[KatiInCT]

Everyone says 1st trimester is horrid and 2nd trimester is easy. Not for me. I sailed through the 1st trimester with no morning sickness and just having to pee often. Second trimester I have been suffering with some really bad back pain.

Friday I had some low abdominal cramping which I just assumed was stretching pains.

Saturday during the day the abdominal pain stopped but my back had a dull ache on the right side. By the time 11:30pm rolled around I was in tears as it worstened and DH insisted that we head to the ER to make sure nothing more serious was wrong. Me and baby are both fine, it's "just normal back pain" and I can take a Tylenol "if I want" and have to "stay hydrated".

I have barely slept since Friday because it hurts to lie down (sharp constant hot pain on my right side from my underwear line to about 6" above that) and as soon as it starts hurting I am in the same level of pain the rest of the night even when I am no longer lying down. This has made work during the day rather difficult as I am exhausted. Preparation for when the baby comes I suppose. But what I wouldn't give to be able to sleep. I actually was super excited that I got a single stretch of sleep from 3am-5:30am this morning! Everything else has been in 1/2 hr to 1 hour stretches when I can even fall asleep in the first place. *yawn*

Any suggestions from you BTDT preggos on dealing with back pain? I tried taking Tylenol but it didn't help and I would rather not be on meds anyways. I have been doing some stretching that my massage therapist showed me last time I was in a few weeks ago and have been doing my best to stay hydrated. I have tried sleeping on my side in various positions with pillows in every which way (between knees, between thighs, flat pillow under my side above my hip, etc) and have also tried sleeping sitting upright on the couch.

[ANGWife]

What type of shoes are you wearing?

If you can, wearing Crocs really helped me

I would suggest getting a maternity belt for support. I got one cuz my back pain was sooo unbearable. Sometimes I couldnt even walk. It helped soooo much!! But just wait, the 3rd trimester is where the fun really begins..

[Adriana's Mommy]

I had horrible back pain in the first and second trimester when I was pregnant with Adriana.. I think she was near my sciatic nerve.. There was nothing I can do about it.. It just disappeared in the last few weeks of my second trimester..

With this pregnancy, I get back pain towards the end of my work shift, but I think that's due to me walking and standing so much and I wear Crocs.. I swear I walk like an old lady now.. lol

[~*Bethy*~]

yeah Id try new shoes - I just cant fathom what it would be other than a nerve that its tweaking out. What does you regular OB say??

[KatiInCT]

I would only rate the daytime pain at a 1 or a 2 so I don't think it is shoe related at this point. I wear a hiking sneaker most of the time. I actually went ballroom dancing and was in my 2 1/2" heels on Monday evening and it didn't bother my back at all, my feet were sore by the end of the lesson but that is normal. I would rate my night time pain at a 7.

I have not talked to my regular OB yet, my next appointment with him isn't until the 28th. At this point, since I know the baby is fine, I am planning on just grinning and bearing it. I can only assume the 3rd trimester will be even more fun so why waste all my complaining now? DH already told me I am a wimp and to remember that when they offer me an epidural the correct answer is 'yes'. *sigh*

I will keep in mind the recommendations of different shoes and a maternity belt if it starts acting up during the day.

Thanks for the words of advice, ladies!

[~*Bethy*~]

your welcome and can I smack your dh for saying that? how bout he have a baby and it has to come out of his penis? sorry just irks me when men get that cocky about it.

~Beth

[soImarriedAnerd]

You sit at a desk most of the day right? Try getting a ball to sit on also. And instead of heat try some ice packs (heat combined with the relaxin hormone can sometime lead to OVER stretching and pain in pregnancy). Chiropractor? I hope it gets better for you!

Ouch Sounds like a nerve is getting pinched. Does it feel like nerve, muscle, or bone pain? I never had anything like that.

I hope it goes away so that you can find some relief!

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

Well when you're sleeping your vertabrae have a chance to decompress and stretch back out... so I would think that during the day you're not in a whole lot of pain but by night time your body is all compressed and probably pushing on some nerves. I would bring it up with your OB and also go back to a massage therapist and bring your DH and ask for some tips.

[KatiInCT]

Thankfully my licensed massage therapist is also my stepmom. I am trying to get together with her this weekend.

[**Jenn**]

I hope you're able to get some relief! Lower back pain always plagues me in pregnancy, and it doesn't matter what point in the pregnancy I'm at either. I got such horrible sciatic pain last time and it never did go away. I still can't sit for long periods of time without it acting up.

Hopefully a nice massage with do the trick! And lucky you that your stepmom is a licensed massage therapist!

[KatiInCT]

2am and in tears. This sucks! I know at this point if I try to lie back down I won't be able to fall asleep so here I am. Last night I just played on the computer until it subsided, only took a measly 2 hours for it to go away enough to lie back down without screaming. That 5:30 alarm clock is going to come way too soon.

ETA: Was able to sleep from 9:45-11:00 and 12:00-2:00.

[**jessie**]

I normally have trouble with back pain (rheumatoid arthritis) and have had a couple flare ups during this pregnancy but nothing too bad. For me, nothing tops a warm bubble bath to soak in. I take one every evening (water not too hot, of course) and it works wonders, especially relaxing the muscles. I asked my doc to make sure it was ok and she said it was.