Your pregnancy journey won’t always be comfortable- it comes with the territory. It seems to get worse as you get to the finish line. That’s because your body produces a relaxin hormone to help your pelvis area get ready for the baby.
Unfortunately, it’s not painless. Here are some tips to help relieve sore hips, so you can enjoy the wait for your precious bundle.
Please read: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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Avoid Hip Pain Triggers
Some activities contribute to sore hips during pregnancy. Therefore, it’s a good idea to steer clear of, or in the least, reduce the triggers. Here are some of them:
Causes of Hip Pain During Pregnancy
Weight gain
We know you are eating for two now, so weight gain is inevitable. However, excessive weight gain puts too much pressure on your pelvic area. According to the CDC, your recommended gain depends on your pre-pregnancy weight.
So try to stay within these limits. It’s not easy (blame the hormones), but it will help keep some pain at bay.
Wearing heels
Keep the heels in the closet during pregnancy, and instead opt for flat or low heel comfy shoes. Why? That’s simply because your center of mass shifts as your belly grows. Therefore, you need extra support for your back and pelvis.
Heels put too much pressure on your body, increasing your pain. But who says you have to look frumpy because you’re pregnant. There are lots of cute and sensible shoes to choose from.
Staying on your feet
Standing on your feet for long increases hip pressure. Try to avoid it as much as you can. We all know it’s impossible to put your feet up all day, especially if you have other kids. So here’s what you can do:
Take frequent breaks, for instance, after every 30 minutes or so of standing, sit down for a while.
If you can, do your chores sitting down. For example, you can sit on a stool while ironing or cooking. Where possible, get someone else to help out with the tasks.
Overexertion
Trying to be a superwoman when you pregnant is not a good idea. All the pressure on your hips is bound to make you sore. For that reason, you need only to do low impact activities auch as walking. Avoid lifting heavy stuff.
How To Relieve Hip Soreness During Pregnancy
Heat or Cold Therapy
Taking a hot bath may help relieve the pain. If that’s not an option, you can try putting a heating pad or hot water bottle on the sore area. Some swear by ice packs for pain relief. You may even alternate the heat and cold packs to see what works best for you.
Prenatal Massage
Nothing feels better than a relaxing massage. Getting a prenatal massage is not only relaxing but will also help with the pain. However, only get a pregnancy massage from a professional otherwise, you put your baby at risk.
Prenatal Yoga
Yoga stretches offer some pain relief. Moreover, it’s a great way to relax and get your body ready for labor.
Prenatal yoga is specifically designed for pregnant women, so even if you were a yogi before you got pregnant, don’t try those poses.
Note: Ask a doctor if it’s okay to try yoga. And get some guidance from experienced pregnancy yogis. Some exercises can be dangerous during pregnancy, so you’ll want to know what to avoid.
According to Yoga International, you should avoid any poses that clench the belly area and poses with deep back bending. They also suggest that you steer clear of most poses that need you to lie flat on your back.
Swimming
Mild exercises like swimming, help to relieve some of the strain on your hips. The water pressure is enough to support your body and make you feel weightless. Thus, it allows you to relieve your pain. Apart from that, it improves your circulation, taking most of the aches away.
If you are new to swimming, try 15 to 20 minutes a couple of times a week. Then slowly increase the time or frequency.
Maternity support belt
Supporting braces or belts that wrap around your lower belly help to compress and support your belly and hip area. This assists by relieving pressure on your pelvic floor, easing hip pain.
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Is a maternity belt the same as a support brace?
Maternity belts, braces, and bands are more or less the same thing. They will have slight differences based on the manufacturer and the support they offer.
But the bottom line is; they all do the same thing- provide compression and support. Depending on the brand you get, you can wear the belt over or under your clothes.
Some braces will be easier to hide under the clothes than others. Plus, depending on the style or material, some work better over than under. The choice is ultimately yours. After all, it’s the support that matters more than anything else.
Remember to consult with your doctor before you start using a brace. Equally important, you need to ensure you are wearing it appropriately; otherwise, it could do more harm than good.
Sleep Position
As your belly grows bigger (yay! finish line up ahead) sleeping gets more uncomfortable. Because the only option you have is sleeping on either one of your hips, they can get quite sore.
Here’s what you can do to help ease some of the pain:
Use a good mattress
A mattress that is either too hard or the extremely soft will make the pain worse. Therefore, you need to get one that’s just right. Some doctors recommend sleeping on an air mattress for more comfort.
Use a pregnancy pillow
A pregnancy pillow will allow you to sleep in a comfortable position- sideways with one leg elevated. This helps to relieve the pressure in your hips. The C shape provides support for both your upper and lower body as well as your backside.
It will help you finally get some sleep ( your last for a long time). You can also use an extra pillow on the underside for additional support.
Painkillers
As a last resort, when the pain is unbearable, painkillers can help provide relief. However, consult your doctor first before you take any pain medication.
It’s not advisable to self-prescribe pain killers, for the simple reason that some medication can harm the baby.
Are Sore Hips Normal During Pregnancy?
Some discomfort is normal when pregnant. Most women at one point or the other experience pain in their hips. After all, it’s not easy carrying another human being. The pain may range from mild discomfort to the full-blown teary eyes kind of pain.
Most times, it’s perfectly normal, and all you can do is try and manage the pain. But you do need to let your doctor know just in case it’s something more significant. Your doctor will examine you and let you know if there is anything you should be worried about.
Conclusion
Hip pain is annoying and horrible. But it’s just another one of the joys of motherhood you have to deal with. We hope these tips will help you manage the pain and give you some comfort.
