A pain in the back side

"UGH! This is so not fun.

I've had a consistent pain in my lower back/upper buttock for the past 16 hours . . . I never had this when pregnant with Jackson. But "they" say that every pregnancy is different. Anyone else experience a difference like this?

I have a call into my doctor to see what she says it might be (my first thought was the elusive sciatica pain but possibly it's another pregnancy related pain, as described below) and what I can take for it.

My other theory is that I stretched too far in yoga class on Sunday. But I'm not really sure that's a legitimate possibility given that the pain doesn't feel like something I've experienced before due to exercising.

Here is what babycenter.com has on the subject (which really describes my case):

'You can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back.

The extra weight you're carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why your back may feel worse at the end of the day. [Mine is all day long, fun.] Your growing uterus may also cause back pain if it's pressing on a nerve.

In addition, hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things. [So, pretty much anything, great!]

Experts describe two common patterns of low back pain in pregnancy: Lumbar pain occurs in the area of the lumbar vertebrae in your lower back [not my case] and posterior pelvic pain is felt in the back of your pelvis [hmmm, that sounds more like it]. Some women have symptoms of both types of low back pain.

. . . more pregnant women have posterior pelvic pain, which is felt lower on your body than lumbar pain. You may feel it deep inside the buttocks, on one or both sides or in the back of your thighs. It may be triggered by activities such as walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a tub or a low chair, rolling over in bed, or twisting and lifting.

Positions in which your hips are bent — such as sitting in a chair and leaning forward while working at a desk — may make posterior pelvic pain worse. . . When low back pain radiates into the buttocks and thighs, it's often confused with sciatica — a condition that's actually relatively uncommon. True sciatica, which can be caused by a herniated or bulging disk in the lower part of the spine, affects only about 1 percent of pregnant women. [So maybe that's not me . . .]

If you have sciatica, your leg pain will usually be more severe than your back pain. You're likely to feel it below the knee as well, and it may even radiate to your foot and toes. And you'll probably feel a tingling, pins-and-needles sensation in your legs or possibly some numbness. [Not me for sure, guess it's the posterior pelvic pain that I've got.]'

I swam this morning thinking that the motion and floating would help me, but it did not. I bought myself a nice hot/cold pad that was useful for the time that it was on my back. But so far the only thing that alleviated the pain was taking a walk. . . that is, until I sat down again!

I hope my doctor calls soon with advise on what pain medication she approves of, in the mean time I think I'll try soaking in a hot bath. Again, I say, UGH! This is so not fun."
--Clare