Pelvic Pain

Who ever said pregnancy is a fun time was obviously crazy! There are so many changes happening mentally & physically, it's not surprising most of us become very overwhelmed with the whole process. It still surprises me daily of what the human body is capable of!

Lately, I have been having a really hard time with pelvic pain and it seems to be only getting worse and worse as my pregnancy goes on. At first it felt like a pinching and pulling in my hips and joints, to a dull constant ache that would wake me up during the night, and now I can't even walk to my car from the front door without needing to sit down (cue tears!).

So why is this happening? 

Pelvic pain occurs from the loosening & softening of ligaments around your joints. This is great preparation for when the baby comes.. but not so great for the 40 weeks prior when you feel like you're waddling around like a penguin and constantly in pain.
Basically, your pelvis normally supports itself, and the stronger your core, the stronger the pelvis.
Now, the ligaments are loose and much weaker - so every time you flip over in bed, sit in a position for too long, lay flat on your back - the vicious cycle of irritating your pelvis more & more begins.

Awesome (not) So.. How can I help the pain?

Unfortunately, pelvic pain will not go away until after you give birth, and in some cases, it hangs around even after that too. The only thing you can do is try to manage the pain as best as you can.

Contact your obstetrician and get a referral for a good physiotherapist. They can manipulate the joints and muscles to relieve some of the pain.
Some people also like to try things like acupuncture, swimming and pilates.
I've also found where I place my pillows when I sleep really helps with the pain.
At the moment I sleep on my side with a wedge tucked under my belly. I then put a thicker pillow between my knees & I either lean my back against my husband or put a pillow against my back to stop me from rolling backwards.

I think one of the most important things to do is to remember to do your pelvic floor exercises. If you're unsure how this actually works, see chart below;

If you work in an office like I do, get up - walk around - stretch. Try not to stay seated in the one position for long periods of time. Make sure you don't slouch in your chair & that you try and sit straight with your core strong.

I just went and purchased a pregnancy wedge cushion, tried it out for the first time yesterday and it seemed to help! You can grab one for $25 from Target. I'll be using it in the office and driving in the car, I've been told that my knees should be lower than my hips at all times, as this helps relieve the pain.
Try to avoid any heavy lifting (yes that includes putting your nursery together!), and if you drop something on the ground - bend down with one leg in front as if you were going to do a lunge. Remember to keep your core strong!
Don't try and be tough and ignore the pain - I found this can make things a lot worse and can make the pain hang around for longer.

One thing I've found that frustrates me the most is getting dressed and putting shoes on/ taking them off. It's incredibly hard bending. If you are struggling with this - I found sitting down really helped. I also found asking my husband to take off my shoes helps too (bless him!)

Remember - it's common to feel like this, but don't let it go untreated.. It's pretty incredible what our bodies are able to handle, but there's no point being in pain if you don't need to be!