Serola belt for PGP during pregnancy

[OltaB]

Hi :)

I've been very unlucky and haven't received any advice or support from my midwife about PGP. So I order the serola belt based on other posts here on mumsnet. Still not sure how to use it i.e how tight should it be, for how long should I wear it, can I wear it while sleeping etc?

I would appreciate any advice as I'm clueless but in desperate need for help.

Wear it however it feels most helpful to you :)

I would wear mine quite low, way below my bump, and felt like it was hugging my pelvis tightly to keep it more stable. You can adjust the tightness throughout the day to suit your activity

I got zero help on PGP from midwife too - luckily there’s tons of help online. Have a good google. There ls an organisation called the Pelvic Partnership which are a great help

One extra tip from me; pay attention to your footwear. You want to keep your pelvis stable at all times, so no slippy ill fitting shoes or slippers. Wear flat shoes only, done up nice and tight, and press your arches down into the floor when standing, so your legs are like strong & supportive equal pillars for your pelvis!

A tip from me as an older mum who still remembers the pain. Don't step in and out of the car - sit on the seat and swing both legs in and out together - use a yoga strap if needs be under both feet.

@Gerdticker thanks, I really appreciate your tips! I've been wearing the belt since yesterday and it is causing a bit of lower back pain (which wasn't there before), do you think I'm doing something wrong or is it just my body getting used to it?

@Leah2005 the joga strap sounds like an excellent idea! Thanks👍🏻

@OltaB yes the belt could make your back sore sometimes - it’s a balance you may have to find.

So I would wear my belt if I had to walk a lot, but then take it off when sitting down or driving or whatever. Some days I might not need it so much, other days it was a god send and made a big difference

I also really recommend doing some form of stretching every day, to stay as supple as possible, it’s the best pain relief. You can google pregnancy yoga or Pilates, and gently experiment with different exercises to find what helps you best. Just take it easy and don’t expect instant results, it might take a few days

Really hope that helps x

I did tai chi up to about 7 months until it got too painful. My midwife was horrified and I remember her saying "do not ablate your legs" - I think that was the word! Basically opening my hips and putting weight completely in one foot or the other which is exactly what tai chi is. Whoops. So knees together my love, down stairs on your bum(harder to do going up!)

@Gerdticker thanks! The belt seems to help a bit, I'm able to take steps bigger than 10 cm while wearing it, and haven't cried today ☺️ thanks again for everything xx

@Gerdticker OMG, I've done the same thing.... I'm 21 weeks and I was told the pain was completely normal, so until last week I was exercising everyday and spinning, which gradually worsened the pain to the extent that I'm not able to walk. Did the pain go away after birth thought? I'm worried that I might have caused any permanent damage.

I have this and had a sports massage yesterday its really helped.

@Leah2005

I did tai chi up to about 7 months until it got too painful. My midwife was horrified and I remember her saying "do not ablate your legs" - I think that was the word! Basically opening my hips and putting weight completely in one foot or the other which is exactly what tai chi is. Whoops. So knees together my love, down stairs on your bum(harder to do going up!)

OMG, I've done the same thing.... I'm 21 weeks and I was told the pain was completely normal, so until last week I was exercising everyday and spinning, which gradually worsened the pain to the extent that I'm not able to walk. Did the pain go away after birth thought? I'm worried that I might have caused any permanent damage.

Yes the pain did go away I'm pleased to say. I think once your hormone levels change again it goes back to normal. From memory, it's caused by the production of the hormone which softens ligaments ready for birth. I may be completely wrong (said child is now 20) so double check that dodgy fact!