Pelvic girdle pain - anyone been induced early?

[Sendhelppls]

Hello everyone
I’m 35 weeks currently and really suffering with pelvic pain. I was seen in triage last week as I was in so much pain and didn’t know what it was, a doctor there confirmed and prescribed pain killers. Had my routine midwife appointment yesterday and she said that basically if I keep complaining of it then they would consider inducing at 38 weeks.

I’m weighing up my options -
The pros are that if I was induced early obviously giving birth would improve my pelvic pain by taking off the pressure etc. And probably better that the baby isn’t exposed to pain killers for potentially nearly another month after 38 weeks.
Just that - that I could be waiting until I’m almost 42 weeks to be induced if baby doesn’t come naturally. I was induced at 41+5 with my first so it’s very possible that my baby will be over due (my mum has had 3 of us and all were 2 weeks late).

Cons - obviously with the covid-19 situation would it be the best thing to bring the baby out in 3 weeks? Or better to stay in? It really depends if I can take this pain for that long.

Has anyone else been induced early because of pelvic pain?

Also anyone who’s been induced early was it harder/longer to actually go into labour? With my first I went into labour within half hour of them inserting the gel so I think I must have been ready anyway and just needed a little push.

How bad is it? Is it keeping you awake? Can you physically get up and down the stairs, get around your house etc?
Have they offered you a physio appointment? They should have referred you at least.
You might benefit from a support belt, some women even need crutches or a wheelchair.

I had PGP in my first pregnancy and have it again in my second. I got the most relief from seeing an osteopath who came highly recommended for treating pregnant women. If you can afford to go private, I advise asking around for recommendations.
There are some practitioners listed on the pelvic partnership website.
In my first pregnancy I got a lot of relief from being in water but we obviously can't go to the pool atm A bath isn't quite the same but would still help if you have one.

Personally I would try everything to relieve the pain and would only resort to early induction if it was really unbearable.

Hmm it looks like manual therapists are only allowed to see patients F2F for "essential" treatment, I wonder how they define it - I wouldn't be surprised if a pregnant woman in crippling pain didn't make the list 🙄 Could be worth a try but if you're not deemed "essential" these tips might be helpful:
pelvicpartnership.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Pelvic-Partnership-Coronavirus-Strategies-1.pdf

@NameChange30 I’m pretty much ok in the evenings but until about 2pm I’m in agony, it takes me a while to get out of bed and it’s hard to do my daily tasks like look after my daughter and house work etc.
Having a bath does help and I have one every evening anyway which I think is why I can get to sleep fairly easily - although if I roll over in my sleep I wake up in pain.

She did recommend a belt so I’ve ordered one, but did say that they work for some people and not for others.

Unfortunately they said that physio would be my best bet but I couldn’t be referred at the moment due to covid-19 as like you said physio are only treating essential cases (I assume people re learning to walk, brain injuries etc).

Look at all the tips on the pelvic partnership website. Sleeping position is very important. Make sure you have a pillow between your knees (doesn't have to be a pregnancy pillow).

Don't do housework! Assuming you have a partner, that is, get him to do it.

It's pretty depressing to feel so useless but you just have to accept that you have this limitation and you can't do things for a while.

There are up sides to not being able to stand for long enough to cook and do the washing up - provided you have a decent partner that is

A physio could still do a video consultation which would be better than nothing.

I’m in a terrible terrible way with PGP at 40 weeks, have been since 20 weeks or so.
The situation in my trust/hospital/area (London) is: no physio or osteo will go near you, that’s been the case for 6 weeks. No inductions are happening for any other reason than medical emergency, PgP def not being that. I spoke to a consultant who confirmed this. No sweeps at all for anyone. So i’m just waiting, in agony.
I spoke to the PGP partnership on the phone (look at their website or call them to chat) and they really dont encourage early inductions for PgP anyway, so in that sense I dont feel too stressed i’ve missed out on that.
I had a successful induction for my 1st but unrelated to PGP.
PGP is totally awful and there is absolutely nothing i can do to help it or alleviate it now.
My hopes are that asap after the birth I can get some manual therapy but even if lockdown is lifted the backlog of people is going to be awful - even privately

@123456kent I’m also in London, big south London hospital. I was told the same in that no physio would take me on at the moment, they are not even taking referrals. However my midwife told me that basically if I complained at least three times between now and 38 weeks then they would do an early induction. Not heard anything about sweeps, I thought it was business as usual (one at 40 weeks and one at 41 weeks for first babies and one at 41 for second or after)

I think it's unbelievable that they are denying physiotherapy but willing to offer induction - the risks of induction to mother and baby must outweigh the risks of a physiotherapy appointment, provided both patient and physiotherapist (and people in their households) are symptom free, and protective equipment is used.

I wonder if organisations like Birth Rights would be interested in this issue.

(Early induction; I mean)

I didnt push re induction - i suppose partly because of my conversation with PGP partnership. And partly because despite the awful awful pain I’m in, I am at least sleeping which is amazing, and I know once baby is here that’s out the window.
Definitely no sweeps at any stage in my trust

• Kings. Had 40 week appt today and no chance. But again, not sure how disapointed I am about that. I hear of very little success stories to be honest

Had a sweep at 41 weeks with DC1, it was painful and uncomfortable (not just during but for the rest of the day) and did nothing.

I might have a sensitive cervix as I know some women say it doesn't hurt.

@123456kent I’m also with kings! Very strange they haven’t mentioned it to me, maybe they will when I go next week for my 36 week app. So have they told you that women are just expected to wait until natural labour starts? What if you get to 42 weeks and nothing happens?

@123456kent @NameChange30 I had two sweeps with DD1, one at 40+3 and one at 41+2. First one did nothing, second one broke my waters but still didn’t go into labour so I was induced the next evening and DD was born 12 hours later

@Sendhelppls i wouldnt expect you to have been told at your point no, the question of sweeps only really becomes relevant as you become due/overdue really doesn’t it, and what is going on now is very much being taken on a day by day basis. If you are due in 5 weeks things could be different by then. I was painted a very gloomy picture 5 weeks ago of where we would be by now at Kings/Pruh - but it’s not so bad (i dont think)

@Sendhelppls sorry, to answer your other question - yes, waiting is the only thing on offer, except of course you have any worries you must tell them as normal. I’m booked in for an induction at 41+5 - that’s going ahead as normal. That’s a medical reason, PGP isn’t. Fair enough I suppose, I understand, despite the pain!
My pgp is the opposite - a nights sleep resets the clock and I’m not too dreadful in the mornings, it’s by the evenings I can’t walk at all

I had it and you have all my sympathy. I agree with a pp about minimising housework, not standing for long periods. I used to ask dh to make me and ds packed lunches when he made breakfast. This is definitely a time for your partner, if you have one to step up.

I slept with a satin pillowcase under my hips which I would grab onto when I needed to turn or get out of bed. Anything a bit slippery would - a nightdress or slip maybe? An evening dress? It probably helped more than anything else.

Frequent lie downs helped too. Not so much lying down for long periods, but breaking up the time when I was on my feet.

I had to shuffle along very slowly and try not to rush. not so easy with a toddler so I got into the habit of closing the door of the room we were in, strapping him into the buggy when we were out, etc.

We made a safe play area by stretching out a babydan playpen to enclose an area and pudding foam pads down. I spent a lot of time in there with a pillow and duvet, playing with toddler and reading to him and being used as a climbing hill. At the time I really worried about neglecting him but thinking back he was absolutely fine and got loads of cuddles and attention.

I found physio pretty ineffective. But once I gave birth it all vanished. It was far, far easier to manage a new baby than be pregnant. I wasn’t induced, so can’t comment on that side of things.

@123456kent I see what you mean, I spoke to my midwife at my appointment the other day about the covid-19 situation and birthing partners etc and all she said was that if I am being induced I will have to be on my own until I’m in labour and then DH could come but not leave again unless it was for good, and he would be asked to go home more or less straight after baby is born and settled. I don’t mind this actually as when my first baby was born I wanted to be on my own afterwards. And it would be nice between induction and labour to have a rest on my own I hope all goes well with you, I honestly think kings are the best!

@NameChange30 forgot to comment on your sweep comment, yes I remember when I had mine it felt awful, midwife had huge hands and my body was instinctively trying to move up the bed away from her, it was horrible and felt achey all day. Didn’t work. Second one I think she felt sorry for me as if I waited until my actual induction I would be in hospital for Christmas and “accidentally” broke my waters. I am eternally grateful for that midwife as I was home Christmas Eve morning 😬

I was induced 10 days ago at 39+1 although for other reasons. I was supposed to have a home birth so I was dreading going to the hospital in the midst of a pandemic but actually it turned out really well. Because it’s my second I had the catheter inserted for 12 hours then waters broken (although that actually ended up being 24 hours later) rather than the pessary/gel. My DH was only allowed on the ward 2-6 and I wasn’t allowed to go out for a walk, although they gave me a ball to bounce on. He was able to return once I was in labour and being moved to the delivery suite/midwife unit. They had taken out half of the beds so the ward was more spacious than usual and other than the masks I don’t think you’d have noticed anything too different to normal.

My waters were broken and I started contracting straight away. I moved to the midwife unit and was allowed go for a walk, came back just in time to get in the pool! I gave birth about 2 hours after the waters were broken.

My DC1 I went into spontaneous labour at 39+3 and it took about 24 hours, the induction was actually easier although I’m lucky and didn’t need any further intervention.

@bananamonkey is being induced with your second different to being induced for your first then? I had the gel with my first which worked within about half an hour.

Little update, had a very quick birth today!!!
At pruh.
Pgp wise, i was 8cm when i arrived at hospital and in agony and it was impossible for me to lie on my back to be examined, midwife managed to just about do it on my side. I dont know if this was labour or pgp though, back lying has been impossible for me for months so maybe both. That was the only time i needed to try, i delivered on all 4’s.
I cant walk still, but i think i can feel pgp relief. Now replaced with sore downstairs area, but hoping both will get better soon.
All in all, my experience of birth didnt seem too affected by pgp, the pregnancy was awful though!!

I had a horrible pelvic pain at 35 week, I could not walk. I had multiple scans as high risk pregnancy and at 35 weeks they said that her head was very low causing the pain. She waited 2 more weeks and my water went.

Congratulations!

Lying on my back is agony too, my 20 week scan was painful.

When I gave birth to DC1 the bitch midwife made me lie on my back on the bed, it might seem like a small thing but it traumatised me tbh, the combination of being disempowered and in pain.

Anyway I'm really glad you were able to be in positions that were more comfortable for you 👍