Having Pain in the Upper Area of the Inside of My Legs..?

D'Anne,

I had this problem with my last two pregnancies, especially the last one. My back, rear, inside thighs and crotch would do completely numb. I also had horrendous swelling in my privates, something my doctor said is normal but in such a sensitive area no one talks about it. Must be so because I've never found any information on vaginal varicose veins.

K.

Hi, I'm almost 7 months pregnant and I have been having the same exact pain in my inner leg too. This is also my third pregnancy but this is the first experience I have had with this type of pain. I am really glad that everyone replied to your question but it really eases my mind to know that this IS actually normal.

Since you had preterm labor with your last baby, this should be checked out. Some women feel contractions in their legs, as well as their lower back. If the doctor/midwife says that all is well, then it is likely the way the baby is laying on a particular nerve or something. It is a common complaint, but no fun! Chiropractic care and a pregnancy massage could do wonders for you! I would make sure that everything is ok first though.

I am a labor and delivery nurse, and 34 weeks pregnant with my 3rd, and have the same symptoms, as well as pain in my hips. It is worse when I try to move or turn over when I'm lying dowm, or try to get up from lying or sitting. I had it very mildly with my first, worse with my second, and the worst with this one. I attribute it to the loosening and stretching of the uterine ligaments and pelvic and abdominal muscles with each pregnancy. For the same reason your belly gets bigger earlier with each one, these structures don't support the weight of the baby as well the more prgnancies you have. I am quite sure it doesn't pose any risk to the baby, just discomfort for you. It can't hurt to mention it to your doctor, he may want to do a pelvic exam to make sure you're not dilating, but I think it is pretty common to have a lot of pressure in all areas down there, including the groin area and definitely pain in the lower back. Good luck!

It sounds like the baby is putting pressure on a nerve. I had this happen with my first baby. The only difference was that I lost feeling in that part of my leg. As soon as she was born, the pressure was gone and the feeling came back. Lower back aches are pretty typical close to the end of pregnancy, so I wouldn't worry about that unless you think you might have a bladder infection. I don't think that you are going into labor, true labor wouldn't stop because of a change in possition. But if you are worried about it I would definetly call your doctor.

I remember with my second child, I had a lot of pain not only in that area, but my hips and feet, as well. My doctor said it was from ligatures expanding in preparation for having the baby. Only, mine started months earlier than my baby was due, and I had her a week later than her due date.

I would say it's probably nothing to worry about, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead and call the nurse at your OB/GYN or else ask the doctor himself/herself. Always better to be safe than to be sorry.

Actually, I had this exact same problem with my third pregnancy as well. They put me on Vistaril (I think that is spelled correctly) - it is also prescribed under the name Atarax. It is normally used as an anti-anxiety. I have problems with that, and had been prescribed Atarax before the pregnancy, and it didn't help me with the anxiety, but did help greatly with the leg pain. Mine was in one leg only, and was so bad I could barely walk. At the end of my pregnancy, that leg swelled so badly they did a Doppler test to make sure I didn't have blood clots in it, but it went down about a week after birth. Anyway, they told me it comes from the baby resting on a nerve, and it is supposed to be fairly common. Please tell your doctor and get a prescription - the medication is very mild, and won't hurt the baby so long as you take it as directed. Wishing you the best, Barbara

I have had this with all of my pregnancies. I am currently on pegnancy #4 at 32 weeks and am dealing with this right now. All it is is your body getting loose and ready for baby. It happens to me very early on because I already have very loose joints. It has also gotten worse for me with every pregnancy. You don't have to stop walking but it will force you to take it slow.

Hi, I'm 39 wks pregnant and I never had pain in my upper legs but I do have the severe lower back pain. My Dr. said that my back pain is because my baby has her back in my back when most babies have there stomach against your back. I would say talk to your doctor and find out what postition your baby is in. Have you tried taking Tylenol? My doc has me take tylenol and it helps some but the pain doesn't go away completely. And have your husband rub you lower back and maybe try to rub your inner legs and see if that gives any relief. Congratulations on the new baby.

A.

I experienced this with my last pregnancy. My daughter, now 7 1/2 months old, was what doctors call sunny-side-up or face up in the birth canal. My first was complete breech, so I did not experience the "gift" of labor with her. I attempted a VBAC with the last one and experienced "back labor" first hand. The OB nurse told me that my baby was face up and that is why I was having intense pain in my lower back. It then made sense to me why my tail bone ached during the end of my pregnancy (I also had the upper thigh pain, but I think that was because she had fallen into position and was resting in my pelvis). I ended up having another C-section, but it was because I wasn't progressing. I have learned that if indeed your baby is face up, it can be turned during labor. I'm not sure if that is why you're experiencing pain, but I would ask your doctor during your next OB visit.

I had that happen to me when i was pregnant with my second and third child. It was worse with my third child though. Really i used to ask my doctor about it all the time and they told me that it was just pressure from the baby and that i just had to find a comfortable position for me because i varies for every woman. Personally i could never find a comfortable position for myself i just had to suffer throughout the end of both of my last pregnancies. I want another baby now but that pain that i went through with my last child makes me not want to go through that again.

Hi D'Anne! I had this same problem with my 2nd pregnancy. My legs hurt soooo bad, I could barely stand up some days. I asked my Dr about it and he said there was nothing you can do about it. After I had the baby, I havent had any more pain in my legs. I know how uncomfortable you must be...but it will be over soon. Congrats on the baby girl....I love the name!

have your doctor check your hips, I had the same problem before I found a doctor who said
I needed hip replacements-- and that solved the problem. Good Luck

During pregnancy the pelvic joints loosen in preparation for the delivery. If your pelvis is not aligned properly this can cause pain in the lower spine, hips, and groin area. I have seen many pregnant women with the same issue, and have helped provide relief through chiropractic care. Is chiropractic safe for pregnant women? Yes. There are very gentle procedures to realign the pelvis, which can actually help with the delivery. I received chiropractic care until the day I delivered both of my sons.

Do your homework to find a chiropractor who adjusts pregnant women.

T. Theriot, D.C.
New Iberia, LA

You may also have vericose veins. I developed those with my third pregnancy as well. They were very painful, but went away after delivery. Get it checked out.

It's veriscosities (sp). The compression hose from Motherhood makes a world of difference. Also, lie on the ground with your bottom against the wall and feet up the wall but for no longer than 10 min. It will bring the blood flow to that area.