Leg Pain

I’m in my third trimester and really having trouble with leg and back pain. What did you do to ease these pregnancy complaints?

Our Mommy MD Guide’s reply: I was finishing my ob-gyn residency during my pregnancy, so I took call on labor and delivery 24 hours in a row. It was a busy hospital, and we delivered on average 20 babies a night!

To help with my leg pain, I wore T.E.D. support stockings. It helped with my leg pain and swelling. The support stockings also helped to energize me, preventing me from getting worn down as fast.

I also wore one of those belly support bands. You can buy them at maternity stores for around $25. You cn wear them under or over your clothes. The bands definitely help with back pain. When I wore mine, I felt that I could move quicker and easier. That was a must for long nights at the hospital.

—Nancy Thomas, MD, a mom of a 22-month-old son who practices general obstetrics and gynecology in a thriving practice in Covington, Louisiana, with Ochsner Health System