"Mama, yo hips don't lie" & Elder's Cravings

I think i might be going crazy...first its bunnies laying eggs. Now, I plug my phone in last night and think its charging, only to find out that the phone charger was not plugged in to the wall all night! haha

Besides that, I slept much better last night knowing I was closer to the ground.

Yeah, like I wasn't in a space ship anymore...haha jk. I mean, this happened:

We finally took our bed off the frame since I have such a hard time getting in and out of bed these days with my hip pain! When Eli was a few months old, we lowered the bed for some reason and I was like "Whoa, this is genius!!! Why didnt we do this when i was big and preggo and couldnt get out of bed and when I was recovering after having Eli." 

So, here we are. I have graduated into the 3rd trimester today (yay for 27 weeks)!!! woohoo! and we had to lower the bed because of my hip pain. Who would have thought that I could get to the 3rd tri and still not be wearing maternity clothes and still sleeping on my stomach but not be able to get out of bed? haha  (#dontworrymom #sleepingonyourstomachisok #yourgrandchildissafewithme)

Speaking of this hip pain that I seem to speak of a lot since it follows me everywhere i go :) I have had a lot of people ask me questions about it, so I thought I'd share with you what my research has found. Maybe it will help some of you, or feel free to share this post with a friend that is having a lot of pain with pregnancy.

Here's how it all started: Last pregnancy, around 12 weeks I felt like my hips were already beginning to spread and that I had started waddling. I asked multiple people if they had felt the same thing and they said no. At the same time, I started getting this crazy pain between my legs when i walked. I told my Dr about it. At first they said that if it increased when exercising or walking, that I needed to stop and that I was putting myself into preterm labor. I was like "uh...no, this is not labor pains, this is intense pain while walking."   So then they tested me for UTI like 5 different times because i kept complaining about it. Um...no, I know the difference between walking pain and pain with peeing. 

So, I stopped telling my Dr about it after he said "This is your first baby, right?....{insert awkward pause}....You know, it is uncomfortable to be pregnant."  I was like, "Whoa!!! Hold your horses! I am not a crazy lady who is complaining about swelling feet here, I am in severe excruciating pain every time I walk or sit or turn over. There is something wrong." So, I took measures into my own hands and started researching. 

This is a tricky topic to research! All I knew is that I had pain in my pubic area while walking (for future reference, i tell people that my *hips* hurt, because ain't no one wantin to hear the word pubic unless they'retalking about puberty).....Anyway. Lots of moms complain about pain while walking in the last few months of pregnancy, but nothing seemed like it fit my scenario, it wasnt just discomfort, like i said, it was excruciating pain.

Finally, after months of research, i happened upon what described exactly what I had: Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction (or Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or SPD). It was a miracle!!! now I could research about how to alleviate the pain. So after another few weeks of researching, I finally found out what it was and ways i could help it.

When you are pregnant your body releases a hormone called "relaxin." It does just what it sounds like, it relaxes the ligaments and joints in your body. Now, this is great and beautiful when done in the right amount, because as you get bigger (like end of your pregnancy), your pelvic/hip bones will naturally and slowly open (epecially near delivery) so that the baby can fit through your pelvic bones during delivery. BUT what happens to us who have SPD is that this hormone is released a little off, either too early or too much. In my case, it is too much and def really early (pain starting 12 weeks with my first, and 8 weeks with 2nd). Now, no one be needing hips spreadin to fit a baby through your pelvic bones at 8 weeks! 

Besides that, my hips settle unevenly. This is what causes the extreme pain for me. The joint right between your legs that holds your pubic bone together is called your Symphysis Pubis. one of my hips was higher than the other, it caused strain on this area, and every time I did something with only one leg (aka, took a step or rolled over in bed) it would cause inflamation and stress on the joint aka pain!  Then after months and months of this, it was just always inflamed and always hurting. (I probably shouldn't have run a 5k while 6 months pregnant, but since I didnt know what was causing the pain, I didnt know to stay away from running, haha #goodforfuturereference)

Once I found this out, I also found out that with a simple manuver, a Chiropractor could pop my hips back into place and then they wouldnt be uneven. So after 4 months of crazy pain, the chiropractor did his job and POP! I felt much better. I remember specifically thinking "Wow, if this is what normal pregnant women feel like, I can do this." So, the last 2 months of my pregnancy was actually the most *comfortable* haha

Anyway, since my muscles had been used to the old position for so long, they do pull your hips back out, so I did have to visit frequently, but at least I was down to "normal pregnancy pain."  So, with this second pregnancy I have been seeing a chiropractor 1-3 times/week since week 8 of my pregnancy, it has helped tremendously. (even though I have had pain here and there, at least I was able to stave off the intense pain for 3-4 months! and I know it is way less painful now than it would have been if I didnt see a chiropractor at all)

So, if you or someone else has had these symptoms:

-feeling like your hips are spreading really early/early waddling

-pain between legs with walking/turning over

-feeling like your leg is falling off

It might be SPD

Things that help:

-Decrease strain in the area: that means no running or long walks, try to decrease activity that is asymetrical (when rolling over, keep legs together, get dressed sitting down, pull both legs out of the car then stand up)

-Find a chiropractor that is certified to help pregnant women (specifically in the Webster Technique--this technique is also famous for helping turn breech babies!!)

-This book has a lot that can help: Relieving Pelvic Pain During and After Pregnancy

-Ice areas that hurt

-Do exercises such as kegels, pelvic tilts, cat/dog

You can still exercise during pregnancy, just not to increase activity in the painful area:

I found that sitting in a reclined exercise bike didnt hurt, so that is my daily exercise (it kinda feels lazy sometimes, but hey! i am pregnant and exercising daily and it doesnt hurt!)

Arm and core workouts are also great!

And don't stress! My pain went away right after delivery. Others I have talked to, it has gone away after a few months, or with continued exercises of the area, it is able to stay away

Moral of the story: don't tell a pregnant lady that she doesn't know what she is feeling! #punkdr

dont judge a pregnant lady for complaining (I despise it when other moms are like, "oh, i know what you mean, i had hip pain my last month!")

dont judge a pregnant lady for not exercising #chairrestisnofun #gainingextraweightisnofuneither 

On another note, don't judge non pregnant people for cravings. The elders told me they wanted hamburgers for dinner last night, so I'm not going to deny anyone of their cravings #eldershavefeelingstoo

Now I am off to clean my house (non vigorously and with sitting breaks of course). After cooking the hamburgers, i have lots of grease to be a scrubbin! (#sidenote I have never made hamburgers before in my life #yayforhealthydiets   and it was messy!!!! #probwonthappenagainforanotherdecade #ifyouwantburgersdontcometome)