Two Steps That Women Should Take if They Develop Pelvic Girdle Pain Whilst Pregnant
The ligaments that support a woman's pelvis can become quite pliable during pregnancy; this can result in some pregnant women experiencing an issue known as pelvic girdle pain (or PGP), which can cause a lot of physical discomfort in their pelvic region. Below are a couple of steps that women with this problem should take.
They should choose an obstetrician clinic that is as close as possible to their home
Pregnant women will normally have to be seen by an OBGYN at an obstetrician clinic every few weeks during their pregnancy. If a woman who needs to do this is suffering from PGP, they should arrange to have their appointments with their OBGYN at a clinic that is very close to their home. The main reason for this is that PGP can make walking, climbing in and out of a car and driving a vehicle extremely painful. As such, if a woman has to travel for an hour by car or on foot to get to her obstetrician clinic and meet her OBGYN, she may find the process of trekking to and from the clinic to be excruciatingly painful, so much so that she may end up postponing important check-up and ultrasound appointments.
By having her appointments at an obstetrician clinic that takes just a few minutes to drive or walk to, a woman who has PGP can minimise the pelvic pain that attending these appointments causes and will be less likely to be deterred from visiting her OBGYN because of this issue.
They should discuss multiple pain management options with their OBGYN
Because the pain this condition causes can be near-constant and very intense, pregnant women who suffer from it usually need to find ways to manage their pain. Many women in this situation rely quite heavily on painkillers, like acetaminophen, to make their PGP more tolerable.
However, it is important for women not to rely solely on painkillers to relieve their discomfort but to instead discuss multiple types of pain management options with their OBGYN. The reason for this is that although acetaminophen is safe to use occasionally during pregnancy, it is not advisable for a woman to take it every single day throughout her entire pregnancy, as it could increase her risk of liver damage.
By discussing other pain-management methods (such as physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment or wearing a maternity support band around the pelvis) with her OBGYN, a woman in this situation can, with the aid of this professional's medical advice, determine which pain-relief options are safe and suitable for her to experiment with and start to use these in lieu of or alongside the painkillers.
Contact an obstetrician clinic for additional advice.
