PGP/Sciatica - swimming?

[Wintermum01]

Hello. I'm 26 weeks pregnant and really suffering with pain in my back and bum. I've suffered from sciatica before and had physio at various points pre-pregnancy, which has never really helped. I think I might be getting PGP too. My legs feel like I'm been horse riding or, ahem, doing some other straddling action (sadly no) - they just feel so weird like I've been holding them apart for ages. I have a desk-based job and am struggling to do it properly as my back and bum are so bad - lying down is the least painful position but I can't get work done that way!

I'm going to try to get an appointment with my GP, though that's not easy round here. But I just wondered if anyone else had any experience/advice? I was doing gentle exercise (online pilates/gentle cardio videos and walking) up to a few weeks ago but have basically stopped as it's too painful. I'm limping around like an old lady and I'm worried it's going to get so much worse as I put on more weight.

I was thinking of trying swimming, without the breaststroke legs as I believe that can aggravate it. I can't do front crawl arms sadly but I could try doing breaststroke arms and front crawl legs! (It might break my brain slightly.) Or maybe using a float, either a pull buoy between my legs so I don't move my legs at all or holding a kick board out in front of me so I can just do a gentle leg wiggle.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts and advice. Thank you😊

What about backstroke? That's my favourite for PGP but of course it will be different for everyone. I think it's worth a try. Even if you just bob about and don't actually swim, the feeling of weightlessness would be lovely. I think you've inspired me to go for a swim today...

I never found physio to be useful for PGP btw, but oesteopathy was like magic.

Yea definitely no breaststroke legs! I could swim with severe PGP (which presented all around my hip joint and bum on one side a bit like sciatica) so that sounds like a good plan - I didn't do enough to keep my strength during pregnancy and now the whole side of my body where I had it worst is much weaker and needs a lot of rehab work. I saw a chiropractor for my PGP and I honestly think she kept me on my feet to the end - otherwise I'm not sure I'd have been able to.walk!

Thank you for replying!

I did go swimming today and it was OK, though breaststroke arms and front crawl legs was quite hard work! I did some backstroke too and just generally blobbed about. It did feel really nice to be actually doing some exercise.

I think I might look into osteopathy. I'm worried I'm just not going to be able to walk by the end as I'm already struggling now. It was much harder work walking the very short distance to the baths than actually swimming!

What I realised to late first time round was not too keep going if I was in pain that meant it got much worse before baby arrived. Second time round I saw a women’s physio soon as pain started and never walked further than was comfortable. That time was much better, also found swimming fine only thing I could comfortably do. I did breaststroke arms with front crawl legs it was ok once I got hang of it!

Definitely backstroke and if you can't manage to swim at all, just walk up and down the pool