Being pregnant during this pandemic can be hard enough, but when you add in SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) – alternatively known as Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) – it can make it even harder, not to mention debilitating.
There are hormonal changes that affect the Symphysis Pubis ligament and just that can really cause a lot of discomfort! That little ligament is situated in the middle of your pelvis, holding your pelvis stable so when the hormone relaxin is produced during pregnancy, it causes all muscles and ligaments to relax and therefore causes pelvic instability – and that often debilitating pain. But PGP is also more than just a hormonal issue and is also a joint problem affecting the pelvic area with a wide range of symptoms.
Lots of you may already know that specialised Maternity Reflexology using specific techniques to ease SPD/PGP can be a life-saver and quite literally a massive comfort. But what can you do when you can’t get out for a hands-on appointment?
Well, help is still at hand and these are our top tips…
- When getting out of the car or turning over in bed, place a silky pillow case/sheet under your hips/bum/legs to make sure its easy to swivel into position. Anything that keeps your pelvis as stable as possible and helps maintain comfort and avoid pain!
- You can also try a small pillow between your knees when lying in bed at night. Keeping your hips in alignment and making sure your upper leg doesn’t drop down too much keeps your knees level with your hips, easing the strain on the pelvic area.
- If you already have a child, try and avoid carrying them on one hip where possible as that can aggravate the already irritated area.
- This isn’t the time to struggle through it and feel like you have to keep going at all costs. Rest is really important so try and take frequent rests during the day. We all know that when we feel exhausted pain can feel more overwhelming. Which leads me onto…
- Cleaning can aggravate SPD. This is your ‘get out of jail free’ card – try and avoid carrying or pushing the hoover around, cleaning the floor, carrying heavy bags of shopping or pushing shopping trolleys round a supermarket as none of these will help your pelvic pain.
If you don’t have access to a maternity-trained reflexologist who can use effective techniques to help, fortunately those same points and techniques can be found on the hands and can be used as as self-help tool! So if you need a little helping hand (literally!) then just drop me an email or book an online consultation here.
You don’t have to suffer in silence!
