Leg pain in pregnancy

[Ebb]

I'm 28weeks pregant with my first baby and since about 15weeks I've been suffering with pain in my right leg, mainly at the front. It feels like someone is holding a blow torch to it and it's been getting progressively worse. Walking or standing for more than half an hour is a nightmare. It hurts to touch, even clothing hurts. A loving squeeze from my partner sends me across the room!!! I've just assumed baby is sat on a nerve ( he's currently breech and had low lying placenta at 20week scan) and that there isn't much I can do but am finally going to see a Doctor as can't handle it much longer!!! ( Not sure how I'll handle labour if I can't handle this!!!) Has anyone else experienced this? I'm a nanny so can't put my feet up much and Mum insists I take baby for a walk every day which is agony! I'm hobbling like an old woman!!! Anyway any info, advice, experiences would be greatly welcomed!

Poor you!! I thought I was bad, I'm 22wks with my 1st baby and have found the circulation in my legs getting worse daily! I've just returned from a short break in London last night (2 days only) but it was ruined with the pain in my feet and legs-felt like I must have looked constipated when I was walking! When I got back to the hotel they were all swolen up like elephants!! Anyway, I reckon I overdid things and have rested up all day today. Your problem sounds much more serious tho, and I think you need to explain to your employer that you need some time-out otherwise you could be doing more damage in the long run! I hope the doctor puts you on the sick, now go and put your feet up lol!!

Please get this checked ASAP, some of what you describe are symptoms of a DVT, although other aspects do not.

The burning one symptom of a DVT, and pregnancy increases risk of DVT - although they are normally at the back of the leg, in the calf. Do you have any uneven swelling with this (i.e rihgt leg more swollen than left) - which would be another classic symptom?

Hi Ebb,
Can't really give you advise but I had the same problem with my DD from about 12 weeks in both legs. Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done about it in my case but as soon as DD was born, the pain disappeared .

Hi Ebb

I have had a similar pain in the side of one of my thighs since about 8 weeks (am now 36 weeks). It's usually either numb or burning but after standing for 10 mins or so it becomes very painful then remains so for a day or more.

i went to the doctor and he prodded about and came to the conclusion that it was a nerve problem, originating from my back and probably caused by the position of the baby. He referred me to a physio (who saw me the same week - she was a pregnancy specialist too) and she agreed with him. She showed me some exercises to do (similar to pelvic floor ones) and gave me a maternity support belt. The belt seems to help quite a lot, although i've found that avoiding standing for long periods is the best solution.

Anyway, sorry to waffle on. I guess i'd just recommend seeing your doctor and asking for a physio referral.

I agree with sms get it checked asap it does sound like classic DVT symptoms but in a slightly unusual place. Is it swollen or red?

I have this right now and I have had it with every pregnancy. It is quite common - sometimes the pain is in a different part of the leg but it feels pretty much the same wherever it is.

You should get it checked to rule out DVT but it is far more likely the pain is actually coming from a nerve in your back / pelvis. Yes it is blimen painful, paracetamol might help if you are happy to take it.

This bit is from my experience....The only cure I know of is to get your baby to move off the nerve, however, sometimes it's not the baby laying on a nerve but something else. I find the best thing is to take some paracetamol, keep warm and try laying in different positions and hoping whatever it is shifts away from the nerve. You likely find that once whatever it is moves, the pain relief is almost instant -just go carefully for a few days afterwards or it could get trapped again.

Labour doesn't last 13 weeks and may not be as painful as this so don't lose heart

Thanks for all the advice. I have a Doctors appointment on Thursday morning so hopefully he can suggest something. It's not at all red or swollen so hopefully not DVT. Will let you know.

Hi Ebb, just wondering how you got on at docs? Hope you're ok

The Doctor was a bit useless really not that I expected a miracle!!! She ummed and aaahed and was like ' well we could refer you for physio if you want.......I don't think it'll do much......you could take some paracetemol.' I went home and went on line and read a bit on ante natal sciatica and am booked in to see a Chiropractor this afternoon. Apparently most people think it's due to baby lying on a nerve when it was already an underlying problem that is just accentuated by the baby. As I fell off a horse when I was 12 and landed on my back and I've been a nanny for 15 years, always carried children on my left hip, it wouldn't surprise me if something was out of alignment. Obviously I'm sure there will be limits with what a chiropractor can do whilst I'm pregnant but it's got to be worth a shot! If they can't do anything I just have to struggle through my last 6 weeks at work until I can put my feet up. Unfortunately that doesn't really help either..... .

Do keep an eye on it Ebb - doctors are often very bad at diagnosing DVT in pregnancy. Look out for if it's getting worse, if the pain is worse on walking (and is a bursting type pain), if it's swollen - easiest way is to measure round your leg with a tape measure. However, as others have said, if it's at the front of the leg, it may well be muscular / baby on a nerve. Hope it lets up soon.

I had a DVT in my last pregnancy and my leg wasn't red or swollen. Please make sure you definately get it checked out.

sorry, didn't realise you already had . Glad to hear it nothing serious.

Ebb I have exactyl this pain-got it at about 10 weeks, and it comes on and off at diff times of the day. The doctor was really good, and said it's called moralgia paraethesia (or something like that!) which isn't the baby on your nerve, but the nerve (on the front of your leg) reacting to all the fluid in you (apparently it's v common in pregnant women, and people with obesity, cos of all the fluid)
He said basically 'live with it and try not to do what makes it worse', but if it gets v bad, they can inject something into it to ease it (which is very safe when pregnant) Don't have all the details on me, but I''ll hunt them out, as he wrote it all down.
Hope that helps x

Thanks for that Cat. It's amazing how getting the right Doctor can make such a huge difference! I've just got back from the chiropractor who said I was badly out in my pelvis and also a couple of my vertebrae were out. I have a follow up appointment next week. She said hopefully by having everything where it should be will give the nerves more room and also make labour easier if the pelvis is straight. I'm not expecting miracles but anything that can help make labour easier has got to be okay!!!!

i had excactly the same thing. it started when i was 3 months pregnant i was in agony by the time i was 9 months! all they can do is tell you to take paracetamaol. bad news is my son is now 1 & i still get it occaissonly, my mom had it with my brother hes now 27 & she still gets it aswell!

Very funny reading my old post! I'm now 16wks with DC2 and starting to get similar pains. It did go away soon after the birth of Ds. I think Cat811's post was the best diagnosis.