This post was sponsored by DePuy Synthes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, however all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Hip Pain + A New Born + A Toddler
I’ve never shared this part of my son’s birth story before, but I think it’s worth talking about.
It was springtime when my second son was born. We were living near Chicago at the time, so I was over the moon excited to spend the spring and summer walking with him along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I had visions of my older son staying home from preschool with us and simply running around town with my little one while I was on maternity leave from my corporate job.
Then life happened.
During the last month of my pregnancy I could not walk without excruciating hip and joint pain. I was huge and pregnant with an almost 10 pound baby… so I thought this pain was “normal”. I did not talk to any of my doctors about my pain because I thought my pain was simply part of the right-of-passage pain that moms experience. It was crippling and frustrating, but I convinced myself that I was just taking one for the team.
I was wrong.
Yes, being in your third trimester is uncomfortable, but in hindsight, I now know it’s not supposed to be excruciating.
After my son was born, I assumed my hip pain would disappear. But the pain only got worse. I was living in a third floor flat at the time, having to carry my new-born in his car seat up and down three flights of stairs. With all the carrying and stair climbing, the pain finally trapped me. I could barely walk and was barely functioning as a new mom. I felt completely stuck.
I felt trapped.
And because there was a part of me (the sleep deprived part of me) that thought I was supposed to be in pain after delivering an almost 10 pound baby, I almost felt silly seeking medical help.
But thankfully, I eventually realized just how much my hip and joint pain was impacting my life. I found a doctor in my area that talked to me about different treatment options. And fortunately, my hip pain was able to be healed with 12 weeks of physical therapy.
LESSON LEARNED: If you are in pain, don’t wait it out. Don’t miss out on life and things you enjoy. Hit play on your life. Seek guidance. Talk to a physician about potential options. Don’t settle for living on the sidelines with pain. There are options. Many different options.
If you suffer from hip or joint pain, have a courageous conversation with your doctor.
And if you need help finding a physician in your area who you can talk to about potential solutions for your hip or joint, go to TimeToHitPlay.com.
