Pregnancy is a beautiful period. However, some physical changes in the female body can cause pain, particularly hip pain. Studies say that a bit more than 32% of women experience it in their third trimester of pregnancy. However, pain in the hips may start bothering you starting from your second trimester. This depends on various factors and ranges from pregnancy to pregnancy.
If this is the problem you experience but want to get rid of, we’ve got some pieces of advice that may come in handy. But before we get down to solutions, we have to explain why you may experience hip pain.
What Causes Hip Pain in Pregnant Women?
Aches and pains in the joints and muscles in pregnant women are not rare. Along with hip pain, you may also suffer from pelvic pain, back pain, pain in the legs, and others. Despite being located in different areas of your body, the cause of the pain is common.
Nature took care that every woman could deliver the baby naturally. Relaxation of the muscles and connecting tissues is one of the essential elements of this preparation. Starting from the second trimester of pregnancy the female body begins releasing increased amounts of the hormone relaxin. It aims to make your tissues more flexible and elastic to let the child’s head go through the narrow birth channel easier.
As for the other reasons you may feel pain in the hip area and pelvis, there are:
- Changes in your posture due to the growing size of your belly and the changes in your center of gravity.
- Weight gain increases the load on the hip joint and pelvic area.
- The growing pressure on the sciatic nerve may provoke numbness, tingling, and pain radiating from the lower back and hips to the legs.
- Certain movements that involve sudden contraction of the round ligaments connecting the groin to the front of your uterus may provoke short-termed sharp pains.
All these symptoms may feel more intense as your due date approaches. Still, in most cases, they are considered a variant of the norm and are dangerous neither for the expecting mother nor the unborn baby.
Safe Ways to Relieve Pain
Ligament pain is hard to handle during pregnancy, as it is not recommended to use any painkillers in this period unless clearly needed. But pain relief is essential for the physical and emotional well-being of the mother-to-be. Luckily, there exist multiple practices that can help women experience less pain. Let’s have an in-depth look into some most popular and those you can do at home without any risks to your pregnancy.
Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga is a safe way to prepare your body for labor and deal with a range of problems pregnant women may face. Due to a variety of breathing techniques, slight stretching, and relaxation this activity involves, a mother-to-be can resolve several health problems altogether.
Yoga will improve your mental health by reducing your anxiety and stress levels. Besides, such kind of physical activity helps to strengthen your muscles and make them more flexible, which will definitely help you in labor. Finally, prenatal yoga is a great instrument to soothe pain in the hip and pelvic area and backache.
Consult your healthcare provider regarding the safety of this activity in your pregnancy.
Enjoy the Benefits of Water
Swimming is a great way to reduce the load on your hip joints and back. Water makes your body light so that it can relax and have a break from the heaviness it feels outside the gentleness of water.
If you can’t visit a swimming pool, a warm bath will become a great substitute for it. The warm water will work well to soothe sore muscles and reduce the pressure on ligaments and joints. Soaking in the bath can be a great time for relaxing your body and mind, which is also important for a future mom.
Pillow for Pregnant Women
If you still haven’t got yourself a pregnancy pillow, it’s time to buy it. When your belly grows, finding a comfortable position for sleep becomes more difficult. Pain in the back or hips can add to the discomfort. Luckily, either problem can be resolved with a quality pillow for pregnant women. Its shape allows you to lie in an anatomically correct position, thus taking off the load from the aching and painful joints.
By getting this pregnancy accessory, you can also get extra support for your belly during sleep, normalize the circulation of blood in the joints and get an overall better quality of sleep.
Warm Compresses
Warm compresses are probably the easiest way to soothe hip joint pain. A heating pad or a bottle filled with warm water should be applied to the painful joints. This will stimulate the inflow of blood to the area, thus decreasing the pain sensations and making you feel better.
Hip Pain During Pregnancy – Final Words
Growing a new human inside is never easy, no matter how well you’ve prepared for this journey. Some aches and pains will appear almost in every pregnant woman. Hip pain is one of the most unpleasant and annoying hardships of pregnancy you may face. However, by knowing about the methods of dealing with it, you’ll be able to soothe it and enjoy your pregnancy more.