UGH!! Sciatic Pain in 8 Month of Pregnancy

Ice packs and Naproxen (aka Aleve) helped me with mine. I also did PT and saw a Chiro but the ice and aleve should at least take the edge off.

I had the same thing in my last month of pregnancy and I ended up having to leave work because of it. I saw a chiropractor on a regular basis and it did nothing to help that but it did feel good to go for other reasons.

It's the weight of the baby sitting on the nerve and the only thing to relieve it is to give birth. I had to lay with my butt up in the air for a good part of the day to try to take the weight off of the nerve but that doesn't seem plausible for you with a toddler. If you can try to do it at least when the shooting pain starts it does help. If you can adjust the baby off the nerve.

The good news is the moment I gave birth, it went away but that probably seems like a million years away right now.

Sorry :-(

Edited to add...I forgot until I read another response...a pregnancy belt helped! Not complete relief but any is better than none. I remember that pain like it was yesterday.

HI. Have you try sitting on one of those excercise balls.. the big green one was a saving grace, even a few minutes at a time was helpfull. Good luck.

When I was pregnant with my first child my lower bacl was so out of whack that they were giving my darvacets to help with the Cronic pain. Sciatic nerve pain was constant. I would be walking even around the house an my leg would be like it was non existant. I did go to a Chiropractor but after the second time I stopped due to the fact I like to be able to walk to the car and not have to be carried. This may not be the same for you since I have major issues with my back as well. But I know others who have said the Chiropractor was a god sent for them. I know with two kids already it is hard to find time but the appt only lasts about 15 minutes if that.

I went to a chiropractor during my first pregnancy and it helped a lot. My chiropractor had night appointments so I was able to go after work too. Your relief should be instant. Just make sure you find a good one, ask around.

R.- I highly recommend seeing a chiropractor. Make the time. If it takes your pain away, it's worth it.
I was pregnant with twins, and had suffered sciatic pain for years prior to getting pregnant, so I was very worried about how I'd manage. I had regularly seen a chiropractor to address it. I went to the chiropractor weekly during my pregnancy, and NEVER suffered any sciatic pain during my pregnancy at all.
Ask friends/co-workers if they have someone they recommend. Don't just pick one at random. Or, use my chiropractor-Dr. Karen Kolarik, at Newton Center Chiropractic ###-###-####. I've been seeing her for years, and it's made a huge difference in my life.
Don' suffer in pain if you don't need to. Best of luck.

R.,
Oh how I feel your pain! I had sciatic nerve issues with my lower back/hips. It's horrible. Unfortunately resting or sitting is the thing that will help, but not sitting for long. I found that when I would try to get out of bed in the AM, I would have to limp around because the pain was so severe. Try putting ice/heat on it, it may help it a little or a non-aspirin pain releiver. Hopefully it goes away after child birth for you, it didn't for me, but it did go away after my 2nd child birth. If it doesn't go away physical therapy will be the way to go to help you with the pain.

Sorry...I am going to have to agree. The chiropractor did wonders for me during my 2 pregnancies. I just used to pack toys for my daughter to play with during the appointments.

The nurse midwife at my OB/Gyn gave me stretches to do for the pain. Lay on your back and brign one leg up, bent if you can (okay if you can't) and bring that leg over your other leg (you should be turning at the waist trying to keep your back on the floor). I often would do the stretch while laying in bed. At 8 months pregnant, let's face it, it can be hard to get up off the floor! Hope you can relieve the pain! I had a 2 year old when I was pregnant with these pains. Made it till the end :)

go see a chiropractor time well spent. my labor was wonderrful with my fourth child and i give credit to seeing a chiropractor with my fourth pregancy don't suffer in silence and make time. sciatic pain is terrible. get a sitter and schedule a massage after your adjustment. treat yourself good luck mother of 13 11 8 and 1yr old K.

Oh...I am sooooo sorry & totally understand the pain you are feeling. YOU MUST TAKE THE TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!! I am finally feeling releif from my siatic pain after months of extreme pain. I tried the chiropractor but after 12 consecutive visits felt I needed to try another option...I neeeded greater relief with much fewer visits & less cost. So, I tried acupuncture...it was an absolute godsend and after just a few visits I am nearly pain free ALL THE TIME and don't have to go back for 3 weeks...you should try it, its totally worth it, my energy level, mood, etc are so much improved, its amazing!

Good luck and I hope you find relief!!!!

Oh, i think i know how you feel! My 2nd child is 4 month old now, and with her i had such pain in the last month of pregnancy that i thought i'd never be able to do labour.

Well she was born without a doctor within 2.5 h, "easily" with midwife and husband there.

Anyway. Pain. The only thing that helped me (and the pain was so that i could neither sleep, sit or lie down, only walk or stand swaying) was accupuncture. Before i tried chiropractice, swimming, pain killers. Accupuncture helped reduce pain enough to sleep and move more normally, until it was much better.

However, my right leg is still affected. And full feeling did return to my right foot only gradually after birth. It seems to be a month-long process. If not years.

You poor thing! hope you'll be better!!!!

D.

it's all about icing. i have a bad back and run into this alot. i go to the chiro every 2 weeks for "maintenance" (when i started i was going 3 times a week)

i know it's hard to not pick up your kids... i have a 21 month old daughter and having my 2nd in 3 weeks.

but if you can ice 3-4 times a day - w/ maternity pants the elastic waist should be great to put the ice pack in and hold it there. my other alternative is to use an ice pack and wrap an ace bandage around my hips to hold the ice back there. either way ice 3-4 times a day for like 15 min at a time and 2-3 days you should start to see an improvement. i usually do my last icing of the day when i go to bed for the night... it's not unusual for me to fall asleep with the ice pack on.

antoher alternative, if your find icing is too hard, is a product called bio-freeze (http://www.biofreeze.com/index.php), i get it from my chiro and asked my OB and he said it was perfectly fine to use while preg.

HEAT IS BAD - your siatic nerve is already inflamed - that is what is causing you the pain now.... so adding heat to it will only make it worse.

Hi R.,
I'm not sure where you live. When I was pregnant and had sciatic pain I was part of a study on acupuncture. It was at Yale in New Haven. When I thought of acupuncture I thought of long needles, but this was a small bandaid with a very tiny pin on it that was placed on my earlobe. Amazingly, I walked out of the office normally. (I was in pain when I walked in) They called me periodically to ask me questions about how I was doing. If you are interested in this or have questions about it, you can go ahead and email me.

I also have an 18 month old son & I am 25 weeks pregnant.
Honestly the only thing that worked for me was chiropractic! But like you said who has time, I went to the chiro twice I did not go 3 times a week like they want you to! The pain of course came back after a month or 2 but I just went back to the chiro a few more times again. Don't bother listening to them when they say how important it is to go 3 or more times a week. Just know that most likely after the baby is born the pain will go away but you may get a flare up once in a blue moon that usually you can deal with until it goes away on it's own. The last time I had a flare up I did nothing & just dealt with the pain it went away on its own and I just try walking as much as I can tolerate!
Oh also try and find a chiro that specializes in OB and babies!!

I suffer (and I mean SUFFER) from sciatica, the only time I'm free from it is when I'm pregnant! The only thing I have found that helps is regular, preventative visits to the chiropractor. I bring the whole family along. The office I go to has kid's books and toys to occupy them.
I gave birth at home, obviously with no pain meds, and I still say the pain of my sciatica is worse than giving birth. It can turn me into a whimpering mess. I hope you can find the time to go see the chiro- it's worth it. I also found some relief in wearing arch supports in my shoes, just the cheapy Dr. Scholl's ones.

Hi R.,

I used a video called "Yoga for Pregnancy, Labor and Birth"from Netflix throughout my pregnancy and I felt great right up until the end. There are specific stretches for sciatica in the video. I would recommend doing the workout very gently and carefully to start but I think it would help. It would probably be even better if you could find a prenatal yoga class, but with your 18mo old that might be difficult (although a lot of places have Mommie and Me classes). However with the dvd you could do the workout after your boys are in bed - if you can stay awake! Good luck.

i, too, had horrible sciatica (and still do to some degree -- particularly if my son has demanded being carried alot). I can't say enough about how much yoga helped me, both during pregnancy and after. I went just once a week, for an hour. I also made time for a few prenatal massages -- but the effect of a massage is short-lived. Yoga was more like getting a massage from the inside out, and i'd feel good for DAYS, not hours.

Seriously the best way is a prenatal message therapist. I know time is tough but some places do appointments till like 9 pm so maybe you can find time after dinner. What I did because money was tight too...I offered myself up to be the test subject for a prenatal class at a school.

I have shoes called Z-Coil which helped my sciatica immediately when I was pregnant. They are expensive, but worth it. You have to go to the store to try them and get them adjusted to your feet, but here's the website: www.zcoil.com
Good luck!

Hi R.!
Nice to meet another R. with a "y"!! So sorry to hear about your pain. I know all too well what you're going through. I dealt with sciatica pain for almost 2 years before I got relief. Some things I found that helped me...
alternating heat and ice, lying flat on my back on the floor for as long as the pain will allow (this helped ease the pinch of the nerve), lying on my back on the floor bending the knee on the side that hurt then bringing it over to touch the floor on the opposite side, holding my knee to my chest (this one will be a little tough with the belly in the way), and last but I think the one that did the most was eliminating sugar and wheat from my diet. I'm not really sure what the connection is but during this time I discovered that I was suffering from candida in my intestinal tract and took the wheat and sugar from my diet for that. After a few weeks I noticed one day that I wasn't in pain anymore! I had been in constant pain for 2 years. Thinking back about when the pain started I was working for a company that made local jams and jellies so of course I was "sampling" all day. Lots of sugar and wheat (from the crackers) was going into my body at that time. I can't say that this is the magic bullet for you but defintely worth a try. Good luck!

Oh my you poor thing, I know that pain all so well. You might want to get on the floor and do some cat streches to get the baby off your nerve -- he must be getting so big and just doesn't have anywhere to go .. honestly you don't have time -- I wonder what these people are thinking about when they tell us this stuff .. also try a heating pad when your sitting that might help a little.

You owe it to yourself to go see a chiropractor. It will work wonders. Make the time, or you'll just have to live with it until 'it' decides to go away.

Hi R.,
On top of the uncomfortable aches and pains that come with pregnancy, you should not have to deal with the pain of a sciatic nerve. My Mother suffered with this for years and finally decided to see a Chiropractor (something I have always been scared to do) and with 3 visits, the pain is gone!!! I would do some research on who to see in your area, be sure they know how to care for someone through a pregnancy and give it a go. My Mom mentioned nothing she experienced with the doctor was painful and she is so grateful she went.
I believe there is a great Chiro on Park ave in Worcester.
Best to you.

You poor thing!! I get lower back pain (which isn't quite the same, but this might help)...I get on all 4's and rest my head on the couch or coffee table with a pillow (sometimes with pillows under my knees) and just let my belly hang. If you have some one to do it - have them rub your lower back at the same time - HEAVEN!

A good stretch for your sciatica is to sit in a chair and put your ankle on your knee (kind of like a man crosses his legs) and lean forward. If it's too hard with your belly try the same thing lying on the floor. Also, while you are on your back try bringing your knee to your chest.

Good luck! And know it is almost over.
L.

I had the same thing but it started prior to pregnancy. Then pregnancy made it worse. Unfortunately for me it took me time after pregnancy for it to go away. But what did help was to shift my weight. Meaning, anything I carried, I shifted to the other side. I slept on the other side as well. Also stretching the area of sciatic pain. I also went to flat shoes or shoes with more support. Also reducing any opportunity to pick up your toddler and other things and having your husband do the picking up. I would sit down and hold my toddler and hold her hands walking up the stairs. I no longer have the pains.

I couln't have made it through my pregnancy without my Chiropractor! Make the time for yourself, you will be glad you did.

Dear R.,

I'm so sorry to hear of your pain. I know all to well how bad it can be. I had the same with all four pregnancies. Your best bet is a chiropractor. The baby has shifted you out of alignment and putting pressure on your nerve. The first pregnancy, I suffered with the pain for quite some time until I finally went to a chiropractor. The three subsequent pregnancies, I went at the first sign of pain. You need to make the time for yourself. If your husband or children were in pain, you would make an appointment and time for them. We unfortunately, as Moms usually put ourselves last and sometimes ignore our pain or problems. What I've learned and am still telling myelf is that I need to be well and make time for me so I will be better to take care of everyone else.
Trust me, make an appointment with a chiropractor.
Hope all goes well with the rest of your pregnancy and a quick and easy delivery.

Take Care,

J. R.

Hi R.,

Oh - I totally know how you feel - I've had that pain since 4 months and it's torture! To ease the pain, with out pills, there are a couple things you can do - first off a hot water bottle or a heating pad will definitely ease it (though admittedly you need the half hour or so to relax with one).

Also stretching the lower back will help - the best stretch I find is to lie on your back with left knee up and the right leg straight down - then with your left arm out and flat on the floor use the right hand to pull your knee over to the right side as far as you can (or opposite depending on what side the pain is on). Hold it for at least 20 seconds (more if you can bare) and gently release - that daily should help a bit.

Lastly, I cannot recommend a pair of Birkenstocks enough. I thought I was too punk rock to bare buying a pair, but there is no denying how much they help make it through the day - just be sure to get the ones with the top straps - the flip flop ones don't have the support you need. If none of this helps than a trip to the chiro or physio may just be necessary! Good luck with the remainder of your pregnancy and I hope the pain eases soon!

All the best,
V.

I feel sooooo bad for you I know the pain and it hurts. For my 2nd I had bad pain that started in my 2nd month and I suffered through it. For my 3rd it started again in my 4th month against my better judgement I bought a hideous belly band at the maternity store for $15 and I helped a lot! I was shocked I thought it was a gimmick but willing to try anything I got one and found great relief. It lifted my belly/ Uterus/ Baby up enough that it stopped most of the pain. I still got twinges here and there but the constant pain was helped. Good luck!

Sounds so familiar!! I had the same problem and was unable to walk for days. I finally had to go and see a Phyical therapist and I was lucky. He was studying this exact issue with pregnant woman. He had a bunch of exercises for me to do and they helped. I sometimes do them even today, when my back starts acting up.

I lay flat on my back with knees lifted, then squeeze my butt cheeks together, then roll your butt up towards your belly and hold it for 5 seconds. Come back down and let out your sqeezed butt cheeks. Do this for like twenty rounds. This one seemed to help out the best.

There were a couple others where I had to use the big bands and lay on my back with my legs up and pull away my legs with the band wrapped around them.

The PT seemed to work the best for me. Even if you can just fit in one session, at least they might be able to give you some exercises to do on your own. Good luck.

I had sciatica when I was pregnant with my son. I went to a physical therapist and it helped out tremendously. My physical therapist also taught me exercises I could do. I went 2-3 times per week for about an hour each time. I would strongly recommend you fixing the problem. Take good care of yourself because nobody else will. I balanced work, being a wife, and physical therapy. Now I balance a 5 month old, work, being a wife and going to physical therapy for a neck strain.

I HIGHLY recommend acupuncture. I had horrible back problems/sciatic pain with my first pregnancy. I got massages and did yoga, but the relief didn't last long. The second time around I decided to splurge and did acupuncture as soon as I felt the pain creeping in (around 5 months). I felt great the whole pregnancy! I cannot recommend it more! The affects are long lasting unlike massage and chiropractic work - they seem to me to be a quick fix. Some people find it relaxing - me, not so much, but it wasn't too bad... and it was truly amazing what my acupuncturist could do with a few needles and chinese cups. They will not only address your sciatic pain, but can work on sleep, problems, constipation, muscle cramps, you name it! And it's absolutely safe for the baby - just make sure you find one who does prenatal. I am totally hooked now. I'd be happy to recommend someone or answer some questions - feel free to email me. Good luck!

ICE PACKS AND SLEEPING IN A CHAIR, i will never forget that pain. I ended up sleeping in a chaise lounger in the living room with the ice packs, thats the only thing that worked for me

good luck to you and congrats on your 3rd child

My nearly instant relief came from shoes, Mephisto Helen's to be specific. If you are in Nashua, they sell them at Alex's Shoe Store. Zappos.com sells them too, but a bit more money. It was like magic. I bought my first pair six years ago, and well worth every penny. I am on my third pair. Great for heel pain too, plantar fastitis I think it is called. Tried lots of stuff, nothing killed it like the shoes. Made it go to zero as long as I was wearing them, or off my feet.
Good luck.
D.

everyone gave you such great advice. hope you feel better soon. i had it too with my pg and it does go away after you give birth. hang in there.

With my first daughter I had sciatica so pad that I had to crawl to the bathroom, so I can totally sympathize with you!

The only relief I found for it was to get on all fours on the floor and gently push on the baby to get her to move. It didn't always stop the pain completely, but it at least reduced the pain.

Good luck!

Hi R. - I am an orthopedic physical therapist and we treat this condition a lot in pregnant and non-pregnant women. At this point in your pregnancy, starting PT may be more a time constraint than is worth your while with the other kids. Try few things: you can get a pregnancy SI belt which helps to stabilize your pelvis which tends to rotate while you are pregnant to accommodate the baby and get ready for birth. When the pelvic bones rotate they can put pressure/traction on the sciatic nerve giving you your symptoms. Check out this website for products: http://optp.com/index.cfm/runshop/search. I would recommend the Maternity SI-LOC or the Mother-To-Be brace.

Also, the cat stretches that people have suggested are good, as long as you feel comfortable on your hands/knees and there isn't too much pressure on your stomach muscles. Trying also to keep neutral spine (not too arched) and maintain an abdominal brace (tightening your stomach muscles like pulling your belly button in towards your spine) can both be helpful, but tough to do in the 3rd trimester.

Getting someone to do gentle lumbar traction with you should also help. You need to lie on your back with knees bent and feet resting on the floor. Have your husband sit down by your feet and gently pull on your legs by holding behind your knees. The pull should be gentle and comfortable - it should not increase your symptoms. Try holding each pull for 10 seconds and repeat up to 10 times - you can do this as often throughout the day as is helpful.

Lastly, another position to try to get some relief is laying on your side with the sore side/leg up (so you will be laying on your "good" side). Put a small rolled towel/pillow under the hip that your are laying on. Try laying like this for 10 - 15 minutes while you have your ice or heat on and that should also give you relief. Don't try to sleep like this, that is too long a stretch. When you are sleeping, so try to use a body pillow with good support between your knees to keep your pelvis/back from rotating while you sleep.

And, if all else fails, just take heart in knowing that your symptoms while pretty much be gone after you deliver :) Then just a whole bunch more headaches to come - Good Luck!

If you haven't already, try experimenting with a pillow or two. I went through the same thing when I was expecting my second child. I would put a pillow under the knee or lower thigh of the affected leg when I slept on my back, and between my knees when I slept on my side. Sometimes I wedged one under my hip. Sometimes I put one under my belly to relieve the pulling of the weight of the baby. The position of the pillow changed from day to day for me, so don't be suprised if the same spot doesn't always do the trick for you.
The pain is also telling you that you are straining your back. Be careful to lift properly( back straight, bend your knees and let your legs do the work!). Ask your doctor for some simple gentle stretches, too.
The other thing about sciatic pain is that your back is telling you to take a break, you've overdone it. I'm guessing your response will be similar to mine; "you've got to be kidding, I've got a toddler on the loose" but there are ways to take it a little easier. It involves getting down to your sons' level on the floor or meeting him halfway on the couch, whichever you can physically do.
I know it's hard not to pick your little one up every time he looks up at you with big eyes. You just have to take him by the hand and lead him to a place where you can cuddle/ feed/ read/ etc.without lifting.
Here's to pain free days ahead.
Good luck.
LC