Tips to Relieve Hip Pain During Your Third Trimester

The third trimester of pregnancy brings you closer to the finish line but can be one of the most uncomfortable parts of the pregnancy journey. As your baby continues to grow, pressure on your pelvic organs and hips increases, which can lead to pain in the hip joints.

At Raveco Medical, we offer comprehensive pregnancy support for women. We provide customized care plans to ensure your pregnancy experience is a safe, happy, and memorable experience.

Our board-certified OB/GYNs understand the challenges women face in their third trimester. They can recommend lifestyle changes and other strategies you can use to manage hip pain as you move toward your delivery date.

The link between hip pain and pregnancy

There are a few reasons that pregnant women experience hip pain in the later stages of pregnancy.

Most notably, the growing fetus takes up more room in the pelvic area, which can press on the joints and strain the ligaments and tendons. This can lead to occasional or persistent aches or pain in the hips. Pregnancy can also loosen the hip joints, making them less flexible and resulting in mobility issues.

Another source of hip pain in pregnancy is sciatica, a condition that occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed by the expanded uterus. The large sciatic nerve runs from your lower spine down into your buttocks, hips, and legs. When irritated or inflamed, the nerve can trigger pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in these areas.

Finally, your hips can feel more achy and painful as you near your delivery date because of hormones that prepare your body for childbirth. Your body releases certain hormones in your third trimester to soften connective tissues in your pelvis that allows the baby to move through the birth canal.

5 tips for easing pregnancy-related hip pain

Our physicians can recommend specific strategies you can use to safely manage hip pain during pregnancy. Medical treatment may be necessary if your hip pain is chronic and interferes with your daily routine or mobility.

If you have mild to moderate hip aches or pain, here are five self-care strategies you can use to help you feel more comfortable:

Use warm compresses

Warm compresses stimulate increased blood flow to the hip area to ease joint stiffness and discomfort.

You can use a hot water bottle or soak a towel in hot water and apply it to your painful joints. If you use a heating pad, be sure to only leave it on the hip area for 10-15 minutes at a time to prevent burns. Pregnant women should never place a heating pad directly on their abdomen.

2. Schedule a massage

Prenatal massages keep blood flowing throughout the body and help your muscles relax. Your therapist can target the hip joints and help stretch tense muscles and tendons.

You can also use gentle, circular movements to massage your hips at home to promote relaxation and pain relief.

3. Enroll in prenatal yoga

Prenatal yoga is a safe, low-impact activity that’s appropriate for women in all phases of pregnancy.

Ask your instructor to show you the yoga poses that focus on stretching and relaxing the hip joints. There are also poses you can learn to ease pressure on the sciatic nerve.

4. Get your steps in

To prevent your hip joints from tightening up, it can be helpful to take a few small walks each day.

Daily walks also help prepare your body for childbirth by keeping your muscles strong and optimizing your baby’s position in the uterus leading up to your due date.

5. Be mindful of your sleep positions

Sleeping on your side helps relieve pressure on your lower back and hip joints. Position your body on its side with your knees bent.

Many women use pillows to support their belly and hips, so they can sleep more comfortably.

Call Raveco Medical in Forest Hills or Woodside, New York, today to learn more ways you can safely relieve hip pain during pregnancy. You can also use the online feature to schedule an appointment.