My Achey Breaky Joints

If you were following my pregnancy progress on A Musing Alexis, then you already know I've had my share of leg issues.

Yeah - the classic swelling to the size of Sequoia stumps was happening (okay not that bad, but it sure feels like it some days). I also had a few lightening sharp leg cramps that have kept me up at night.

Well, those are intermittent. They don't happen ALL the time. Aching joints however, happen daily.

Some people will tell you that the urgent need to pee will get you out of bed when you're preggers. They claim THIS is the reason you won't get sleep at night. They lie. The thing that keeps me from sleeping a full 8 hours straight is the aching in my hips. After about 3 hours of sleeping on one side (which is necessary because sleeping on my back would cause me to lose circulation to my heart - it's a prego thing - and sleeping on my stomach - HA! That's just crazy talk!).

Before you come back with "Well get a body pillow!" um, I have a body pillow. My Snoogle is a nightly companion. And don't bother suggesting stretching, or exercise. I do those things too - daily as much as possible. Oh, and I also have a mattress topper. So yeah. Everything you can possibly have/do to help I have/done.  I still get achey joints.

I blame this on hormones as much as heredity. My mother has already replaced one hip, and apparently arthritis runs in the family (like a plague!). My grandmother has knee issues and my great grandmother had joint issues. I was pretty much doomed to have an achey pregnancy. The additional stress to my joints from weight and fluid and all that jazz just exacerbated what was already there. Thanks Genes! I owe ya one!

What can I do? Well, beyond what I'm doing...uh...nothing. I could take baby Tylenol, but after a little activity the ache goes away. I don't feel like it's bad enough for a long enough time to warrant medication. It's just one of those things I have to deal with for the next few months. Granted, if it starts to get unbearable, I'll have to consider alternatives (more pillows? Drugs? I'm open to suggestions!). In the mean time, I'll just suffer for those daily few stiff moments upon waking.