Many women over the past years have been diagnosed with sciatica in pregnancy, but it’s a lie or a false diagnosis in many cases which I have found out much to my own pain in pregnancy recently.
To have sciatica in pregnancy you have to have an existing back issue. So if it’s not sciatica what is possibly causing the similar symptoms and pain in your back/pelvis and bum? It is most likely Pelvis Girdle Pain/Disorder aka Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. Abbreviated to PGP/SPD.

I had a lot of pains in my lower back bum and top of my right leg with my last pregnancy during the last couple of months and like other women I self-diagnosed said it was sciatica and got on with it, baby was also back to back so I presumed it was basically down to that.

Now I am pregnant again and a couple of months ago I started getting the same pains in my bum. This was a lot earlier than baby one and on some days they were very painful and I was struggling to walk. I did the easy quick thing and googled sciatica in pregnancy hoping to find a miracle cure or exercise or tip to use a hot water bottle or anything to help basically.
That google search told me it wasn’t as I do not have a pre-existing back condition as mentioned above. It then took me to the NHS site for PGP. As I read it I pretty much realised it was 100% accurate for how I was feeling. Luckily for me I had a midwife appointment a week later and I mentioned it to her and apologised for googling – as I know sometimes it can lead to a whole world of trouble and incorrect diagnosis for things. However after listening to what I said and about my pains she happily referred me to see a Physio.

If there is one thing I have learned this pregnancy, it is to look after me for a change. By looking after me I ultimately and indirectly look after bump. Also why should I suffer for months when I really don’t have to. A bit daft really.

Seeing the physio
I managed to get a cancellation the week after so was seen really quickly. The physio made me bend and stretch a little and describe my symptoms and she confirmed I had got the makings of PGP. However it was my right rear joint that had started to deteriorate first.

Basically with PGP and especially in second or additional pregnancies your body starts to loosen the joints of your pelvis ready for labour. It’s really only supposed to do this when you are close to your date. With PGP sufferers it does it early and not at an equal rate. To have the full condition though it’s the front joint in the middle that starts to give.

So the physio said I was lucky as we had caught it early and if I manage it correctly then hopefully could save myself from the front starting to give way though she pretty much warned me with the length of time I had to go it was pretty much guaranteed it would at some point. It was down to me to make that as late as possible.
She gave me a bump support but also taped my back up. I must admit I though how can a bit (three strips) of tape make a difference but OMG it does it really does, to me anyway. It doesn’t work for some women but it does for most. How I love getting that tape every time I go. Trouble is it only last 5 days and I don’t see the physio that often.

There was also a list of rules: (these are a few)
NO Hoovering – yay
NO bending more than once
NO carrying shopping bags or anything that’s remotely heavy – hmm
NO pushing the shopping trolley – well that’s not really an issue as hubby always does that anyway.
NO standing or putting weight on one leg
NO sitting with legs crossed – this one is hard for me to stop though I tend to sit with one leg under me which is even worse.
Get in and out of the car and bed with legs together.
Only sit for 40mins at a time
Don’t do too much walking
Don’t go up and down the stairs unless really necessary and when you do – Go up the stairs two feet per step. Good side first. So in my case the left foot.

That last one is a killer on my left thigh and after two days it was driving me mad on how long it took climbing the stairs in our house. I even shouted to hubby I didn’t know how he had managed to climb up and down stairs in this fashion for the past 3 years. He’s had to because of his bone cancer and his poorly leg – see other blogs). I must admit there are some days I do not always follow this, but I do regret it hours later – I am getting better!

I also received an A4 leaflet of about 6 pages long which generally talked about crutches and wheelchairs and totally freaked me out but also made me think I have to follow the list of rules I have to manage this as I really don’t want it to get worse. The pain sometimes is excruciating.
The one and only saving factor (not counting the hubby has to do the hovering) is that once baby is born it will go away.

The next few weeks
I have been managing it now for 5 weeks and had the pains for about 2 weeks before that.
I have had a couple of days where I have had to literally do nothing and give in to the pain.
However the last week I have started getting more and more twinges in the front and at this morning’s appointment the physio said I had now developed the full condition.  Though it’s only mild.
I still have just under 11 weeks to keep going to baby’s due date and the twinges in the front don’t half hurt already. At least I have still avoided crutches.

I have also engaged with the occupational health clinic at my place of work and I have a workplace assessment with the physio in just under two weeks time. Although it will only be for a few weeks at work I am hoping they will be able to provide me with a better chair or additional support. Got to be better than nothing and hopefully will keep me going a little longer. I have also been lucky to arrange getting a laptop so if I have any more days where I can’t walk more than a couple of steps and can’t get into work I can at least continue with what I have to do.

I am now glad I did google that day and for once I haven’t ignored it as I think I would be in a lot worse state by now if I hadn’t started managing it 5 weeks ago. I am also glad I have a hubby who can help me although he is also not exactly 100% fit either. Our poor 4 year old has to pick things off the floor for both of us. Luckily she is a very keen little helper and I am very glad I have the age gap I do now as she understands that mummy is hurting and already knows about daddy’s poorly leg. Think she will be glad when I am back to my full self again though, however so will I.

Some useful links to PGP/SPD:
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a564618/pelvic-girdle-pain-pgp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphysis_pubis_dysfunction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelvic_girdle_pain

Though if you are suffering and think it may be this don’t self-treat and please mention it to a professional, it just might be something else and if it isn’t they are the best people to help.