Antenatal Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pelvic Girdle Pain, or PGP, describes pain in the joints that make up your pelvic girdle; this includes the symphysis pubis joint (SPJ) at the front and/or the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) at the back. 

The discomfort is often felt over the pubic bone at the front, below your tummy, or across one side of your lower back, or both sides.

You may also have:

• pain when walking
• pain if you stand on one leg (e.g. dressing, climbing stairs or getting in or out of the bath)
• pain moving your legs apart (e.g. getting in or out the car)
• painful hip movements (e.g. turning over in bed)
• difficulty lying in some positions (e.g. on your back or side)
• pain during normal activities of daily life
• pain and difficulty during sexual intercourse

A diagnosis of PGP can be reached based on certain signs and symptoms that you may experience during your pregnancy or afterwards. Having one or more of them may indicate the need for a physiotherapy assessment followed by advice on appropriate management and treatment where appropriate.

With PGP, the degree of discomfort you are feeling may vary from being intermittent and irritating to being very wearing and upsetting. 

(POGP - Leaflet ' Guidance for Mothers-to-be and New Mothers - Pelvic Girdle Pain and other common conditions in pregnancy')