Is Pelvic Girdle Pain meant to hurt this much??

[TheresOnlyOneWay]

I'm 18 weeks pregnant. I've had lower back pain since being 7 weeks pregnant.
Lately I've had pains in my left side. But yesterday I was in agony with my lower back and then last night it moved to my right side and uterus. I'm in so so much pain.
My uterus hurts so much. Painful cramps. My right side is killing me. Even when I wee my uterus cramps.
Walking - I'm bent over like a 100 year old.
I've done a urine sample today to test for a UTI with GP and it was clear.
midwife has said it's pelvic girdle pain.
Does this sound right to you?

Hmmm. If it's painful to wee I would keep taking urine samples to the doctors and asking them to send them off (rather than just doing the dip tests on the spot) just in case a UTI is being missed.

But yes, PGP can be horrendously painful. I had it in both pregnancies, worse in the second.

My advice:
Check out this website for loads of helpful advice pelvicpartnership.org.uk/
If you're on Facebook they have a FB group too.
Ask your midwife to refer you to the PGP clinic / women's health physio. There will probably be a long wait but you might as well get on the list.
If you can afford it, go private and see an osteopath with training and experience in treating pregnant women. You can usually get recommendations if you ask around - my osteo was recommended by everyone and was excellent. I spent a lot of money on sessions with him but they were worth every penny!

That doesn’t really sound like my pelvic girdle pain, although mine was postpartum. I wouldn’t have thought the lower back and sides were part of the pelvic girdle? Mine was all below and it felt like an injury rather than an infection iyswim.

I’m definitely not a medical professional though - far from it.

Pelvic girdle pain can affect the lower back and indeed anywhere in the pelvic region; hips, groin, etc. It doesn't feel like uterus cramps though.

Mmmm don't think the uterus cramps sound like pgp.

But yes I had it and walking was excruciating. I would hear my bones crunching when I turned over in bed and would literally have to shuffle along. It was absolutely awful.

Hi, I’m 19 weeks and also have painful cramps in my uterus (that hurt more when I pee!).

A Google suggested these may be Braxton Hicks? Which apparently can start in the second trimester. I haven’t spoken to my midwife yet as they previously said cramping was ok as long as it didn’t last, but I have felt much better today anyway.

Have you done anything strenuous? I did a lot of housework on the weekend which I think brought them on!

I had pgp with both pregnancies. It can be very painful but your description doesn't really ring a bell with me - I don't think it hurt to pee or uterus cramps. I think it does vary though in how I feels and where. For me it was my lower back and hip joints.

I'd agree try and get on the list for physio ASAP. I did in my second pregnancy as I knew what to look out for, and it was much less bad - they put on some exercise classes, gave advice in what to avoid and how to do things I least painful way etc

I had exactly the same as you and I just keep getting told it is PGP. I did have a water infection around 20 weeks that made it all worse, but it’s still very painful. The only way I can describe it is it feels like my uterus is trying to fall out when I walk 🙈

Been into triage twice so far as the pain was excruciating but keep being sent home with being told it’s either pgp or ligament pain. Frustrating as I’m not 100% sure that’s correct but I have to trust the professionals 🤷🏻‍♀️

@NameChange30
Yes they've said they'll also send it off. And I'll be giving another urine sample on Thursday as I'm back at the hospital for another scan.
The pain is mainly my right side today and it's felt like agony. But the uterus cramps made me panic as I've miscarried 3 times before so I'm scared that something might be wrong. I'm so glad I have the scan Thursday as I'd really struggle otherwise.
Thank you for the link. I'll have a look at this.

@rose88xx
I was walking more than usually yesterday because I had to go somewhere. My lower back was really hurting and I was struggling to stand up and sit down. Then at night I started with severe pains in my stomach and right side which lasted all night. I kept waking up in the night.
Today it's been painful when I've walked, stood up or sat down all down my right side and the uterus area. I rang the midwife triage twice and both people said it sounded like PGP. but I do get cramps when I go to the loo for a wee but this only started last night.

The urine sample came back clear. I'm worried about the uterus cramps if this isn't what you normally get with pgp.

You're calling them cramps but perhaps they're not really cramps. Does it feel like period pain (which I would describe as a dull, painful ache, mainly uterus but also vagina)? Or does it feel like your muscles and ligaments are sore in the pelvic area? (For me it was worse in the lower back and sacroiliac joints, but I also got pain in my hips and groin.)

Everything else you describe sounds exactly like PGP which is why I wonder about what you mean by uterine cramps.

@NameChange30
It is a painful ache, like my uterus is sore and bruised. And then almost like it's contracting when I wee. And shooting pains in my vagina and bottom!

@NameChange30
My lower back has been hurting for weeks and yesterday I was in agony with lower back pain. But I haven't felt any lower back pain at all today. It's all been at the front and on my right side, also going up my rib cage on right side.

Perhaps you have round ligament pain as well as PGP.
www.motherandbaby.co.uk/mum/self-care/round-ligament-pain/

It sounds tough, OP, so do consider seeing an osteopath privately if you can afford it. I cannot underestimate the relief I got from mine!

Being in water also helped - so a bath or a laze in a warm swimming pool - but getting out is not fun!

Sorry I meant I cannot understate

@NameChange30
Thank you for the link. Yes I will book an osteopath as it sounds like it was really worth it for you. I'll also try having a bath tomorrow. The pain was so bad tonight I didn't think I'd be able to actually climb into the bath so I did a couple of yoga stretches I saw online for PGP then just got into bed. But I'll definitely try a bath tomorrow as well. Thank you

You're welcome. I really sympathise as it's awful

OP with pgp I was prescribed hydrotherapy. I had 6 sessions. Life changing because it literally made the pain disappear. Although it returned with a vengeance with subsequent pregnancy.

It’s horrific. I suggest looking at the pelvic partnership website for support and advice. They have listed trained pregnancy physios on there. One was luckily a 10 min drive from me and she is fantastic. I haven’t yet had to see her in this pregnancy but that’s only because I’ve not had time to book an appointment. 1st pregnancy she helped so much. Gave me devices to get out the car and out of bed. Sleep with pillows around you and between legs.
Puppy pad on bed is good to slide out when you need to get out of bed or turn
Sit down at all times when dressing and I dressing and have nice warm baths.
It’s horrible.

My PGP was horrendous. I bought a serola belt (it was during lockdown so all I could do was speak to physio over the phone, and this is what they advised). It helped a bit. I also had 2 huge pregnancy pillows, one for bed and one for the sofa. I feel for you, by 20 weeks I couldn’t walk and had to use crutches to get anywhere.

I had a c section and the relief from the anaesthetic was amazing. When it wore off the paid from my wound still didn’t touch how my pgp had felt. Took about a year to fully recover, and I still have twinges now. I firmly believe that if I’d had access to physio it would have improved my symptoms, and recovery so speak to your GP and get them to refer you x

UPDATE -
Hi All
I went for a scan today and they said everything was completely fine with the baby. They said it sounds like round ligament pain. They took another urine sample which came back ok. They said it should ease off soon as it doesn't usually last too long ...
thank you for all of your replies 🙂