My ribs are KILLING me!!!
They have been sore since about 12/13 weeks. Apparently I have injured my intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs) from breathing!! Yep! You read that right - breathing! When you're pregnant your breathing rate increases, even more so with twins. I've been seeing a physio and a chiro and am not getting any relief. Apparently women breathe using their thoracic, whilst men use their diaphragm more. My physio has got me trying to learn to breathe using my diaphragm. I am trying but it's not making a difference. It's also really hard to breathe using the diaphragm when you've got two babies squishing all your insides, especially your stomach upwards!

A wheat bag is great and I usually use this several times a day. Normally my ribs ache for only a a few hours a day but at night time they cause me considerable pain when laying on them and I wake up every 1 - 2 hours to change to the other side till that side hurts as well.

Today however my ribs haven't stopped aching allll day. They are just THROBBING! The pain is mostly at the back. I've used the wheat bag numerous times and even that's not giving me relief. I took some panadol an hour ago and they still ache. I wish I'd taken panadeine now. It's just not fair. I am just getting my severe m/s (hyperemesis) to a fairly manageable stage and now I'm in pain constantly I only have 10 1/2 weeks of work left and I'm trying to get a few specific projects finished in that time but it's pretty hard to concentrate when I'm in pain.

Anyway, moan moan moan! Has anyone experienced this and has any ideas for how I could get some relief? I guess I kinda need my ribs to keep my lungs in - otherwise having them removed sounds like a pretty good option to me!!
I have NO idea how I'm going to cope with this when the babies actually start kicking me in the ribs as well!!

Thanks for listening if nothing else!

[center][color=purple]ME 31 ~ DH 35
<a href="http://oneintheoven.net"><img src="http://oneintheoven.net/preg/ticker.24827.png" border=0></a>
http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/b1

Butterscotch,
So sorry you are feeling sore. Yes, the whole twin pregnancy can be a bit hard at times. I had twin 2's feet up under my ribs for a lot of my pregnancy. He did however move position at around 25 weeks and finally got out from under my right rib. I can't really think of anything to help with the pain as you seem to be doing all you can. Hopefully as they start to move, they may find a better position and get rid of some of that pressure. As you get bigger, your belly tends to head south a bit so hopefully some refief with that will come.

Take Care
Rhonda 25
DH 38
Jackson and Hayden 21/1/04

OUCH!! Butters sorry that this is really taking its toll on you at the moment! Very fresh in my mind the achy ribs!! Both Hayden and Brooklen were breech so I had Brooklens head pressure right up there too towards the end...Hoping this eases a little for you soon lovie ~ We are here to listen.......Thinking of you.

Haylie & Phil,Ebony(15),Hayden Phillip & Brooklen Lily 21st March 05

[center]Wake up yummy Brother!![center]

My 2 spent most of the pregnancy w/ their 4 feet under my ribs..extremely painful I went to the physio did the wheatpack thing and just tried to breathe..
excruiating some days. I remember trying to hang clothes on the line around 18wks and not being able to breathe and dbled up in pain.

I have no ideas for you either but I do remember how uncomfortable it was -thankgod they were premmie..

hang in there it will end sooner rather then later.

Hey Butterscotch,

I was just on the EB SA board MSn site and saw your intro. You live really close to me so if you ever need to chat with a twin Mum, or if there is anything you need help with just drop me a PM! Ill probably end up seeing you around the Elizabeth Centre with your twins by Xmas

I also had loads of trouble with breathing when pregnany and could seriously not even get out of a chair without getting breathless by 26 weeks. It was really hard and I swear when Joe was born it was like I breathed my first proper breath in months!!

Sorry you are so uncomfortable, but ook on the bright side, at least your babes will be born before summer!

Jo

Thanks everyone! I feel a bit more "normal" now! LOL - I did this same post in Your Pregnancy and got no responses and people in my BGs and RL people that I know who've been pg with a singleton just can't seem to relate. I wasn't sure if this was caused by being pg with twins necessarily (tho the triple breathing I seem to do is twin related, hence injurying my ribs).

Last night I found that so long as I didn't sit down I got some relief so I did 3 loads of washing, cooked dinner (I rarely cook these days cause of m/s) and then I had my prenatal aquarobics in a hydro pool and had a whole hour of no pain!! OMG!! I was asking them if they minded if I slept there. As soon as I got home the aching started again but the wheat bag helped with that and then I went to bed with the wheat bag and amazingly I had one of the best sleeps I've had in ages :gasp:! The aquarobics seems to exhaust me so much that I sleep well (was only my 2nd time and last time I went I slept well too). My ribs have already started aching so I'm about to start the wheat bag routine.

Do/did you guys find as well that your heart races a lot. For me, particularly in the mornings when I'm trying to get ready for work, despite taking my time and sitting down regularly to rest between shower, hair etc, my heart just races. My heart rate is usually around 120, sometimes as high as 130/140 beats per minute in the morning and I find myself really labouring to breathe! My physio spun out when I told her this was happening - she said that's her heart rate when she's been for a run!!

Anyway! I'm raving again
Thanks HEAPS AND HEAPS for your support - it's pretty hard to get in my real world as I don't know anyone who's had twins and I'm sure people just think I'm a whinger!

Lots of love from me and the kids x x x

PS Zebette - I will PM you!! I'd love to know someone near by who has twins!! FINALLY someone who will understand me!!

[center][color=purple]ME 31 ~ DH 35
<a href="http://oneintheoven.net"><img src="http://oneintheoven.net/preg/ticker.24827.png" border=0></a>
http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/b1