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Post partum arthralgia (post pregnancy joint pain)

Hey ladies hope you and your babies are all doing well. Just a quick question to see if anyone else is suffering from this! Caleb is 4 months now and since he was born ive been getting increasing pain and stiffness in my joints and bonesimage i have just kinda put it aside but its progressively got much worse so thought it best to make an appointment with dr. I went this morning and he says it sounds like post partum arthralgia, or after pregnancy joint pain. Ive had some bloods done as they are slightly concerned about osteoperosis due to my steroids and want to rule out a few other things too but he's pretty certain this is what is causing my painimage i just wondered if any one else has heard of this or has been diagnosed and can give me any infoimage on a good note little caleb is coming on leaps and bounds and im loving being his mummy xxx
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Replies

  • Hi hun. I can't help as I have never heard from it but I didn't want to r+r. Hope you get it sorted. Keep us up to date x x
  • Oh hun that doesn't sound pleasant, never heard of it before. I have quite bad coccyx pain, it started in pregnancy but has not improved, sitting on hard chairs makes it worse and getting up is quite painful too. I haven't had my 8 week check yet to ask why I have it, it's not till next week cos our docs does the check and jabs at the same time and I couldn't get an appointment for the jabs for 2 weeks as the nurses weren't available, it sucks.

    Hope it's something you can get sorted xx
  • Thanks ladies, i kinda figured its a long shot, ive never heard of it either and i cant find much information (or information that makes any sense to me) onlineimage will get my results next tuesday and to make another appointment after that. Thanks for replying xxx
  • omg ive been getting this too. think i best book an appointment with the doctor...it seems to be worse in the mornings or if ive been sat down for a while but sometimes i cant even walk normal....at its worst i couldnt even open Lyla's bottle in the morning but it my hands seem to be better its more in my feet, legs and hips! let me know how you get on image xx
  • thanks for posting this gash, ive been feeling a bit weak and had creaky joints but put it down to 9 months of sitting on my arse and loss of muscle tone, im back doing exercise now and i feel a bit better, do your hands hurt at all? i wake up in the morning and can hardly close my hands they're so stiff, and sore, i think its due to swelling, never had this before, or during the pregnancy really, been putting off going to the doc as i keep thinkng it'll go away with time! im off to google!!
  • Hi rhubarb, sorry to hear your suffering too, yeah i have really stiff sore hands and the mornings is when its worst after i wake up. I also have it in my left knee, hip and shoulder, both hands and my wrists have just started getting sore tooimage funnily enough he said exercise should help it, im limited to what a can do though cause of my disability i already have. But i do go to physio once a week and swimming once a week. He said swimming is really good for it. I will let you know how i get on with the bloods on tuesday x
  • I thought it was just my hormones??? I told my doctor that my hands are really stiff in the morning, so much so that i can't bend my fingers for ages and she just looked at me as if i was weird!!!!
  • aw Nat that sucks image

    but i'm so glad you posted it coz my knees have been so painful in the last few weeks. i've always had knee problems but they cleared up a couple of years ago - didn't suffer much during pregnancy (which surprised me) but now they are agony! think i might ask the doc
  • i thought hormones too i get it in my hips and knees, hoping it will clear up now i'm exercising.
  • awh so happy to hear im not a freak...lol although sorry so many are getting it too, they said it should go away by iteslf and are going to give me paikillers and anit inflamatories, hope it goes away quickly though xxx
  • That is so interesting, I have had really sore achy knees and arms but I still think it might be getting used to holding a heavy baby and getting up off the sofa whilst holding him! Its more my muscles I think, I hope it goes away quickly for you now you have it diagnosed xx
  • ive had something like this, i've had pain and stiffness in my back and hips, it's getting progressively worse too! :/
  • Wow sounds like its something that affects alot of new mums but isn't really spoke about. I feel for you girls, having a newborn is hard enough without added painsimage hopefully i should get some better answers next week that i can report back withimage xxx
  • Hi ladies, G/C from BIM.
    Yes oh my god yes. I had terrible swelling in pregnancy & could hardly walk towards the end. The pain has never left my legs but over the last month its getting worse, Once I get going im ok but when I stand up from the bed or sofa Im in so much pain. Doctor said to lose weight & exercise & it should go xxx
  • Im worst in the morning when i try to stand up from lying down maybaby, lets hope the exercise works for us all, tbh mine has been getting worse and ive been regularly exercising for 2 months now as best i canimage lets hope it just goes of its own accord xxx
  • Awww hun Ive never heard of it before either... Im still suffering a lot of pain but mostly from my SPD so totally differnt xx
    Hope u get some answers soon x
  • Well ladies, 

    i am am relieved to hear that this is common.... I gave birth to my 2nd child in April and on the 16th August (my oldest daughter's birthday) I woke up with lumps all over my left forearm and in a lot of pain in my joints.... Ankles, knees, wrists and fingers.... It was quite distressing at the time as I am on my own and couldn't lift my baby..... I was meant to be going out with family for a meal to celebrate myself and my daughter's birthday(mine being the 14th August), anyway, I digress..... the pain was horrendous...... I went to bed that night and really struggled, in the morning, I awoke to more lumps on my arms and my right shin..... I really panicked.... I was straight on the phone to the docs for an emergency appointment, I was seen that morning..., I had bloods taken to and was advised just to keep taking the painkillers and ibuprofen and to come back in a week for results..... All he said was this condition can happen to women in there 30's/ early 40's and didn't really know why????  I came back even more confused and couldn't remember the name of it...... I went back for my results and was told all tests were clear apart from Thyroid and Rheumatoid Arthritis and I would need to come back in 4 weeks to be retested as this condition can affect the results and by then the lumps should have gone although I could have more appear before then....... So, it's nearly 4 weeks and yes, I have more lumps, most recently on the inside of my knees, scar tissue on my right ankle and my knuckles and I'm in agony, I haven't been able to go out in coming up for 3 weeks....... as I live in a flat and can't lift the pushchair up and down the stairs.... it's so frustrating.... 😢

    All I can say is, thank goodness for my 9 year old and online grocery shopping.... I really hope this is a blip and goes away eventually although something in the back of my head thinks not...... If my final tests come back positive then I'll be trying anything and everything to alleviate these symptoms..... Exercise, vitamins, holistic and alternative therapies because I'm too young to believe that my future is having reduced mobility...... My daughters and myself deserve more..... KEEP POSITIVE LADIES and let's share any treatments that work 💖💖💖

  • My wife had joint pain after birth, and inability to move her hands in the morning. We got information from doctors, no information from a blood test, and very little on the internet. Both of us being scientific, we experimented. Cardio seemed to help a bit, but the big difference was exposure to cold water. After our DS was born, she started washing her hands after changing each nappy. Now she only uses warm water for washing her hands, and if she ever uses cold she'll let me know the next day about how much her hands hurt. She also wears gloves at night. It's 4 months later after the birth now, and she doesn't suffer much joint pain any more.

  • My baby is 4 months old and I've recently gotten this in the last few weeks. In the morning my hands are so stiff. I also feel like there is trigger finger. I'm also diabetic so it makes it hard for me to check my blood sugars, open jars/bottles, do things that require gripping. It's worst in mornings but I also notice after inactivity (like after I take a nap). I got an exam and there was no swelling in my joints or nodules but I am getting bloodwork for rheumatoid arthritis. This scares me.

  • I have been experiencing extreme joint, muscle, bone pains all over my body but particularly in my ankles, hips and legs. I find I have to literally un-curl myself in the morning, night feeds or after sitting. I am do stuff. It's beginning to really get me down as I am now 4.5 months pp. It reassures me to see others also experienced this but I can't find anything that helps relieve the pain as yet. Anyone that can help me feel normal again would be much appreciated. I am 36 but feel like 90 years old at the moment :-(  I have tried excercisimg but I find it difficult as already feel like I ran a marathon and it tends to make it worse initially. I am going to try swimming and maybe Pilates. I hope it settles down soon.

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