Joint Pain During Early Pregnancy

hey there, i had those too - the growing pains of pregnancy. i told my dr, and she said - besides the prenatal, i could take - when the got too much, and my yoga wouldn't take the aches away - calcium/magnesium pills. ask first. this helped a ton. i took it at night. helps u sleep too, natural muscle relaxer. regarding the other suggestion - i ate bananas & pb all the time anywho - still had it. ask the ob/gyn about upping your cal/mag doses, to see what they advise of course. and drink a ton of water, all day long.... replenishes your body. dang prego aches. (i am still nursing after 6 mos and i just started the cal/mag up again b/c i am achy again. your body is depleted and it tells u... :)

i went through that when i was pregnant with my second child, i developed rheumtoid arthritis. in my case, the doctors didnt know what was going on or why i developed that, they thought i had lupus. i went through HELL! i had joint pain every where. the bottoms of my feet were so swollen i couldnt walk. i had to be taken off work for 1 year! it was the worst experience. i was prescribed so much medication, which i took for awhile, but then stopped on my own because i was afraid for my unborn son. i went through the pain without taking anything but tylenol on some occasions. massage, cold packs, stretching and relaxing is basically what helped me. i feel for your friend...

Out of four pregnancies, I had one where my knees would lock in a HORRIBLE cramp. Couldn't straighten or bend my knees, just had to hold them in that position til it wore off. It usually happened at night. Wasn't like a muscle cramp since it was in the joint itself. What did the doc say? Normal. Gee thanks. Always always always best to ask anyway. Tell your friend congratulations and best wishes for a beautiful and healthy pregnancy and baby!

Dear M.,
Unfortunatley, joint pain and tenderness is just one of those things that go along with pregnancy, some pregnancies worse than the others. Your friend should definitely speak with her doctor about it to make sure it's not inflamation as opposed to the usual loosening up of the joints. My doctor explained to me there is something in our systems that causes our bodies to do that in preparation for our bones having to carry more weight and shift posture etc in order to carry the baby. A chiropractor and regualar exercise really helped me. But her doctor can advise her and let her know what she can take to alleviate pain and discomfort.

Send her congratulations and best wishes!

During pregnancy our joints loosen to permit widening of the pelvic openning, and that can cause aches. But I think that most women usually notice it later in the pregancy. It may be that she is very aware of the changes--some people are just more tuned in to their bodies. But still she may want to call her OB and see if she can get an early appointment since most OBs don't see pregos until 10-18 weeks. If she is worrying, it is better to ask an OB.

Sounds silly but bananas and peanut butter helped me. Sounds like an old wives tale but it worked. Once I started eating a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter everyday it got better. It helped to relieve leg cramps too. Maybe it was the potassium and the protein? Have her try it for a week and see if it helps. Best wishes!

These aches and pains of pregnancy are very normal and, unfortunately can get increasingly painful at times. Her body is undergoing tremendous change in preparation for pregnancy and birth. Joints are already starting to loosen up! Consider it "growing pains." As it progresses, things could get worse or symptoms could disappear altogether. She should consult her OB/GYN regarding pain relief medication.