I had mild PGP in my first pregnancy, but I didn’t know any better and assumed my pregnant waddle was normal but, looking back, the signs were there. My second pregnancy was quite different – I began waddling from about week 16, and by week 24 I was clutching walls in order to creep along a corridor at work. I tried to carry on, insisting it was manageable, but it quickly became apparent that wasn’t the case. My midwife recommended physiotherapy; in our area this was done through self-referral. I attended a group appointment within a matter of weeks and, given how much I was struggling, I was also offered crutches a manual therapy session, and a few sessions of hydrotherapy. I accepted all that was offered to me I accepted all that was offered to me, the hydrotherapy was bliss, but total agony to get to the venue!

I became, for all intents and purposes, immobile. I couldn’t get out of bed and down the stairs without help, there was no question of getting out the house. Despite crying myself to sleep in pain, the worst bit was not being able to look after my toddler or play with her, needing another adult present for her basic needs – I could only watch. I was assuaged by the advice ‘it’ll end as soon as baby is born’. Whilst I deeply hope that is true for most mothers, it wasn’t to be for me and I spent almost three months housebound.

My baby was born just before Covid, severely restricting my ability to have any professional physically assess my condition. It was nearly three years before I could walk down a slight hill without causing a week of pain. It was so hard in those dark days, and I was in a bad way – even exploring the options of surgically fusing my pelvis back together in the hope it would help.

Thankfully I found the Pelvic Partnership and, through them, a recommended practitioner. With the help of a holistic and committed chiropractor in Tivoli, Cheltenham and eventually a fantastic Pilates instructor, I am now pretty much back to normal, five years post-partum. I still get lightning crotch, but very, very rarely and it doesn’t set me back for as long as it used to. I can play with my children in carefree ways I thought might be impossible for me! I am a million miles from where I was. I am lucky, my partner and family were amazing and got me through it.

To women going through this, I’d say it’s awful, there’s no helpful advice other than rest and accept help when you can, and post-labour, my experience was that professional help was well worth it. Give yourself time. You are strong. It will get better.

If this story speaks to you and you would like to connect with the writer, then please get in touch via email: [email protected]