I am feeling so down. GP can’t offer me anything stronger pain killer wise as I’m too far gone.

Sorry to babble on, in such terrible pain today. 😥

I had sciatica, but not while pregnant. The pain can be awful. Have they definitely connected it to the pregnancy? It can be caused by a bone spur on the spine impinging on the nerve. It took a CAT scan to diagnose in my case.

I have no positive words which I’m sure you don’t want to hear. I had bad pelvic girdle pain in both pregnancies (youngest is 16 months and they have a 11 month age gap) but it was worse in my second pregnancy. I also had sciatica alongisde it and I couldn’t walk at all for the last two or so weeks.

Like you, I had physio and was on medication which barely touched the sides. Fast forward to now and my back is absolutely broken. Day to day walking hurts and sitting for longer than 15 mins is complete agony for me.

I hope that won’t be the case for you but that’s my experience. Wishing you all the best x

@MissConducUS That’s what they’re presuming atm. But as you said, it could be something different if it doesn’t improve after pregnancy. They think it’s my muscles which are wrapping themselves around the nerve because of the extra weight. I guess if it doesn’t improve it will need further investigation.

@MinnieTruck Oh, I’m so sorry you’re still suffering. It’s really awful, I’ve never experienced it before. I think I just don’t believe the drs/midwives who say it’ll all go back to normal after baby because it’s just so bad right now! Should try and think positively… doing a great job of that clearly. 😂

Tbf my back was okay after DC1. It was still painful but bearable. I think I just overdid it by getting pregnant 2/3 months after having my first🫠

Fingers crossed you’ll be okay! Everyone’s body is different x

@MinnieTruck ah me and my older sister don’t have much apart age gap either! Yeah, I’ll take bearable atm. I do hope you find some relief soon, you have my full sympathies for dealing with it for so long.

I started a nearly identical thread a few weeks ago! Mine was awful and like you I could barely walk. I was in so much pain. It went pretty much as soon as I had DD and now she is six weeks I am fine. I hope baby arrives soon!

I had terrible sciatica from 23 weeks pregnant last year. After my c-section, it went away. With just a twinge occasionally. Nowhere near as painful.

@Summermeadowflowers I’ve been Googling pretty much every sciatica thread, I can’t believe yours didn’t come up, I would have been straight on there haha. Oh that’s good to hear, think I’m a bit “glass is half empty” kinda person so really need to take all these good outcomes and believe that it’ll be me too.

@Georgina125 Oh goodness I think my sciatica started around the same time as you. It’s just built over the weeks. That’s also very good to hear. I have my C-section on the 12/09 which is so close, but every hour atm is going so slow!

this was mine - I forgot how grumpy I was with it!

Hallo. I got it with second pregnancy and maybe weirdly not so bad with 3rd pregnancy. Perhaps because I was too sick to do much walking or moving!

It didn't go completely but I did eventually get recommended pilates after an MRI, and that really really has helped. I hardly have any pain. So there is hope!

Good luck!

@Summermeadowflowers reading your thread is exactly how I feel! I also have a toddler too. I go from woo is me to get a grip, eurgh! My poor hubby is being a bit run ragged atm. He’s like “only 11 more sleeps” which sounds like an eternity to me! 😂

@Legoroses I’ve heard good things about Pilates, it’s good to have these suggestions in place incase the pain doesn’t let up after bubba is here. I’m glad you’re pretty much sorted now.

@MilesGabe I had it with my second baby and I was bed bound for the last 8 weeks I was at the point where I was needing someone to get me out of bed to wee it was a nightmare but it did go after I had baby but I've had it every time with my other baby's I really hope it gets better for u op x

I had it from 28 weeks with my first. It disappeared as if by magic at 38 weeks and as everyone around me was started to get uncomfortable with movement restricted, I was feeling (relatively) great! Fingers crossed that yours goes quickly too.

I had terrible sciatica ages 14-21. I'm in my 40s now and haven't had badly for years (3 pregnancies since then). I have a better mattress, slight twinge and have a sports massage (mine mainly caused by piriformis syndrome/weak glutes and sports massage releases this), don"t wear heals much, I did physio exercises a few years, put feet on dining room chair and lie on floor to relax nerve and I put voltorol/Ibuprofen gel (when not pregnant) on the top of the sciatic nerve at hint of pain (not buttock, above this to side of spine lumbar region). Honestly no real pain now for 15+ years. Slight twinge and first thing I do is the gel and then sports massage if gel doesn't work immediately. Also I do a lot of squats to build glutes.

But yes, get looked into if doesn't resolve quickly. It's so common in pregnancy with the relaxin horome etc. But do keep askjng for referrals if it continues and cause isbt found- a friend of mine had similar (50s) and sadly it was bone cancer. Such a shock.

@wideawakeyetagain wow that does sound like a nightmare. That’s certainly put things in prospective. It does take me about a day to sit down and get up from the toilet every time I go now. I’m glad it went away from you after your bubba was born. Need to make a positive story list for myself. 😓

@EeesandWhizz so glad yours went away, I keep holding hope that something will just “pop” back into place and I’ll just start walking like a normal person again.

@Changingmymind66 ooh sounds like you’ve been through the ringer with it. I am really hoping it’s purely a pregnancy issue as I’ve never suffered with it before. But it’s always good to be aware afterwards if things don’t really up. I’m so sorry about your friend, what a terrible shock!

My sciatica improved loads after pregnancy.
I still got flare ups sometimes, but it wasn’t debilitating anymore.

I went to private physio for it a few years later. Around 3 sessions. Was given firm massages, laser light therapy and some stretches to do. I recommend the pigeon stretch most - the one laying on your back. If I’m having a flare up, the pigeon stretch improves it straight away. Physio also said to sit on a cushion instead of a hard surface.

@Firstreturn Ooh yes the pigeon stretch. I’ve been given this exercise too. I’m being a bit of a martyr atm and have resigned myself that nothing works. But perhaps I’ll have a new determination after little one is here. It’s really comforting hearing that it does it better for some people. Feel terrible for my toddler atm, really struggling to do anything at all with her right now. Roll on the 12th. Only 10 days away, but this god damn nerve is all I think about it. 😅

Hello! No baby yet, but just wanted to say thank you for posting on my thread. It’s been really comforting reading your experiences as I’m basically bed ridden now! Even those who have had a slower recovery, it does make me feel there is some light at the tunnel. Roll on Tuesday.

Hope all went okay OP.

I had awful sciatica with my first pregnancy from around 32 weeks. I was referred to a physio and the exercises they suggested didn't help and it continually got worse week on week until I could hardly walk. I'm now 28 weeks with my second baby, and absolutely dreading it coming back again.

I can honestly say that with my first baby, my sciatica completely disappeared as soon as the baby was born, literally as soon as she was in my arms the sciatica went! I asked the midwife about it, and she said it was likely the baby's position against the sciatic nerve which was causing it (my baby was always positioned very low).

It really is rough, but the end is hopefully in sight for you! Good luck ❤

Sorry just read above and noticed you should have had your c-section by now! I hope all went well and your sciatica went!

@Firstreturn @LittleButtercup DD2 is here and she’s lovely. Csection went great and I’m recovering pretty quickly from the surgery which is great.

The sciatica is still here boooo, but… it is a little better. I can now put my left foot down when I walk (rather badly, but still) so it’s certainly heading in the right direction. Once I’m fully healed I will pick up the physio again and if all else then I think I will go private (very fortunate I can do so). Tbh, knowing that I can actually do something about it now has really helped my mental health, and pain killers lol. 😂

Aw congratulations 🩷 I hope your recovery goes well and, like you say, at least you can crack out the painkillers now!

Hello! Thought I’d give an update and if anyone was like me when they had sciatica, they were probably looking for positive stories after birth (because I certainly was). I’m now 6 weeks postpartum and it’s nearly gone! It probably has all gone, but my leg is slightly on the weak so need to strengthen it. But it’s such a relief! So, hang on in there and thank you to all you lovely lot for replying to my desperate thread! Really did and does mean a lot to me.