pregnancy calendar week 13

Photo by wntg1girl

We're joining Kim (aka wntg1grl), a stay-at-home mom of three who's expecting twins, on her exciting journey from bump-to-babies. Check back every week for the latest developments. 

Week 14
What's Happening with Mom:
 
Luckily, no tests or ER visits this week, though my nausea is back and I'm having pains in my sciatic nerve, which is the nerve that runs down the lower back, through the buttocks, and down the lower limbs.
 
This is called sciatica, and often happens to women in pregnancy because of damage to a disc in the spine, which causes the tissues surrounding the sciatic nerve to become inflammed. I'm feeling the pain in my bum, and it will creep up when I am in public trying to walk normal. No fun!
 
The kids are back in soccer, so now starts the whirlwind of "Soccer Mom-hood" again. I am hoping to keep up with it all, though I will not be a team mom for either boys' teams...just too much! 
 
What's Happening with the Babies:
We're about 3.5 inches long. We're becoming more proportional; our bodies are starting to catch up to our heads and our necks are elongating, allowing our chins to start rising off of our chests.  
 
Question of the Week from Answers:
Does anyone know of anything that helps relieve sciatic pain while pregnant? I'm almost 29 weeks and all I ever hear is to take Tylenol, but it's not working and I refuse to take anything stronger. So now I'm wondering if there's a way I can lay down when I'm resting, or pregnancy safe stretches, or anything that can help ease some of this pain, or do I just need to grit my teeth and bear it until the baby is born? -- heratyc
 
ive heard that going to a chiropracter is really helpful for sciatica. just make sure they have good referances as far as working on pregnant people goes. I had it earlier and I used a heating pad and it worked pretty good. -- disheveled
 
Stretching, heating pads, icy/hot or biofreeze, and Tylenol (as worthless as that is). But seriously, your alignment may be off as well so I would go see a DO. I saw a chiropractor before seeing a DO and he couldn't even figure out that my hips were out, so that was expensively worthless. -- Nunyabizness
 
Past Weeks:
 
Other pregnancy calendars: