A Hip Update

I mentioned a while back that my hip had started hurting again and I wasn’t sure how active I’d be able to be for the rest of my pregnancy.

I’m happy to report that my hip has (for the most part) behaved itself and the Mini Athlete and I are still enjoying our morning walks together!

My hip pain really is different this time than last time and I’m still learning how to best alleviate the issues. I have a feeling I’ll be going through trial and error for the next eleven and half weeks – can you believe I’ll be having another baby by then?

I’ve noticed a few things that really aggravate my hip, like too much bending over to pick things up (especially if those things are heavy – like the watermelon I tried to put under my shopping cart at the store last week). But even repetitious bending over, like cleaning up the Mini Athlete’s toys or leaning over to getting more paint on the roller as I painted Little Miss Athlete’s nursery. If I can avoid those types of things, I end up in much better shape.

Another thing that bothers it? Sitting in my desk chair with my legs crossed at the knees. I know that’s a bad habit anyway, but it’s a habit nonetheless. I’m really trying to work on crossing my legs at my ankles but I forget more times than not. The sitting position that feels the best? Sitting cross legged, preferably on the floor. In fact, I’m typing this post as I sit cross legged on the floor. Hey, whatever works.

I find that stretches and massage really help so I’m trying to figure out exactly what does the trick. So far the magic happens when I try half pigeon – hurts SO good. But I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to maneuver myself into that position as I move further into the third trimester. Other poses like butterfly pose seem to help to a certain extent too.

I’ve noticed a lot of tightness in my hamstrings lately – I have a feeling it’s because of the awkward way I walk when my hip is bothering me. Any suggestions for stretching out hamstrings while working around an ever-growing belly?

I’m sure that’s more than you ever wanted to know about my hip, but there it is. I’m thankful that my hip pain is  considerably less than last time and hope it stays that way for the duration of this pregnancy!

Any stretches you would recommend for my hips or hamstrings?