# nursing side lying - my hips hurt



## sora (Oct 7, 2006)

Hi,
I've been nursing my baby lying on my side. I nurse her to sleep and she often doesn't let me go while sleeping so I end up lying in one side for a while. My hips are killing me after a while. I tried to put a pillow but it didn't work.
Anybody has a suggestion on easing the pain?
I've been lying on a thin futon on the floor and that might be the reason why I have pain. But I'm comfortable sleeping on my back. I was thinking of getting a latex mattress, which might ease the pain.


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## love2bmom (Jan 26, 2005)

I have experienced this too. A better sleeping surface and a pillow between my knees was the solution for me. Hope you find relief soon


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## Vancouver Mommy (Aug 15, 2007)

I hear ya, mama. And we just bought a brand new king sized bed too! Sometimes it helps when I arrange my pillows so that I'm getting more support on the back of my neck and down my back. That allows me to lean back a bit and take some pressure off my hip. I don't think that would work for smaller breasted women though.


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## Jacksmum8 (Mar 7, 2006)

I had this problem too, I used MANY pillows between my legs and kind of propped myself up so I was leaning a bit away from DS if that makes sense?


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## Jacksmum8 (Mar 7, 2006)

Try propping a pillow against your back as well.


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## sora (Oct 7, 2006)

So, do you think sleeping on a latex mattress won't solve this problem? Right now, my sleeping surface is very hard, almost like sleeping on the floor. But after hearing from others, it seems more like a body alignment problem.


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## mkmoro311 (Oct 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Vancouver Mommy* 
I hear ya, mama. And we just bought a brand new king sized bed too! Sometimes it helps when I arrange my pillows so that I'm getting more support on the back of my neck and down my back. That allows me to lean back a bit and take some pressure off my hip. I don't think that would work for smaller breasted women though.

SAME HERE! Also, I do a lot of stretching. Sit indian style and lean forward, feels good in the hip area!


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sora* 
So, do you think sleeping on a latex mattress won't solve this problem? Right now, my sleeping surface is very hard, almost like sleeping on the floor. But after hearing from others, it seems more like a body alignment problem.

DH and I are currently shopping for a new mattress (we're finally getting a king!














and the guy at the mattress store told me that people who sleep on their sides should sleep on a slightly softer mattress because really firm sleeping surfaces put pressure on the shoulders and hips. I wasn't surprised when I heard this since I'm a side sleeper (even before nursing) and firm mattresses have _always_ hurt my shoulders and hips. Maybe your sleeping surface is making your hip pain worse?


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## aprildawn (Apr 1, 2004)

This happened to me too. Sometimes I could sleep through it, but usually I'd lie awake popping the baby off my breast until she was really asleep. Then I'd very carefully turn over onto my back.


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## jillian+1 (Aug 30, 2007)

I am a side sleeper. I had a lot more problems with hip and sacrum pain after I had my dd; I blame relaxin. Or something.

Anyway, I think the secret is a nice thick pillow between your knees and a very squishy sleeping surface, like a foam topper for your futon. I also believe in the proper thickness of pillow for your head to keep your neck nice and straight. All this will help keep the spine straight and everything else aligned so you don't have pressure spots or kinks.

Good luck!!


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## prancie (Apr 18, 2007)

try a pillow against your back...or your husband can scoot up to your back real close (my favorite) a little support against your back makes all the difference. Also, curl around the baby as much as you can.


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## sora (Oct 7, 2006)

Thanks everyone for tips. I will try your suggestions. I was so frustrated last night that I want to night wean. She would nurse all night not letting me go!
Every time I pull her off, she would cry....


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## Jade's Mom (Aug 8, 2007)

I'm not surprised you have this problem on a futon. The filling can get really compacted and hard.

I have this problem on my right side. Even the thought of lying on my right side to nurse makes my hip ache. I'm sure it's because I have a terrible mattress. Since I only have the problem on one side, I try to stay on my left side and roll almost to my stomach when she needs to nurse on the right. If I have to be on my right, I try to lean to the front or the back to take the pressure off the bone. Sometimes I'll put her head on a toddler pillow to raise it up so I can lean back at a different angle. Sometimes that helps.

Eventually, I'll get a new mattress....


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## cassidypete (Feb 16, 2008)

I found that all the above responses were true for me, I needed a pillow between my knees and to support by back but I also found if I bent my knees more instead of only a bit, think body in a strong s curve vs soft, I had less pain. I also found myself making the side I was laying on stretched and the side not laying on squished, kinda shorter on the top side and longer on the bottom was pulling my hips out of alignment. Chiro told me to try to align my body well before I went to sleep and I have much less pain now.


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