Sciatic Pain…such a painful thing during pregnancy. Some women never get it, some get it once in a while and others get it the entire time. I was one of those how had it the whole time during my first and my second pregnancy so I have done a ton of research and tried many different things to ease the pain because unfortunately moms to be…nothing will make the pain go away except getting that baby out of you!

What is sciatica?
According to the American Pregnancy Association the sciatic nerve runs under your uterus to your legs. The cause of sciatic nerve pain is thought to be associated with pressure on the nerve caused by the developing baby. The nerve pain feels like a pinched nerve from the back of the thigh and buttocks, lower part of the leg and the sole of the foot.  It can be a constant pain or come and go depending on how the baby is sitting.

Here are some tips and tricks I used to ease the pain. I will be honest many people told me to keep getting massages which is great but it only eased the pain for like 30 minutes and it came back again so wasn’t a very cost effective solution for me.

Tips

• Always lie on the side opposite of your sciatic nerve pain.  You want to ease the pressure on the nerve.
• Avoid standing for long periods of time.  If you have to, try to put more pressure on the side that does not hurt.
• Keep good posture:  When you are working on your computer for hours or carrying your other child on your hip, keep your back straight.  Slumping will put more pressure on your back and irritate your nerve.
• Use a heating pad where the pain hurts the most for a short period of time.

Strategies for help ease the pain [Read more...]