OOF! Pelvic girdle pain?

[purplebiro]

Hi all - I'm 19w with my first and otherwise fairly healthy, although with a BMI of approx 30.5 at booking in.

Since Sunday - when I was helping DP assemble some Ikea furniture, whic involved a lot of squatting, bending down, sitting on the floor etc - I have had a steadily growing worse pain in the middle of my buttock - predominantly the left but drifting over to the right at times (but nowhere near as bad on the right). At first I thought it was just a muscle strain, since I've not been exercising much since I got pregnant (and normally I walk 15-30km a week) but it's got steadily worse than I would expect from that and Dr Google says it may be Pelvic Girdle Pain. A couple of Qs:

Does this sound likely, given the description I have given?
Does anyone have any experiences they can share? Mostly interested in medication I can take, exercises I can do and whether I am stuck with this for another 4.5 months!!!

Thanks in advance.

Some other info to add:

It really does feel muscular, rather than skeletal - although I am prepared to be wrong on that front.

Also, I have suffered with sciatica quite badly in the past and I know this isn't that - for one thing, thankfully, it is nowhere near as painful or limiting (so far).

My advice would be to speak to your midwife / gp. As of could be PPGP and if not they will advise you on what it is.

Thanks.

Sorry not a massive deal of help but to me it sounds like it but just to be sure get checked cos you may need a belt to wear

No advice but I've had exactly the same since 6 weeks! It can be miserable, though fortunately intermittent. Would be good to hear if it is common.

Got steadily worse overnight, have called midwife who put me through to EPU who told me to go to GP. Will report back.

Can you self refer to physio service? There may be a clinic attached to your maternity services?

Definitely see your GP and get a referral for physiotherapy asap, that is exactly how mine started at about 14 weeks and I was fobbed off by midwife who just told me to sit on a hot water bottle for a while. Fast forward 8 weeks later and it has spread right round my pelvis now and I can barely walk at times. Only just realised what it was and got diagnosed with pgp properly this week. Get it seen to now before it gets bad would be my advice!

Dr was sympathetic but not optimistic - seems to think it's a pulled muscle (due to progesterone-y muscle weakness plus added baby weight/redistribution) rather than PGP but that the prognosis is essentially the same - I'm pretty much stuck with it until the baby appears and it may well get worse. Said the midwife will refer me to physio when I see her next in two weeks. It's gonna be a long two weeks.

That's rubbish purple.
Poor you.

Does your maternity notes have had a list of contacts? Check and see if physio is on it and phone them yourself.

In the meantime, check your trust website and maternity care provisions. There may be a link to physios and/or a list of the exercises you can be doing.
If not google "pelvic girdle pain exercises"
You should find nhs recommended exercises. Which are pelvic floor and deep abdominal. So nothing that we shouldn't be doing anyway. wanders away thinking should practise what I preach

Also did the doc say about pain med? You can take paracetamol.

Hope it resolves soon purple

Thanks - those are all the sort of proactive suggestions I need - as I lie in bed in quite considerable pain and barely able to move, not knowing if this is me for the next 4 months. I sincerely hope not - for one thing there's no way I can deliver like this. :( Anyway, enough self pity - will get DP to look at notes and see what I can do myself re: exercises.

Pain - he gave me paracetamol and when I pushed the issue some codeine to be used when it's really bad and until I get into third trimester (some risk to baby at delivery if there's codeine in the system apparently).

So sorry to hear you are still in pain. My doctors advice: Look at the pelvic partnership website for so more advice on better positioning and gentle exercise to help. Try hot water bottle and/or ice packs for 10 minutes an hour. Try to move around a little if pain permits as it stops you seizing up altogether. Taking paracetamol will reduce inflammation a little even if it doesn't help the pain much. Stop doing all activities that make pain worse eg. Hoovering, sweeping, pushing shopping trolley, carrying bags etc, again pelvic partnership site has more on this. Push for physio or osteopaths referral. I hope things do improve for you. X

Hi, I had this with my first and have it again now, I'm 14 weeks with second.
Def see a physio, but the main things they will tell you are;

No lifting heavy anything
No pushing heavy anything
Keep legs together wherever possible (getting in and out of cars etc- not being cheeky!)
Sleep with one or more pillows between your legs to keep your hips aligned
Try not to walk too far
Take lifts instead of stairs when possible

If you have it, preventing it getting worse is the main thing you can do. Physio may also give you a belt to wear, to take the pressure off pelvis.

Hope that helps!
Good news is once baby arrives it does disappear as if by magic!