Thread: PGP - Pelvic Girdle Pain? UPDATED.

Hiya Tilly,

I only spoke to her on the phone....my appointment is next Monday, so will see what happens then!

Im learning a lot about it though...how far I can push myself. For 2 days last week I did as little as humanly possibly, and sat all day, no crossing of legs, no elevating them, keeping them closed etc, and I felt much better. Then the day before Lilah's birthday I was busy all day and had lots to do, went out in car etc and I was in complete AGONY that evening. I sobbed in Grace's bedroom after practically crawling up the stairs to fetch the girls PJ's. DH found me (he was out when I first went up there) and he is being good and trying to help more. I have a feeling Im not gonna be able to walk properly soon. Its a bit scary.

Sounds awful Lise, try to take it easy...though not much chance with your other 2 bouncing around the place

Go up the stairs on your hands and knees Cloudy, it takes the weight off. If you are out in public, obv you won't want to do this but if you can go up them sideways or at least not head on, that will help
Thing is, if you think about going up the stairs, you lift up one leg - at that point, you are putting all the weight on one leg, on one hip, plus your body is slightly leaning to that side
If your pelvic girdle has separated - which is what this is - that puts a tremendous pressure on.
Then you do it on the other side, then back again - about 6 or 7 times on each side, every time you go up the stairs.

Pace yourself, if you have lots to do, write a list and do one or two at a time, then have a rest, put your feet up - not too high! But rest properly
I must admit, the last couple of weeks with MT, I couldn't really walk but I also remember when he was about 3 weeks old, just suddenly thinking, oooh, I've been walking along and there isn't even a twinge

It will be okay Cloudy, just do everything you can to make it as easy on yourself as possible
Oh, and measure how wide you can get your legs apart - tie a string round your ankles so you can get an accurate measurement, the MW will need to know for when you are in labour

Thanks for that Tilly Its so useful having you lot here!

Awww hugs hun, I totally know what you are going through as I had it V bad again with H. I tried loads of things to help it ( Ice packs, heat packs, support belts, paracetamol, special pg shoe insoles etc) in the end I was signed off sick from work and used crutches on a bad day. The only real help I found was seeing an osteopath. I swear she kept me out of a wheelchair. I had to pay privatly but she was worth every penny imo, much better than the physio I saw with DD2.
I really hope you find the appt with the physio helpful, if not I would def recommend looking for a local osteopath and give them a go

Thanks for that MM.

Thats useful to know. I have read in a lot of places that people find the physio useless. But I will reserve judgement until Monday!

We have a new(ish) Osteopath right up the road from us, so thats definitely something I will bear (Or is it bare?!) in mind.

Grace went to Pre-school this morning and I got on the bus to town and walked (very slowly) about for 1.5-2 hours to get Lilah fitted for shoes and new clothes with her bday money, I only went to Next, Clarks and quickly to Boots then got the bus back to pre-school to get Grace, and then home. And I am completely pooped, hobbling about and the pain seems to have crossed to the left for the first time. Im gutted! No more shopping alone for me

Thought I would update this.

I went to Physio on Monday, and it was ok, not great but ok.

She did a full examination of me and my pelvis, pressing me here and there, applying pressure etc, and got me to draw on a diagram where I get the pain, asked me 100's of questions. Diagnosed PGP and said (Now this was the good bit) that I have a very flat bottom "You're certainly no J-lo are you!" and flat back, which she says is bad in this case, as it means I dont use it or my muscles very well. She gave me some things to try, different ways of getting up from sitting, and indeed sitting down. Ways of rolling the muscles in the bottom of my back and bottom, but she doubts this will have much effect of the next few weeks, but said I should continue them even after having the baby.

Shes asked me to try all this at home, gave me some leaflets and said to call back to make another appointment if it doesnt get any better, and they will fit me with a support brace. They dont like to do this straight away apparently as its quite uncomfortable and means you no longer have to use certain muscles, and she would rather me use my muscles properly.

So I came away slightly disheartened, and thinking....I'm just gonna have to put and shut up till the baby comes arent I?

She also told me its important I walk every day, even though I explained the more walking I do the more pain I am in in the evening

I also had an antenatal appointment with my GP yesterday (Here you have to see GP in place of MW at 32 weeks, but its the same stuff). She was totally rubbish and didnt read my notes and came out with all sorts of rubbish cos she hadnt read them, such as "Yes that happens sometimes with your 2nd baby" Errr no, its my 3rd. But anyway, thats another story. She was however very interested when I told her about the PGP and asked me lots of questions and was very sympathetic and told me to go back to see her should I get any worse. She seemed to know a lot about it. Which is good.

So there we are, still hobbling about, still agony by the evening!

Sorry that you are still suffering with this, good that the Physio and GP are sympathetic.
Hope you get away without the support brace

See this is where I find physio treatment difficult to understand. It hurts to walk, move certain ways etc, so they tell you to do it all the more!. After doing my physio excersises with DD2 I went from being in moderate discomfort to being a virtual cripple in less than a week. Relaxin released by the placenta loosens and relaxes your muscles so making them more prone to injury so why then would you put more pressure/strain on them by excercising?, is the fact that yopu are already in pain a sign that all is not well!.
My osteopath took a totally different approach. She recommended I rest as much as possible and talked about ways to take the weight/strain off the painful areas, using support belts to do just that, support the loose ligaments during the pg and she performed gentle massage to help realign my pelvis/spine due to the changes my growing bump was causing to them.

If your symptoms don't ease soon Lise then def try the osteopath and if the excercises start to make the pain worse then imo/e STOP straight away. I persevered with them thinking the pain would ease at some point, how wrong I was!

's hun, it literally is a PITA

I agree with MM, Osteopaths tend to take a more gentle holistic approach.

Sorry you are suffering so much Lise.