Pain in my groin

J

Jennine

New Member
Hi! I've been lurking here for about 7 months and have gained a lot of great information by reading other people's experiences so I thought I would share my recent experience.

I used to hang out a lot at VideoFitness, but haven't been there much in about a year. I'm 32 weeks and carrying very small. In fact, I lost 7 lbs during my first trimester and by 7 mos was only about 5 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight. During my first trimester, I had no morning sickness, but I had a MAJOR exercise slump. For at least the previous 2 years I did pretty well at maintaining a consistent level of regular low-intermediate exercise. Cathe tapes have always scared me (too advanced); I prefer basic choreo and I have an injury preventing me from doning step workouts. Therefore, I do mostly Kathy Smith and go to the gym for lower body strength (can't do upper body due to tendonitis in my wrist). From advice gained here, I purchased an devoured Brigatta Gallo's book "Expecting Fitness".

Enough background! On Sat, Aug 18 I went to the gym as usual, did 45 mins on the treadmill and 45 mins of lower body strength plus abs (machines where you aren't incline) and back exercise. I did no exercise on Sunday or Monday and on Tuesday I was feeling a little achey, but exercised anyway. I did Kathy Smith's March to Fitness. Then on Wednesday, I was feeling more achey, but felt like exercise would do me good so I did Kathy Smith's old Fat Burning W/O including squats. I subbed the 15 min stretch for 15 mins of Living Arts Prenatal Yoga (great tape for a non Yogi like me!). Then in the evening, despite increased pain in my groin and leg, I went to the gym. I thought the workout would help me get out the kinks. I skipped inner thigh work because it hurt. Then I had to travel for work on Thursday and Friday. It hurt in my right leg and right side of my groin, particularly when I put weight on my right leg. Unfortunately, I had to do a bit of walking in several airports while carrying a heavy briefcase. By Friday afternoon, after looking up "pain" in "What to Expect...", I decided to call the Dr., so I had him paged. It was after regular hours. I got no call back, so I decided that it wasn't really an emergency and waited till Monday to call again. On Monday I was informed that he was out of town, so I asked to talk to the on-call Dr. The on-call Dr's phone lines were out (can you believe it?) so I didn't get to him until yesterday (Tuesday). I didn't actually get to speak with him, but the nurse said, he said any time there's pain after 30 weeks you should go to the hospital to rule out contractions.

I hesitated, but decided to go. I have been feeling much better after sitting behind my desk for two days and being on my feet as little as possible. But I'm going away this weekend and was really starting to worry. So I very appoligetically went to Labor & Delivery at the hospital where everyone was very nice. They didn't even ask for my insurance up front. And they didn't act like my problem was too minor for me to be there.

Needless to say, they determined I was having no contractions, the baby's heartbeat was strong and normal and I'm not dialated. While going to the hospital may have been a waste, I'm glad I went because I feel so much better now (emotionally). I can go to the beach this weekend without reservation, although I'm still having pain when I walk, so I will keep off my feet as much as possible.

I suppose there are several morals to this story:
1) Lay off the exercise when you're not feeling right
2) Brigetta Gallo says don't do squats and there's a reason for it. (I never felt uncomfortable doing them, but feel that this contributed to my problem).
3) Don't wait too long to call the Dr.

I hope this overly looong story helps someone else. Thanks to everyone for sharing all of your experiences and insights. They have been very helpful to me along the way.

Here's looking forward to getting back to exercising ASAP!

-Jennine in Baltimore
 
Hey Jennine,

Thank you very much for your story. It always helps to be reminded that we do have to listen to our bodies regardless how determined we are not to sometimes ;-)

Do you think that they relaxin hormone could have been really effecting your joints and ligaments? I know that with my last pregnancy, my pelvic area got so loose around 20 weeks that exercising was virtually out for me. I kept pushing and pushing myself to the point that the Dr. threatened bed rest. Lemme tell ya, that relaxin hormone can cause some major pain.

Are you laying off exercise all together now or just giving yourself some time to rest? If you are still exercising, I have Leslie Sansone's new walking tapes that I got for later in my pregnancy. If you'd like to borrow them, I'd be happy to loan them to you

Another question. I thought I read in Bridgetta's book that you shouldn't do squats if you haven't been doing them before but you can do them if you've already been doing them. Am I wrong?

Cathe...what's your input on this? Did you do squats while you were pregnant with little Eric? I've been doing them, and love them, but I don't want to keep doing them if I'm going to hurt myself.


http://www.fitmomsonline.com/allisig1.gif
Mommy to Zachary, Jillian and Baby due February 24, 2002​
 
Thanks for the story, Jennine. It's always good to hear others' experiences. I was having similar pain, definitely in the groin and not abdomen, earlier in my pregnancy (around 22-25 wks, I'm now at 29 wks) and it would last several days after a workout. Mine wasn't necessarily related to squats, however, because I would usually get it after running or other cardio. I took a few weeks off and when I got back to exercising, I found a really simple solution to the problem, totally by accident.

I never had any pain WHILE I was exercising, it was always after I would sit down to stretch. Well, one day after working out at the gym, I decided to walk home first and run a few errands before stretching out. I figured as long as I was still walking, I'd still be warm enough for a stretch. I ended up stretching about 30 minutes after my cooldown and for the first time in about 6 weeks, I had no groin pain. I have no idea why this works for me (and either does my dr, but she said if it works, stick with it), but it does.

I also wonder about the squat thing, because I read in Birgitta's book the same thing about squats. As I said earlier, I don't get the groin pain after lifting, so I haven't worried about it. But, several of the pregnancy yoga tapes I have include squats. Maybe the different is using weights? Or the repetitive motion of squats lifting weights vs. in yoga when you usually go into a squat and hold it?

Lucy K
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-29-01 AT 06:15PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Jeanine~! Wanted to give you my .02.

First of all, if you needed the reassurance from medical professionals, your trip to the hospital was in NO WAY a waste... that's what they are there for! You were worried, and you have every right to be.

My experience with groin pain is pretty extensive <yuck!>. With my first preg (6 years ago), towards the end (8-9 months), I had this heaviness in my groin, and while lying in bed, when I'd try to turn over, just opening my leg to the side to turn my body was extrememly painful. After much reading and speaking with my doc, I learned that groin pain is entirely common and to be expected; with the relaxin in your system, plus the extra weight, PLUS the stretching of the ligaments in your lower abdomen, it seems almost unnatural to NOT have some sort of discomfort.

Now I'm 22 weeks into my second preg, and the groing pain is here. Like another poster mentioned, it's not always during the activity I notice it, but AFTERWARD (like right now, after I did FIRM Bust & Butt an hour or so ago)... just some tenderness, heaviness. There ARE moves during which I do feel it, particularly non-static lunges and table work (leaning over the tall box, lifting my leg behind [i.e., donkey kicks]). If it's too much, I just don't do it.

You could keep a written log of what caused you to feel the most discomfort afterward and be sure to modify or elimintate those moves. For instance, I will do most of my lunges in a static postition (keeping my feel planted) and the table work will be modified to a standing position or straight-legged, leaning over the box. And I ALWAYS listen to my body: if something isn't feeling quite right, take a day off, or do some light yoga. Your body will thank you!

ALSO, I want to point out that I had the groin pain in BOTH pregnancies, but I did not work out at all during the first> I also do squats, ensuring that I add pelvic floor contractoins during them, and I feel so good afterward. Again, it's up to the individual.

Michelle in So Cal
 
Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions! You are right, Birgitta doesn't say not to do squats, she says to do supported squats while simultaneously contracting internally. I found all this way too complicated and just did regular static squats. But you know, I've really just been guessing that the squats contributed to the problem because if I squat down now (like to pick up something off the floor), it hurts like the dickens, in the right side of my groin where the pain is.

I don't know about the impact of relaxin on my problem. I'm looking forward to my Doctor's visit this Thursday and perhaps he will have some insight on that.

Alli, thank you so much for offering the tapes, but I have completely quit exercising for the time being. And once I resume, I will go back to my good old Kathy Smith March to Fitness.

I will report back after my Dr. visit and let you know what I learn. Thanks again for your responses. It's very good to hear about others' experiences with groin pain.

-Jennine in Baltimore
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-30-01 AT 10:04PM (Est)[/font][p]Hello Jennine,

I am not Cathe, but I wanted to add my "two cents." Sounds like you have helped yourself in the long run. I am glad that everything is okay with you and the baby. That pain can be so uncomfortable. I know, I had it with my second. It may be pubic symphysis pain. The pubic symphysis is the joint between the two pubic bones. This joint is held together by a band of cartilage which unfortunately is affected by that wonderful hormone, relaxin. Did the pain radiate down into your inner thighs? You were right to discontinue the activities that caused discomfort.

As for squats...... There is nothing wrong with doing squats during pregnancy as long as certain precautions are followed. Plie squats should not be done because they place a great amount of force on the sacroiliac (between the sacrum and the ilium in the pelvis) joints.

Too wide a base may put excess stress on the sacroiliac joint, an area that is already stressed by the musculoskeletal changes of pregnancy. When performing the squat, allow the buttocks to move backwards so as not to put excess force on the knee joint. Be attentive to knee tracking – direct the knees toward a point somewhere between the big and little toe where you feel the most comfort. Maintain this position throughout the exercise.

Cues: Lift chest; start the move by pushing your buttocks behind you; point the knees forward.

I highly recommend that you purchase a stability ball, or birth ball, as those in the labor and delivery arena call it. I have had great success with my prenatal clients who use this ball for wall squats. It takes almost all the pressure off the knees and you still get a great squat out of it.

Sheila Watkins
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top