Carrying your baby low during pregnancy is one of the most uncomfortable situations when you are pregnant. I am so sorry that you have to go through this momma.
I too have a low lying baby and I know how you feel right now, the pressure put on your bladder along with being kicked in the groin and having hip and back pain is enough to make you want to cry.
Usually, a baby is low in the last month of pregnancy not in the second trimester, we are not so lucky to have one of these, unfortunately.
I’m writing this article to bring you comfort and hope, it is miserable to deal with and I want you to know some of the things I have found that work to make it a little more comfortable and help you deal with your low lying baby.
Why you are carrying your baby low
One of the biggest reasons for carrying your baby so low in early pregnancy is due to this being a “second or third pregnancy and the ligaments that support the growing womb are stretched and weakened”, according to verywellfamily.
This causes the ligaments to be unable to hold the growing womb up like it did in past pregnancies and you end up carrying your baby lower in your abdomen.
I talked to my OB about being sore and having pain in my lower abdomen if I stand for too long and this is the same thing I was told by her.
Your ligaments are like rubber bands and after they have been stretched so many times they lose elasticity and have a hard time holding your womb up.
It’s incredibly frustrating ladies, I totally get it!!
What Does Carrying low in your pregnancy mean
Some people that are totally ignorant may try and tell you that you will give birth sooner or that your baby will be smaller, ignore them!!
Carrying low does not make you go into labor sooner or give you smaller babies it just makes pregnancy a whole lot more uncomfortable than most.
People just say stupid things to pregnant women without really thinking about it, drives me crazy.
You may hear the old wives tales about if your carrying low it’s a boy and if you are carrying high it’s a girl. These are all just tales and none of it is actually factual.
The way you are carrying has to do with how your baby is sitting in your uterus and not about what sex they are.
These have nothing to do with each other in any way so don’t listen to people that tell you this!
how do you know if you are carrying low
The signs of carrying a baby low:
- Pressure on your bladder
- Bump being low
- You feel the baby kick in your groin area
- Your ultrasound shows the baby being low
How to be more comfortable when your baby is low
These are the best tips and tricks I have found that will help make you a little more comfortable in your second and third trimester.
Most of the pain and uncomfortableness starts around your second trimester about 20 weeks and you may even have it before that.
This is what has worked for me so far and hopefully, it will work for you as well.
This post contains affiliate links see *disclosure for details
Support
One of the first things you are going to need is some extra support!
You can get it by using a pregnancy support belt that will help lift your belly and support your back.
I use this one and it works great, very comfortable and helps with my back pain.
When I wear it, I don’t have a lot of pressure on my bladder or pelvis and my back doesn’t hurt.
This is a must have for getting through this pregnancy because you are carrying so low. You need this momma!!
Limit Standing
One of the things that is going to help you is to limit how long you stand.
Don’t stand for longer than an hour or two without sitting down for 15 minutes to half an hour to rest.
This will take the pressure off your back and uterus and keep you from having pain later in the day.
This will also help keep your feet from swelling up from the extra pressure put on them.
You will want to wear comfortable supportive shoes to help keep the pressure off your feet and back. I bought new shoes and it has been a lifesaver.
You don’t realize what an effect your shoes have on your body until you get new ones.
Rest Often
With the added pressure of a low laying baby you will need to rest more often, this gives your body the chance to relax and recharge a bit.
It’s hard on your body to be uncomfortable while trying to grow a little person and takes a lot more out of you then you would think.
Take naps if possible and try to lay down for fifteen to twenty minutes to take the pressure off your womb.
If possible elevate your feet for short periods of time to alleviate pressure.
drink water often
Drinking at least eight to ten cups of water or other fluids throughout the day will help you stay hydrated but also keep you from swelling and retaining water.
Another thing it will help is using the bathroom, I know this may be a TMI but it seriously helps to have a full bladder when you feel the urge to pee versus an almost empty one.
It hurts to use the bathroom from the pressure anyway so why strain to pee with almost nothing in your bladder.
drink tart cherry juice
You may be wondering why I would suggest doing this, I have a very good reason for it and I wouldn’t tell you to use this if I haven’t tried it and know it works!
This is something you can’t go without during your pregnancy and I will tell you why.
I used to drink this before I got pregnant because I have arthritis in my legs and knees when the weather changes.
Let me tell you that drinking this will make you feel younger and eliminate the aches and pains that you get before, during and after pregnancy along with boosting your immune system.
I had so many aches and pains when I stopped drinking it for a day or two and that is how I know it works!!
I don’t have the hip and growing pains that I experienced in my last pregnancy and I can sleep better which is something every pregnant mom needs lots of.
The best part about it is that it’s not a medication and all you have to do is drink a shot glass of it in the morning and at night.
I found the juice at Cosco and on Amazon here is the link order some today!!!
Final Thoughts on carrying low during pregnancy
Here are a couple more tips on how to be more comfortable with your low belly.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing- get maternity underwear or at least a bigger more comfortable size and wear yoga pants that aren’t tight. Any pants that aren’t tight are going to help keep the pressure off your pelvis and groin.
- Don’t overdo it- Try not to push yourself to do a ton of things during the day. Take small tasks and do them and rest for a bit so that you don’t hurt later in the day.
- Take Naps- If you can take naps at least once a day when you feel tired.
- Drink your cherry juice- two shot glasses a day is going to help you get through this pregnancy with flying colors so don’t dismiss this!
- Get the support belt- buy and wear the support belt, this will keep you from sagging and having pain in your groin from the growing pressure of your baby.
Growing a baby low in your uterus is a challenge by itself aside from just being pregnant. Take all these tips and use them momma, you won’t regret it.
These are the things that I do and they have helped so much that I had to share them with you.
Pin this post to share with your friends and reference when you need it!!
Thanks for the post,I am 31 weeks pregnant and I learnt so much from this post.this has opened my insights about my pregnancy and I’m happy to know all of this.
Hi Harriet
Your welcome, I’m so glad that you learned a lot from this article. This is a subject that isn’t talked about by pregnant moms or even doctors but I do believe it is more common among second and third-time moms and we should help support each other and give any tips that worked for us. So glad I could help 🙂
This helped me SO much! I’ve been carrying low from the very beginning and into my second trimester it can be painful 🙁
Hi Mechelle
I’m glad that my article helped and gave you ways to make it less painful.
Carrying low is very painful at times!
I hope you have a great rest of your pregnancy