Leah Love

What is Pelvic Girdle Pain?

Mother's Health, Pregnancy, , 5 Comments

Pelvic girdle pain is caused by the widening of joints in your pelvis by the hormone Relaxin in preparation for passing an infant.  The extra added size and weight of your stomach as your little one gets bigger puts stress on your body.  You can feel it as a minor ache in that area or, if more extreme, it can be a painful searing feeling that covers your hips, back, and stomach.

SkeletonWho gets Pelvic Girdle Pain?

It’s said that about 80% of pregnant woman get Pelvic Girdle Pain during their pregnancy.  The majority of these aches come to a head in the third trimester when there is the most pressure on the pelvis.

This is not, however, the only time when you can experience it.  I started feeling it during my second trimester while packing up my house to move.

Other names

Pelvic girdle pain is different from Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction in that the discomfort is more generalized and isn’t necessarily caused by the loosening of ligaments.

You might also want to read my article on how I have Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pelvic Girdle Pain: I have it, how about you?

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My husband and I finished moving into our new house at the end of July, which is hard for a pregnant chick! So when I started feeling a little groin pain after the move was over I wasn’t concerned about it, bound to happen, it’ll heal after a couple days, right? But then it just kept going.

Pelvic Girdle painAt first it felt like I’d gone on a twenty-mile bike ride on a reeaaally hard seat. And if you’ve ever gone too long on an old seat you don’t soon forget it! I was feeling kinda, for lack of a better term, saddle sore. And though it’s not exactly an emergency it is uncomfortable, and as I have about another week until my next doctor’s appointment, I did what millions of pregnant people do, self-diagnose over the internet.

On a side note, Pelvic Girdle sounds like underwear my grandmother used to wear in the ‘40s or something…

I’ve always imagined my pelvis as one solid hunk o’ bone but, no surprise, I’m wrong! There are three joints in there (the pubic symphysis, and two sacroiliacs) that are there, with help from the hormone Relaxin, to allow my pelvis some extra room for the baby to pass. This extra room is more than I’m used to dealing with though and that’s what’s keeping the discomfort so consistent, especially when I have to roll in and out of bed for one of my many nighttime bathroom visits.

Pelvic Girdle Pain is associated with first pregnancies, previous back pain (my poor L5!), strenuous work (the move!) and the fact that my little bundle o’ joy seems to be more comfortable when he’s making me less comfortable. Jerk.

Also because of the Pelvic Girdle Pain I’ve begun waddling which, depending on how you look at it, is either a cute byproduct of pregnancy.  Or an opening for your friends and co-workers to tell you that you look like Danny Devito’s Penguin. Jerks.

The only recourse I have is to avoid unnecessary stairs, roll like a log when I get in and out of bed, and to go nowhere without my husband to do my grunt work for me. As things stand, it looks like I’m stuck in this state of constant groin-ache until somewhere after I give birth to my little jer- uh… miracle.

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction Relief

Pregnancy, , 1 Comment

Going through the pain of being pregnant is driving me a little crazy. For some reason knowing the science helps me feel a little better.

For me, the biggest issue is pelvic girdle pain.

The cause of Pelvic Girdle Pain is the pregnancy hormone Relaxin. This hormone causes the ‘relaxation’ of pelvic joints and ligaments allowing the baby to pass from the womb into the world.

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction and Pelvic Girdle P are similar. So similar that the terms are often used interchangeably. The pubic symphysis is part of PGP. It just happens to be ‘localized’ to the pubic symphysis at the front of the pelvis.

Wikipedia describes it as:

It is a condition that causes excessive movement of the pubic symphysis, either anterior or lateral, as well as associated pain, possibly because of a misalignment of thepelvis. SPD is a dysfunction that is associated with pelvic girdle pain and the names are often used interchangeably.

from wikipedia

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction Relief Tips

  • Number one, Relax! Rest as much as you can. Now’s the time to wallow in a stack of books or catch up on your daytime TV, guilt-free!
  • Try to limit movements that place stress on the symphysis pubis.
  • When you get out of bed (if you don’t do it already) roll out with both legs together.
  • When you go upstairs, go up one step at a time, like you did when you were little.
  • See your doctor get proper diagnose and treatment for Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction.
  • Ask your doctor to prescribe you pregnancy safe painkillers
  • You can wear a pelvic support garment (like a belt or girdle). You can also try crutches.
  • Visiting an occupational therapist is helpful if you have trouble with daily tasks.
  • Ask your doctor for exercises to help. These can benefit the muscles supporting the joints and help with posture while pregnant.
  • You may consider alternative treatments. These include chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, etc.

In most cases, it takes about half a year to recover fully after birth. If the pain continues past six months, consult your doctor for further treatment.

This scares me a little, but here is to hoping for a quick relief.

Dad Reads to Unborn Baby

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Normally Jason and I don’t get to fall asleep together as I get back from work rather later than he likes to stay up.  But last night when I got home, guess who was still up and ready for a little fetal bonding time?

It was really nice!

We climbed into bed with some annotated Edger Allen Poe and got halfway through ‘The Gold Bug’; which I’d never had the chance to read before.

I’m hoping Jason’s still awake tonight so I can get to the end of the story, and I’m excited to start another one.

The baby is stuck with me 24-7. He or she can’t get away from me and the sound of my voice.  The baby has no choice but to know me and my voice; Jason needs a little bonding time too!

I for one think it’s one of the sweetest things a father-to-be can do to prove how much he’s into his child; you rock Jason!

That’s being hands on!  That’s how you know your husband is going to be a real daddy!

I admit I might have been a little worried about Jason’s bonding with the baby when I first got pregnant, but once my belly popped he connected a lot faster.

It was more real to him.  Also, I think it’s possible I may have inadvertently caused him not to want to bond with the baby. Not before the fourth month for fear of miscarriage.

I wonder if it’d be as hard for him to lose the baby as it would be for me.  And now that the danger of miscarriage is behind us, he doesn’t have to be so guarded.

I’m wondering though if there’s a difference between the baby being able to hear and the baby being able to recognize a voice.  I’ve been told a baby can hear as early as 18 weeks, but a baby isn’t supposed to have a reaction to your voice until about 25 weeks.

Though so far I don’t know how I’d know it, my kid hasn’t given me any sign or signal that he/she is responding to the sound of my voice.

The only thing my baby does that’s predictable is swim like crazy when I lay down on my left side.  That and refusing to do it whenever Jason puts his hand on my stomach to have a feel.

Maybe it’s just a tad too early to tell.

I can’t wait.