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MSK Health
Brighton & Hove and West Sussex
Brighton & Hove and West Sussex
Around 1 in 5 women experience pain in their back, pelvis, or hips, during pregnancy. This is called Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) but was formerly known as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD)
PGP covers a wide range of symptoms with some women having very mild discomfort and some women having severe pain and finding everyday tasks difficult. Having PGP does not mean that there is a serious problem with your health, the safety of your pregnancy, or your ability to have a normal delivery.
Many women find that exercises and lifestyle changes improve their pain. Most women find that PGP resolves after delivery.
In these pages you will find some advice and links to other websites with helpful information.
Rest
Take regular breaks from activities and avoid being in one position for too long.
Walking
Wear supportive footwear, use a rucksack (rather than a handbag on one side), try shortening your stride length and decrease your speed. Many women avoid walking for long distances as their main form of exercise as it can sometimes make their pain worse. Try other activities such as ante-natal yoga, ante-natal pilates, or swimming (avoiding breast stroke if it worsens your pain).
Getting into a Car
Sit first and then bring your legs in to the car. To get out: place both feet outside of the car and use your arms to push you upwards. Try to keep your knees together as you move them in and out of the car (rather than moving one leg at a time).
Sleeping
Avoid lying on your back. It is better to lie on your side (either left or right side). Place a pillow between your legs (one pillow between your knees and ankles) when sleeping on your side. When turning over in bed, keep your knees together, keeping the pillow in place. Try and squeeze in your pelvic floor, squeeze your buttocks together, tuck your bump in (as if trying to make it look smaller) as you move from one side to the other.
When getting out of bed, roll onto your side, drop your feet off the edge of the bed and then use your arms to push you into a sitting position. When getting into bed, sit first, then move sideways until your head is on the pillow, then bring your feet up onto the bed.
Sex
To reduce pain during intercourse we advise trying alternative positions where you do not need your legs too far apart, for example lying on your side on kneeling on all fours.
Where possible, avoid activities that make the pain worse. This may include:
Do Pregnancy Belts Work?
There is some evidence to show that it can reduce pelvic pain and increase comfort. However, they are unlikely to completely eliminate your pain without other lifestyle changes as listed here.
There are a number of different styles and this is down to your comfort – there is no evidence that one type is superior to another. We usually suggest to ask if a friend has one you can try to see if it helps before buying your own.
We do not provide pregnancy belts.
Does Tubigrip Work?
Tubigrip is an elasticated bandage which you can wear around your hips and/or abdomen during pregnancy.
It is thought to work in a similar way to a pregnancy belt. However, some women find these more difficult to take on and off. More information on how to use a Tubigrip can be found here: Putting on an Abdominal Tubigrip – YouTube
We can supply Tubigrips if you have been referred or have self-referred to our service for pelvic pain during pregnancy.
There are several resources available on the web to support people with Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP).
This link takes you to a downloadable leaflet with lots of information about PGP, including information about labour and birth. It has been developed by a specialist group of Pelvic Health Physiotherapists: https://pogp.csp.org.uk/publications/pregnancy-related-pelvic-girdle-pain-mothers-be-new-mothers
This charity has further information, emotional support, and links to online support groups: https://pelvicpartnership.org.uk