Struggling

I am 33- almost 34 weeks. Strangely- just like another mom posted awhile ago- the swelling started for me at week 33 and now I can't recognize my feet! My husband says it is the worst of any pregnancy and I thought my last one was horrible. This is our seventh pregnancy.

But the worst thing is the pelvic pain. I can truly barely walk. It seems to depend on which way the baby positions herself. If she puts herself in frank breech- I feel the most comfortable- but she won't stay there and I feel like my pelvis is breaking.

I am thankful to not be on bedrest (although I am barely moving today) and not at risk for preterm labor.

But I am in so much pain and worried about how long I will be making it...

Things are very play it by ear regarding my delivery too which is a little nerve-wracking. My doctor's office is pretty up in the air with their protocol. I have an ultrasound for 34 weeks growth scan on Wednesday and then I do not know what happens next. I know they will scan me when I go into labor to check baby a's positiona and see if we can try for a vaginal (possibly breech-breech) delivery.

I need some support! How long did you really hurt before the babies came? Can I hurt like this for 7 more weeks? Tylenol barely touches it now.

My little baby A's heartbeat was in the 120's which she said was good- but she caught it on a deceleration which I never heard before and it worried me.


Rebecca

 

I would possibly talk to her about other forms of pain mediciation that are safe. There are others out there besides tylenol. I'm not sure why you have such pelvic pain i know that SPD can cause pain but im not sure if you are experiencing that you may want to talk to your doctor about that SPD is Symphysis pubis dysfunction. If you do have SPD most forums i have read have recommended doing pelvic lifts while laying down which you can do on your side which is just pushing your pelvis forward and holding for a few seconds i usually do mine for 20 seconds. The other thing they recommend is doing your kegel exercises because it will help the ligaments and muscles around the pelvis. Mine is usually in the thigh and groin area and is EXTREMELY painfull. Today isn't so bad. There is no way to make it go completely away but have the babies and even sometimes after they are born the pain is still there and then the next option would be surgery but if you didn't have this until you were pregnant, like me, then i would say that the pain will probably go away once those bundles of joy are here. The other thing that seems to help me is allowing really really hot water run down my legs in the shower and im not sure if its from standing in one spot for a set amount of time that helps align the pelvis which reduces pain or if its the hot water but im not risking anything lol because that pain is horrible. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THIS. You don't have much longer. I know it doesn't seem like it right now but you don't and remember its okay to cry over the pain and its okay to give in and take pain medication. You have to do what is right for you and your babies. :youcandoit:

 

I know how hard being in pain is. I could not even roll over in bed without so much pain my DH would have to help me. The pelvic and back pain was awful. It helped me to get on all fours and arch my back, this may help you with pelvic thrusts too. Soaking in a tub helps since it kinda makes you "weightless". But the honest answer is I got relief the day they were born. At 34 weeks I was miserable. At 35 weeks (the day before Thanksgiving) My Doctor said he thought I would have them that weekend. I wanted them out now! I told him if he was wrong, I was coming back on that Tuesday for my appointment and wasn't leaving with out babies!! He was right BTW and I had them that Sunday at 35weeks 3 days! YOU CAN DO IT!!!! :grouphug:

 

I was in the same situation around that time in my twin pregnancy as well. I am 28 weeks with #3 right now and I get very uncomfortable and then I remind myself where I was at 28 weeks with my girls.. it was unbelievably uncomfortable. I remember having that same thought that I didn't know how I would make it another 6-7 weeks at that point. I had the pelvic pain too along with constant BH contrax... which is why I ended up in L&D 3-4 times between 28 weeks and my delivery. Nothing ever came of it, thankfully, but I always had the feeling that the doctors never quite understood what that kind of discomfort was like. Are you still working? I got to the point where I just needed to be done doing anything that required me to physically move around. I was grateful that they were my first children because I was able to just lay on the couch. I was a bit frustrated with my docs at that time too.. they really didn't have anything to say other than that they wouldn't induce before 37-38 weeks. We made it to 36 weeks 3 days and I remember the way I knew I was absolutely done with the pregnancy was that even standing up from a chair was too much. You will make it and if you are anything like me then the pain goes away IMMEDIATELY after the delivery. There really is nothing like a multiple pregnancy, in my opinion. It takes its toll on your body in a way I that I could never describe. Big hugs! Hang in there! Your delivery will be here before you know it!

 

I agree with babyhopes09. Discomfort is not how I would put it. Excruciating is more like it. When you have pain so bad all the time no matter what. It sucks so bad. With the swelling- has it gotten hot suddenly where you live? & has your blood pressure been checked recently?

Do you have access to a pool? If so, buy a maternity bathing suit and lay in that thing. It's so worth it. Chiropractics helped me- I had to go every week, then every 2 after they got my hip pain in check. Pregnancy massage is good for the swelling as well. Also, I hated lying on something either too soft or too hard. I found a blowup bed (air mattress)- like one of the bigger, non-camping ones to be super comfortable as it would cushion the babies so I could lie down comfortably.

Twin pregnancy is unbelievably hard. When people wish for twins I always tell them the pregnancy is an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. The best part is once you are done it's all downhill- you've survived something truly incredible.

My .02 are as follows: Distract, distract, distract. It's time to watch movies, TV, play with your older kids (board games while lying down :laughing, date your hubby. Even though you don't feel like it, getting through today is an accomplishment. Heck, getting through this hour is an accomplishment. In a week or two, go out and get your hair and nails done in preparation for the babies.

:youcandoit:

 

Thank you all so very much! This is exactly what I need(ed) today and I will be back here rereading this again and again- I am sure!

I am not sure if it is actually SPD- I don't have any pain in my legs. It is my pelvis and sometimes my lower back. It is really my "bones" not necessarily pubic- other bones down "there" even up through my tail bone at times. Ugh. I don't think I can handle the tub! The thought of me trying to get in and out of it at this point is frightening! But hot showers do help me feel better... tylenol did take the edge off today. It is the ABSOLUTE worst after laying down in bed when I get up- especially after several hours or night time. It is starting to get really horrible standing up after sitting, too.

Swelling- it is hot- but it is also weird??? I am living in air conditioning. I am home with my children. Anyway- my blood pressure at my last two appts in the last two weeks has been slightly elevated. It was 138/78 yesterday. But urine was fine? Should I be concerned? I think it was 130 something over 80 the week before... my vision is blurred which I feel is from all the fluid I have right now. I don't have any other preeclamptic symptoms. The swelling in my hands is not too bad. My feet are out of this world.

Have to go care for family,
Will be back later.

I am so thankful for this support.
Thank you.
Rebecca

 

SPD is not pain in the legs. It's pain exactly where/how you described it. If you want some relief, try sleeping/sitting/spending your time in a recliner as opposed to a bed or sitting in a chair. The position was the answer for me. I was still in pain, but it went from excruciating to bearable. Regarding standing up, you should try to be in tune with your body and switch to a standing position slowly, while being aware of which way is the best for your pain.

I also had awful swelling and it was directly related to the heat, even though I was mostly in air conditioned rooms.

 

I understand the pelvic pain, I to wasn't sure if it was SPD but it hurt it felt like I had been kicked! Now almost 3 weeks after delivery I can tell you it's much better!! Plus it is all worth it when you look at those precious faces! But my BP also went up at 2 visits right around 33 wks and my doc also "played it by ear" up until the end!! Maybe it's the stress of those last couple visits? For me A was head down and B was breech but much bigger, she said if their wts were the opposite or close we could have attempted a vag del. But good luck and try to enjoy these last couple weeks it will fly by!! Like others said try to fill your time to take the focus of being uncomfortable And as far as swelling mine wasn't bad, but I agree prob a heat thing my mom had each of us June through July 4 pregs and she said she swelled alot! but it went away immediately after birth! I had more after csect from fluids but it went away after a couple days! Goodluck!!

 

Hang in there! In not too long, all the pain will be a distant memory.

If you don't think it's SPD pain, it might be sacro-iliac pain? I had these pains around 22 weeks onward, it disappeared for a few weeks, but then returned right around the time the babies were born (33.5 weeks). For me, it was extreme swelling (not pre-eclamptic) that really signalled a shift for me, and shortly thereafter the babies were born. I remember my perinatologist telling me that the swelling is my bodies sign that it's time for the babies to come out. Two days later, they did.

Good luck!

 

I am back for a brief moment. It has been a rough weekend. I do NOT feel well at all.

I never heard of sacro-iliac pain. I will have to look into that.

I am comforted by this encouragement.

I did buy a recliner yesterday at a La-Z-Boy Memorial Day Sale! It will be delivered on Tuesday. It hurts so much to sleep in bed right now but at the same time- I need to stretch out too. However, I sat in it at the store and felt like it was bliss!

I am trying to keep drinking and keeping a watch on braxton-hicks, etc. It is hard to feel this bad.

I also found after I carefully stand up, I quickly and gently shuffle my weight back and forth each foot as I take my first steps(quick, short steps). This helps. I look ridiculous.

I wanted to say that I did try doing some pelvic rocks and downward tilts and it did provide relief throughout my day- but then I found the pain rebounded horribly after laying down.

I think I might have lost a little of my mucous plug last night/today- also. Ugh.

This is truly the hardest time I have ever had with a pregnancy, etc.

Back to lay down again,
Rebecca

 

I lived in the recliner for about the last 9 weeks. They were born at 37w5d, and that was 5 days longer than my Dr. had wanted me to go. That pelvic pain was unbelievable. And if I tried to sleep in bed, I would literally collapse from the pain when I went to get out of bed. For about 6 months after they were born, I could squeeze my knees together and my pelvic bone would pop. Ew! But the pain did lessen substantially when they were born. I was worried that it would be too much pain to have a vaginal delivery, but I don't actually remember that hurting at birth... everything else did, LOL.

And the swelling... even my nose started to swell. The pictures after my girlies were born are the only pictures of me with any of my babies that I really hate... I just can't get past my ugly nose. Thankfully, a couple weeks after they were born, it went back to normal. Good luck! You're doing a great job, and it's not really that much longer, though I know it feels like it now.

 

Thank you for the encouraging words!

I do feel just like you wrote Dielle!

I am now 34 weeks 4 days.

Just trying to take it one day at a time...

I would have worried about the pain in delivery except I had some similar pain with my son (although NOTHING on the same radar as this) and was able to deliver him... so that comforts me.

It is so uncomfortable just to move around.

This is normal, right?

Rebecca

 

The relief I got from the pain you describe was because of my chiropractor - I lived for my chiro......

HUGS!!! In 2yrs time this will be a distant memory and instead flushed MP3 players will be a reality - but in the meantime - HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS...I wish I could be there to help you knowing how it feels.

 

i went to the doc the other day for a regular appointment and asked about the pain she said (for me) that it wasn't SPD but that it was my sciatic nerve. And there really isn't much you can do about it sadly. Just rest and such. UGH the pain we women have to endure to bring children into this world. :youcandoit:

 

Thank you!

Just adding to this thread that a few days ago- I starting feeling that "popping" in the pelvis when I move to get into bed that people have talked about. It is a very weird sensation!

I am hurting- but not as bad! The recliner really helps! I still have to lay down in bed though- I need to stretch out to really sleep.

I guess the bones did whatever they had to do and now they pop in and out. Very weird!

The popping sensation is... new.
Rebecca