I need to talk about second trimester pain (and how to NOT suffer from it)

I’m in a lot of pain.

Some of it is scary.

So scary, in fact, that I was sitting in my office chair yesterday and I got a huge menstrual-level cramp in my entire uterus. It was so strong and so surprising, I actually lifted up off my seat and held my breath for a second. Then I had smaller cramps for the following few minutes, which I described to my doctor as, “A big earthquake, followed by smaller aftershocks.”

Along with the cramping, I had stabbing pains on my right side, and then my left side a little while later. Sharp, stabbing pains. Almost rhythmic. The cramps and stabbing pains lasted all day. I was on the phone with my doctor yesterday about it for half an hour, which culminated in going home from work early and laying down on the couch for the entire rest of the day. The doctor, however, wasn’t concerned (unless the pain got worse, or was accompanied by bleeding … in which case she told me to go to the ER — but none of that happened). She told me it was classic “Round Ligament Pain.”

I’ve been having Round Ligament Pain in increasing amounts for two to three weeks now. This week, however, has been the absolute worst. My hips ache constantly. I’m not talking about a dull pain that you can rub out and feel better again, I’m talking about the sort of pain that makes you wonder if you broke a hip in your sleep — except it’s both hips.

Throughout the course of the day, my hips usually start to feel better, but it takes a while. I emailed a friend of mine yesterday and said, “I’ve been awake for 3.5 hours now, and my hips are still killing me.” I went on to tell her that I wish someone had told me how important it is to do strength-training exercises prior to getting pregnant. Or even being remotely fit in general.

She wrote back that her chiropractor has been telling her for a while now that she needs to strengthen her core and hips before getting pregnant, because if you have a weak and flexible core (THAT’S ME, RIGHT THERE), you can suffer terrible pain throughout pregnancy.

And the pain is TERRIBLE. I’m not exaggerating. I actually have a very high pain tolerance, and this level of pain — this constantly — is really bringing me down. It’s affecting me so much more than any amount of pain ever has before. AND I’VE HAD A ROOT CANAL WITHOUT ANESTHETIC, SO I KNOW PAIN.

My advice to all of you planning to get pregnant is to work out, and I mean seriously work out, for at least six months before trying to get pregnant. It is the one, single thing I regret most at this point. At this point in my pregnancy (which is only a little into my second trimester), I’ve already decided that I don’t ever want to be pregnant again without first exercising and strengthening the HELL out of my body.

I’m not joking.

Do not take this lightly.

Work out. Do aerobics. Do yoga. Do pilates. Run. I don’t care, BUT STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE. DO NOT BE IN THIS LEVEL OF PAIN IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE. This is not an exaggeration. This is serious pain.