Hip and pelvic pain

[squidkid]

I'm 35 weeks and have had a fairly troublefree pregnancy. I get a lot of pain in my hips at night though, and recently my pelvis too. It's a sharp pain at the front of my pelvis, particularly bad when I turn over in bed, which I'm doing all the time due to the hip pain. Some nights are worse than others but I haven't slept more than half in hour in one go for some weeks now. I get no pain during the day and am still walking around 5 miles a day and being very generally active. If this was SPD wouldn't it be painful to walk?

Is there anything I can do to help with this? I do sleep with a pillow between my legs.

Is the walking making it worse? I am really keen to stay active for as long as possible...

I have exactly this, but I've had it since 20-odd weeks. It sounds like PGP - which is what they call SPD these days.

Sleeping with a pillow is the right thing to do. I've had physio and hydrotherapy (mine isn't that bad, but services around here are good), so you could ask to be referred.

Sorry - PGP = Pelvic Girdle Pain.

I got a mattress topper & used it doubled over for hip pain, helped somewhat. Is it any better if you walk less?

I'm finding it really hard to tell what sets it off - if it's worse after less mobile days (yesterday evening I lay down for a couple of hours before bed) or more active days (I did quite a lot of walking yesterday too...)

Don't get me wrong, I can completely cope with it the way it is right now but there are such horror stories about SPD/PGP and I just don't want to make it worse! Given I'm 35 weeks I guess it's not that long to worry...

Am seeing my midwife this afternoon so will ask her whether rest or keeping mobile is better for it and any other advice.

I've just been to a class on PGP today at the hospital and it was brilliant and would highly recommend getting your midwife to refer you to your local service.

I was getting so much wrong, e.g. I had been making my steps as long as possible to get there quicker but the physiotherapist said it's better to take small steps as it puts less stress on the pelvis.

She showed us how to turn over in bed, how to stand, how to get up from standing, so many things that I was doing to try and help were actually making it worse. She also talked about when to apply ice packs and when to apply heat. I was sceptical before but I am a convert now.

I'd second going to a class - my midwife referred me. I've had exactly what you've described since week 22 (now week 29) and a combination of physio which I'm lucky enough to get through work health cover and being careful has made it more manageable. I don't walk very far or bounce up and down stairs. Try and keep knees together so get in and out of car in ladylike way, sitting on the bed to get dressed rather than hopping into clothes. If get tired and sore rest and stop rather than pushing through. Am also doing various core strength exercises to help stabilise the area. I'm feeling very unfit and lazy but in less pain. I was terrified about ending up bedridden (have a friend who was) but taking action earlier on rather than ignorig and hoping it would go away seems to have made it ok.

Sounds like PGP to me too - I've seen a physiotherapist who went through everything tomato mentions, too. It might be a bit late for a referral, though, depending on waiting times in your area.

Do you sleep with a pillow between your knees etc?

Just seen midwife but she reckoned on balance keeping active would be preferable to resting, as I'm not troubled by pain in the day. Really like being a 35 week active mobile person and not keen to give this up, think I'd get complete cabin fever.

I think it's manageable if it doesn't get worse and I am quite near the end now! A referral probably wouldn't go through in time.

I do use a pillow between the knees at night. I might try googling for the exercises a physio would recommend. Thanks for the suggestions about knees together etc. I sit on my gym ball a lot which obviously opens the pelvis - is that bad?

A ball is a good thing and recommended by the physios. You just need to stay within the limits of what is comfortable for you. For me opening my legs wide makes it worse so I'm careful not to. The advice has been to strengthen the core to support the area. Pre pregnancy I was v active - running, spinning, lots of walking - but I've taken the approach of listening to my body and not carrying on regardless. If its a choice of being slow but coping and being able to still work/ see friends etc I'd rather do that than end up in tons of pain and bedridden iyswim. There's tons of time after the birth to get fit again.

Absolutely - just trying to find the right balance for the last few weeks (can you tell I'm in countdown mode already)

Thanks for all your advice and help. I'll try your suggestions and see how it goes.

I get exactly this - and it's started earlier with each pregnancy. Thank you for everyone for your posts.

I also wear fit flops as they've got a thick bouncy sole which I think helps.

Hi the physio said a gym ball is great for making you keep the correct posture, just pumping up my new tkmax purchase as we speak. She did say it was important to be using the right size, otherwise if it's too small you can still slouch, if it helps I'm 5"4 and she recommended a 65cm one for me and another lady who was 5"7. She recommended a 55cm one for the other lady who was 5"3.

She also said pregnant women should be using 4-5 pillows, 2 under the head, 1 or 2 for between the legs and under the bump and the one she said everyone always forgets but is really important is one along your back which stops you straining your back trying to stay on your side.

The other really good thing was about pelvic floor exercises which we all thought we were doing right until she told us that you should be able to breathe out while holding your muscles in otherwise you are working your diaphragm instead. She said you can make a big difference in 3 weeks.

I had the start of this and managed to get a physio appointment quickly through my work medical insurance. Found out that my pelvis was completely out of alignment and one side was frozen - after some manipulation it was much better. Do be careful as it can get worse.
One thing also to do is make sure it's on your notes/birth plan and when you go into the hospital for the birth get the midwife to check how far you can open your legs without pain early on - apparently if you have an epidural and they open your legs too wide (when you can't feel the pain) it can cause more problems after the birth

Update from me - though still not completely comfortable, using pillows at night and resting in the day when pelvis started to ache has worked pretty well and I'm mostly symptom-free now (37+4). I get the occasional twinge of pelvic pain at night when turning over, that's all.

Thank you to Sazzel who mentioned using a pillow behind the back as well as between the legs - I think this helps (poor boyfriend can't get anywhere near me any more!)

I don't think it was SPD, I think it's just that the baby is engaged. Bump has dropped and I'm just very heavy down below and feel a lot of pressure in the pelvis. Did lots of pelvic floor exercises the last couple of weeks whenever I felt sore or heavy down there and I think that has helped hugely.

Am still walking a few miles a day, for what it's worth.