Lots of the pregnant women I see struggle with hip pain, especially when lying in bed and especially in the last trimester!
Different to pelvic girdle pain, or sciatica, this kind of pain is felt in the sides of the hips, usually on both sides. It happens as the pelvis is widening to prepare for birth and your body is getting sick and tired of always sleeping in one position.
The good news is, this pain often disappears as soon as bub is out..But for the short term, try these three things to get some relief:
1. Stop popping a hip when you stand- try to keep weight evenly distributed when possible
2. Avoid crossing your legs when sitting – this can put extra stretch on an already stretched out, cranky muscle and tendon.
3. Try sleeping with a pillow between the knees and ankles at night – this helps to reduce the constant stretch on those hip muscles which can make them ache
4. Use a ball on the wall to massage out tight and sore hip muscles (like your glutes and piriformis). Don’t forget to breathe and wait for the muscles to release and feel better before moving on. (Or come and see me and my elbow and I will do it for you 😏 )
5. Keep moving! Many women actually feel much better after working their glutes and hip muscles (as long as they’re not just worked in high high reps to fatigue) Don’t be afraid to move!
Need help? Let me know!