Frequently Asked Questions
What about the birth?
It is important that your partner makes the team looking after her aware of the fact that she has pelvic girdle pain (PGP)/Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction(SPD) and that this is recorded clearly in her maternity records. It would also be worthwhile getting her to write a simple birth plan with information about pelvic girdle pain affects her. If she has pain moving her legs apart then she should ask the midwife or physiotherapist looking after to measure her pain free gap which is the distance she can move her legs apart without pain whilst lying on her back with her knees bent. This should also be recorded in her notes. Your partners midwife or physiotherapist can also advise on suitable positions for labour and birth and on positions to be avoided.
Will a C-Section be needed?
Most women with pelvic girdle pain will not need a C-Section for this reason alone but it is hardly surprising that many women request one given the often terrifying reports of giving birth with pelvic girdle pain in the popular press and women's magazines. At the other extreme many women are told that their birth will be much more straightforward as their ligaments are "already so stretchy" and although many women with pelvic girdle pain do have very straightforward births for others it is not quite so straightforward as there does appear to be a tendency for some of these babies to lie in an OP position which can prolong labour and sometimes lead to intervention. (This is our own personal opinion based on our own experiences and those of others and and we are not aware of any research in this area.) Your partner's midwife can advise on optimal foetal positioning to get the baby into the best possible position for birth. For a small number of women with severe pelvic girdle pain and whose mobility is very restricted, elective C-section may be the best option but it is a decision to be made after a full discussion with your Obstetrician about the risks/benefits of the procedure.
How soon will it get better afterwards?
Research studies have shown that the majority of women (approximately 93%) recover within the first three months after giving birth. However a small percentage can, if the condition is untreated, continue to have symptoms which can persist for a prolonged period of time. We would recommend that any women experiencing symptoms after their baby is born to ask for referral to an appropriately trained physiotherapist and not simply "wait and see" if their symptoms settle down. In the research studies it was often women who has serious pain during pregnancy and pain for a longer period of time who were more likely to have ongoing pain after delivery and these studies looked at women who had no treatment for their condition.
What about future pregnancies?
This is a very individual decision and one that only you and your partner can make. Research indicates that having pelvic girdle pain in one pregnancy does mean that it is more likely to recur in a future pregnancy. However, as the reasons why it occurs are very different depending on the individual it would be worthwhile in the first instance asking for advice from the health professionals who treated your partner previously and who know her full history. They can give advice on fitness and exercises before conceiving and some physiotherapists offer a pre conception appointment. Other factors to consider are the care of your older children and how your partner would cope should her pelvic girdle pain symptoms recur. Lifting and carrying small children is a frequently reported difficulty and for this reason some health professionals advocate waiting until older children get past the lifting stage before trying for another baby. It would also be advisable to wait until any symptoms from one pregnancy have settled before conceiving another child.
▲ back to top
