Wow, we have been getting a lot of hits from women who are hurting with hip pain in pregnancy. Our first post is currently #5 on Google. I hope you find relief. I know how painful and tiring it can be.
One of the questions I am hearing a lot is "How much calcium?" The recommendations I found were 1200-1500 mg for pregnant women. However, what you ingest and what you assimilate (use) are two different things. Then, there is the matter of what you lose to normal activity.
Sweating in hot climates while doing heavy activity excretes up to 1000 mg a day. You generally lose 250 mg when you have a bowel movement and 100-250 mg to urination.
The absorption (assimilation) rate of ingested calcium is something like 10-30%. 1500 mg with an absorption rate of 30% is only 450 mg. You excrete that much when you go to the bathroom!
When our bodies are assimilating so little and we are using almost as much as we take in, no wonder nutritionists are calling for the US RDA for calcium to be significantly increased. Some feel it should be as high as 5,000 mg.
Our hormones affect how much calcium is circulated in our blood, deposited into our bones and taken from our bones. If your thyroid is off, you could very easily be losing calcium directly from your bones! Along with the hormones, your intake of phosphorous, magnesium, boron, protein, fat and sugar affect calcium assimilation. Exercise and exposure to sunlight also play a role in how calcium is used by your body.
Four or five pregnancies ago (this is my 9th), I started raising my calcium intake until I could tell a noticeable improvement. I take about 2,000 mg in supplements and eat a calcium rich diet. My hip pain decreased quite a bit. I still have aches, but it is nothing like it was. I started sleeping better. The leg cramps went away. And, the "cavity per baby" stopped occurring.
Walk...or waddle :-). A lot. It helps. Avoid sitting and standing in one place too long. I try to change my position often.
I also find relief in making a raised circle with pillows and blankets and lying on it chest down with my belly in the circle. You do not want to put pressure on your stomach. Build it up high enough to support your chest and hips and leave the belly completely free of your weight. use my elbows for support sometimes too. This feels just wonderful! Just being on your hands and knees can relieve some of the backache.
There are tips for relief and explanations as to what the causes can be here and here.
