Hello Sciatica- I HAVEN'T Missed You!

At around week 27, Miss Moo decided to turn breech and park on my sciatic nerve. She turned head down at 36 weeks, but still liked my sciatic and decided to stay until about 24 hours before I went into labor. I'm 28w4d and Baby Boy decided to park on my sciatic yesterday afternoon. I'm hoping it means he has turned in the correct direction from my Chiropractor adjustment last week when she thought he was transverse.

Although Sciatica was pretty awful with Moo, it was manageable because I was only taking care of myself. This time I'm taking care of two little girls and myself. Thankfully NanaPop are still here for a few more days!

What is Sciatica?

There is a nerve in your lower back called the sciatic. As your uterus expands, it can put pressure on the nerve and cause pain, numbness, and tingling in your lower back, rear, and down your leg. It can also be a result of the baby getting into a head down position and putting pressure on the nerve. It can come and go, or be constant. Either way, it can be uncomfortable and can last through the end of third trimester and into the first few weeks of the postpartum period.

What I'm Doing for Relief

I'm not one to take any medicines other than herbs of vitamins- even when I'm not pregnant. Here are a few things I have done to try to get some relief from this condition.

• Heating Pad- I sit on a heating pad on the lowest setting with a blanket between me and the pad. This helps relieve the pain temporarily and makes getting up and walking/standing for a few minutes less of a challenge. Heat isn't something I can do for a long period of time without feeling warm all over and then feeling sick. Changes in body temperature must be done slowly for me and managed to keep everyone okay.
• Warm Baths- This one helps me relax and gives some temporary relief, much like the heating pad. Getting in and out of a warm bath before bed helps me get a little more comfortable in order to sleep before I have to get up for the first potty run of the night.
• Stretching/Pelvic Tilts- This one worked with Moo, not so much with Baby Boy. Sometimes, stretching, squatting, and doing tilts would shift her momentarily and I could get 10-15 mints pain free. This little guy seems pretty set in where he wants to be right now.
• Getting off my feet - This helps because pressure off my legs takes a little pressure off the nerve. I'm trying to force myself to sit down every 45 minutes to an hour- much more difficult this time around.
• Water- I have noticed that the more I hydrate, the less I notice the pain. Maybe I'm just telling myself that one ;) 

Moving Forward

I go back to the Chiropractor on Wednesday, so hopefully that will help some. Given my history, though, I'm resolving myself to living out the rest of this pregnancy with some pain, lots of heat, and a limp. At least the end result is worth it!

Have you ever had Sciatica during pregnancy? What worked for you to get some relief?