thread: sore and dislocated ribs! Help ANYONE!

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Apr 2007
    Sydney
    900

    sore and dislocated ribs! Help ANYONE!

    No one told me that you could get dislocated ribs from pregnancy! Not that it would have stopped me but I guess it would have been nice to be prepared. Its been like this for 5 weeks now. I saw my Chiro after 1 week and she put the ribs back in but an hour later out they cam again. The discomfort is so distracting. I happens when I sit down (mainly upright). So considering I spend about 3 hours a day commuting to work and back as well as having a desk job, I can tell you I am getting a bit teary cause I can't seem to get a break from it.
    Its mainly on the right side. I find relief once I stand up for a while or I kneel on the floor at my desk, but then my poor knees get sore. I realise now that I have to cope and it will go once the baby is born, but I have another 3 months to go, how will I survive? Is there a special office chair or something I can get that can ease the discomfort? I read that its happening cause everything is being forced up into my chest cavity especially when I sit. This make sense, cause I am fine when I lay down on the lounge or in bed. Its just the sitting upright which is the problem.

    I started crying today, I know I am sook, but I could really use some advice or even someone to say that they had this and survived it... Please girls!

  2. #2
    BellyBelly Member

    May 2008
    1,110

    Have you tried using a fit ball sometimes too?? It does sound ouchy...

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jan 2005
    Down by the ocean
    6,110

    I haven't had a rib dislocated but get very sore. I almost always rip my bra off as soon as I get home and that helps. Is there a chance your bra is making it worse?

    I also can't sit up straight for too long so need to get up and move quite often or lay back but that's not a good position to be in a lot of the time due to the risk of bub turning prosterior.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jun 2007
    374

    Oh hugs puppies

    I totally know what you're going through, I was in agony with rib pain during my pregnancy. DD's feet were jammed up under my right ribs. I also had a desk job and got sore knees from knealing at my computer! I spoke to my boss about it and he said I could have a break and stretch/take a walk whenever I needed. Walking really helped, but only while I was walking.

    Try lying down on your left side and put your right arm over your head to stretch.

    Sorry but I had the severe rib pain up until DD was born, it was sooo bad at the end of my pregnancy. The pain goes immediately and I still stop and think to myself how nice it is not to have feet under my ribs!

    Also, as Raven said try not to lay back or slouch in a chair/couch too much, my DD was posterior because I sat like that to ease my rib pain.

    Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy, rest and stretch as much as you can. It will all be worth it when your holding your precious little baby!

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Apr 2007
    Sydney
    900

    I might try and get one of those bra clip extenders cause I am on the last clips, maybe that might help... I will try anything at this stage.
    What does posterior mean?

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Jun 2007
    374

    The bra extender might help puppies.

    Here is some info I got from the BellyBelly sight re posterior babies:

    Ideally, baby will lined up as to fit through your pelvis as easily as possible. To be in this position, baby needs to be head down, facing your back, with his back on one side of the front of your tummy. In this position, the baby?s head is easily ?flexed?, i.e. his chin tucked onto his chest, so that the smallest part of his head will be applied to the cervix first. This position is called ?occiput anterior?.

    The ?occiput posterior? position is not as ideal. In a posterior position, the baby is still head down, but facing your tummy instead of your back. Mothers of babies in the ?posterior? position are more likely to have longer and more painful labours (backache labour) as the baby usually has to turn all the way around to face your back in order to be born. He cannot fully flex his head in this position, and diameter of his head, which has to enter the pelvis, is greater. This means that often posterior babies do not engage (descend into the pelvis) before labour starts. The fact that they don?t engage means that it?s harder for labour to start naturally, so they are more likely to be born post-dates. Braxton Hicks contractions before labour starts may be especially painful, with lots of pressure on the bladder, as the baby tries to rotate while it?s entering the pelvis.

    My baby engaged but couldn't turn during labour, I had lots of back pain. After a very lengthy labour she was in fetal distress and I ended up with an emergency c-section. I'll be very aware of this for my next bub.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Apr 2007
    Sydney
    900

    Thanks for that great and detailed explanation. Is there anything you can do or not do to avoid this happening before the baby is born?

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jun 2008
    486

    HI Puppies,

    I feel for you as I am getting a lot of rib pain myself ( nothing like yours though) but I see an osteopath as opposed to a chiro. If all the chiro does is to put it back into place, it could also be that there is something else twisting or causing you the rib to get out. Maybe try to see a physio or osteo or even a different chiro. My osteo looks at what is causing the pain as opposed to just crack & fix where it hurts (if that makes sense) sometimes, you might have a lot of pain under the shoulderblade but its all because your pelvis is twisted in the first place and its like a domino effect.
    That's of course my opinion as chiro and physio never made me better only made it bearable ( long history of backache) where as my osteo did and I never looked back. That's what worked for me, so it's all about finding the right treatment that works for you, so don't be shy to experiment and see different types of specialists
    Maybe you could see if your DH might be able to massage your ribs or around the area, carefully of course.. but once thing is for sure and that is stretching & a proper posture will go a long way too.

    Wishing you all the luck, hope you get some relief. Are you sleeping with a pillow between your legs too? that might help your body not crushing so much and keep everything in line.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Jun 2007
    374

    Hi Puppies,

    How To Avoid A Posterior Presentation:

    Avoid positions which encourage your baby to face your tummy. The main culprits are said to be lolling back in armchairs, sitting in car seats where you are leaning back or anything where your knees are higher than your pelvis. The best way to do this is to spend lots of time kneeling upright, or sitting upright, or on hands and knees. When you sit on a chair, make sure your knees are lower than your pelvis, and your trunk should be tilted slightly forwards.

    Here are some suggestions:

    If you are watching television, do this while kneeling on the floor, over a beanbag, fitball or cushions, or sit on a dining chair. Try sitting on a dining chair backwards and if you need, prop some cushions under your bottom to ensure your pelvis is higher than your knees.

    Sit on a wedge cushion in the car, so that your pelvis is tilted forwards. Keep the seat back upright

    Don?t cross your legs! This reduces the space at the front of the pelvis, and opens it up at the back. For good positioning, the baby needs to have lots of space at the front
    Don?t put your feet up unless your doctor has advised you to or you need a quick rest! Lying back with your feet up encourages posterior presentation.

    Sleep on your side, not on your back.

    Swimming with your belly downwards is said to be very good for positioning babies ? not backstroke, but lots of breaststroke. Breaststroke in particular is thought to help with good positioning, because all those leg movements help open your pelvis and settle the baby downwards.

    A fitball can encourage good positioning, both before and during labour. Opt to sit on a fitball over a chair.

    Various exercises done on all fours can help, eg wiggling your hips from side to side, or arching your back like a cat, followed by dropping the spine down.

    There are more tips and info on the BellyBelly site under Pregnancy Articles. HTH.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Sydney
    503

    wow your poor thing! Hope you have found some relief - I know that my bra makes me ribs hurt sometimes but since I go resized up its been ok