Check out my smiley belt. Sexy as.
Back pain is common in pregnancy as we not only put
on disproportionate weight, but also produce a hormone called relaxin, which
'relaxes' ligaments, bone structures and arteries in preparation for
birth. This can make some women feel
super awesome, but can also cause issues as bits of the body may 'relax' into
awkward places. I have had back pain,
and treatment before, but none of it compares to what I am
experiencing now due to pregnancy.
* * * * * * * * *
As a relevant, early sidebar, I started doing maternity yoga about three weeks ago. I decided to do this because I wanted to do some prep for child birth. I have learnt a lot from this yoga class. I learnt that I was basically doing everything wrong. I was sleeping, sitting and standing wrong. I learnt about relaxin, and about some positions I shouldn't get into, not just because they aren't lady like, but because they might damage me now cos of the stupid relaxin.
I left my first yoga class completely re-educated, traumatised, and worried about how I would possibly be able to sleep in a different-to-usual position. I cannot stress enough that this education was very useful. If you are going to give birth for the first time, I recommend going to maternity yoga. In spite of the fact that it makes me nauseated (due to low blood pressure) and tearful, I am learning things I may never have learnt without it. And they are practical and logical things - not just hippy la la things.
I'm learning a bunch of exercises, some that will hopefully help my back (I told my yoga instructor I was having issues). And I bought a Swiss Ball the day after my first yoga class in an attempt to sit on the couch less (the couch is apparently evil). I haven't been 100% good with my posture, but I'm aware of it and trying, and exercising and I am attempting to sleep differently.
* * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * *
As a relevant, early sidebar, I started doing maternity yoga about three weeks ago. I decided to do this because I wanted to do some prep for child birth. I have learnt a lot from this yoga class. I learnt that I was basically doing everything wrong. I was sleeping, sitting and standing wrong. I learnt about relaxin, and about some positions I shouldn't get into, not just because they aren't lady like, but because they might damage me now cos of the stupid relaxin.
I left my first yoga class completely re-educated, traumatised, and worried about how I would possibly be able to sleep in a different-to-usual position. I cannot stress enough that this education was very useful. If you are going to give birth for the first time, I recommend going to maternity yoga. In spite of the fact that it makes me nauseated (due to low blood pressure) and tearful, I am learning things I may never have learnt without it. And they are practical and logical things - not just hippy la la things.
I'm learning a bunch of exercises, some that will hopefully help my back (I told my yoga instructor I was having issues). And I bought a Swiss Ball the day after my first yoga class in an attempt to sit on the couch less (the couch is apparently evil). I haven't been 100% good with my posture, but I'm aware of it and trying, and exercising and I am attempting to sleep differently.
* * * * * * * * *
Concurrently... About
a month ago I found out you can get a physio appointment via your Midwife, so
asked my Midwife to organise me one because I was having some lower back pain. And
then waited and waited. I am a person
who doesn't like to 'bug' people, so didn't want to 'bug' my Midwife for a few
weeks. Then she went on holiday, and I would
have to 'bug' her birthing partner who I haven't met before. So I didn't 'bug' her until I had to leave
work because I had trouble turning on the computer...
As soon as I 'bugged' her, I got a phone call from the hospital to organise me an appointment for the next day (go Midwife!). I wish I had been brave enough to bug her earlier. This is one of the annoying things about being anxious. I think had I been brave enough to 'bug' her earlier, my back may not have gotten to this point. It still might have, but case in point, being braver is smarter.
So on Wednesday I had an appointment with the hospital physio, and she was brilliant. I like physio - I've done a fair whack of it, so it was also nice to be the 'good' patient wearing appropriate clothing and footwear and knowing stuff and things (once a teacher's pet, always a teacher's pet). And it was so nice to be told I have the 'typical' symptoms of a hip problem. It's really nice to be 'typical', because it means people know what to do with you. My right hip is tilted too far forward, and is not very mobile. Hence pain with movement, and sometimes extreme pain as other muscles and bits catch in the hip joint. So the joint needs to learn where it's supposed to go, and needs to be mobilised. So she did some very mild joint manipulation and fitted me with a Smiley belt and some more exercises to mobilise the hip. I felt instant relief as soon as she put the belt on.
As soon as I 'bugged' her, I got a phone call from the hospital to organise me an appointment for the next day (go Midwife!). I wish I had been brave enough to bug her earlier. This is one of the annoying things about being anxious. I think had I been brave enough to 'bug' her earlier, my back may not have gotten to this point. It still might have, but case in point, being braver is smarter.
So on Wednesday I had an appointment with the hospital physio, and she was brilliant. I like physio - I've done a fair whack of it, so it was also nice to be the 'good' patient wearing appropriate clothing and footwear and knowing stuff and things (once a teacher's pet, always a teacher's pet). And it was so nice to be told I have the 'typical' symptoms of a hip problem. It's really nice to be 'typical', because it means people know what to do with you. My right hip is tilted too far forward, and is not very mobile. Hence pain with movement, and sometimes extreme pain as other muscles and bits catch in the hip joint. So the joint needs to learn where it's supposed to go, and needs to be mobilised. So she did some very mild joint manipulation and fitted me with a Smiley belt and some more exercises to mobilise the hip. I felt instant relief as soon as she put the belt on.
So I went to work yesterday feeling super confident with
my new belt and understanding as to why my back was not my friend. I wish confidence was a better placebo than
I'd assumed. At about 1.20pm I suddenly
got sharp pain in my lower back. This
was a different to normal kind of pain as it was constant (usual pain is with
movement). Then my
blood pressure dropped, and I almost collapsed.
I shakily sat down, took some Panadol,
drank a bunch of water, and emailed my husband.
I thought it quite likely that my blood pressure
dropped because my body was shocked by the pain. So let him know what was going on, but that
we didn't need to do anything unless I couldn't get my blood pressure to come
right in the next half hour. I figured
in that time the Panadol would start kicking in, and with less pain, my body
would start to calm down (I'm awesomely logical, even when in agony). Then I started getting cramping across my
pelvis. This is scary when you're
pregnant. Because I have IBS I went to
the bathroom to double check if it was gastro cramps (again with the logic), and to
check for bleeding, of which there was none.
Phew!
After half an hour things were not right with more cramping and shakiness, so Murray
picked me up and took me to the doctors.
Although the Doctor did
check my stomach for rigidity to ensure everything was ok with the baby, he did
little else - he didn't even check where I was at on a pain scale and I was
crying in pain just trying to step up to the bed to get checked (Murray had to help me get down). He recommended Panadol (despite knowing crying
me was me on Panadol), rest and to
call my Midwife. Then they charged me
for the appointment because it wasn't deemed to be related to pregnancy. We were unimpressed. I have complained.
My back-up Midwife was reassuring. Although there was nothing she could practically do, she let me know there were options. You can take more hard core drugs when pregnant than Panadol (yay). She recommended to go to A&E if the pain levels didn't come down because they could give me these drugs. And I can go back to the hospital physio which I plan to do next week.
Over early evening my pain settled to a tolerable level with doing nothing. Today, I can walk around with my belt on and only look slightly crippled. But I can't stand for long, I can't bend down to do things like get a cup out of the cupboard, and I certainly can't go to work. I am hoping that this has something to do with too much or 'new' exercise, and this will dissipate with rest, but who knows.
My back-up Midwife was reassuring. Although there was nothing she could practically do, she let me know there were options. You can take more hard core drugs when pregnant than Panadol (yay). She recommended to go to A&E if the pain levels didn't come down because they could give me these drugs. And I can go back to the hospital physio which I plan to do next week.
Over early evening my pain settled to a tolerable level with doing nothing. Today, I can walk around with my belt on and only look slightly crippled. But I can't stand for long, I can't bend down to do things like get a cup out of the cupboard, and I certainly can't go to work. I am hoping that this has something to do with too much or 'new' exercise, and this will dissipate with rest, but who knows.
I am glad there is a plan. But it is frustrating being in limbo. How do you handle having a job when you are in a physical limbo? I feel sorry for my boss. She has a staff member who 'might' be ok for work but who knows? I was really hoping to not feel like an invalid until I was much more pregnant than this. And I shouldn't feel this way because I'm being good. I'm doing the exercises. I'm going to yoga. And I'm resting (I have little choice). Surely this means I should get a reprieve? And yes, I know, patience is a virtue, good things come to those that wait etc. But those waiting in pain and limbo may go into psychotic rage and kill things...
I am grateful that the baby is ok. She has been kicking away at my bladder like an evil demon child, which is good. And my back-up Midwife said pain is commonly 'unpredictable' in pregnancy, so I might wake up tomorrow and feel pretty good. I really hope so. In the interim, I am resting. Our house is a state, but I will just sit (not on the couch) and watch DVD's like a good, albeit impatient, patient.
