Week 20: Relaxin hell

Many mums write about the joys of the hormone relaxin during pregnancy. All their previous aches and pain magically vanish as their muscles and ligaments loosen. Not me. I am one of the unlucky 45% of women who have to live with the devil during the second half of pregnancy – pelvic girdle pain.

Relaxin’s job (among other things) is to loosen the pelvic joints and ligaments to accommodate the baby and prepare for the inevitable birth. If you already have naturally loose joints and ligaments like me (hyper-mobility I believe is the technical name) then this added flexibility results in a floating pelvis which provides no support and leaves you hobbling round like a cripple watching CSI Miami repeats at 2am because you are in too much pain to sleep. I wish I was being dramatic, some people even end up on crutches or wheel chair bound from the condition.

Last time round some days were worse than others, but I was awake every night for at least an hour with the pain and there were days towards the end where I literally couldn’t move without feeling like someone was sticking daggers in my pelvis . Christmas Day was a classic example where I nearly missed lunch altogether and spent most of the meal eating standing up...

This week I have started to feel the first real twinges of PGP and have had my first proper sleepless night. I was hoping I may escape this time round as each pregnancy affects women differently but the tell tell signs are there. I am being proactive and have booked an appointment with my Osteopath and intend to have regular sessions throughout the second half of my pregnancy to try and keep my naughty pelvis in check – coupled with sciatic nerve pain I have had for months this should be interesting!