Every time you ask a mother how her pregnancy journey was, she’ll never complain and tell you ‘it was worth it’. Seeing the baby after carrying him/her for nine months inside you is undoubtedly a beautiful feeling.
But have you ever wondered when women say ‘it was worth it’, what is that ‘it’ for?
‘It’ is the nausea, the heartburn, the ever changing body, excessive weight, a big bump that you have to carry 24/7, aches and pains of all shapes and sizes, the constant need to pee and many other atrocities.
Yes, women do tend to forget all of this once they deliver the baby, but needless to say, it is a painful and stressful journey. One such painful element of pregnancy is the pelvic girdle or round ligament pain.
What is Pelvic Pain?
Pelvic girdle is a ring of bones at the base of your spine, near your pelvis. Any pain in this particular area due to several reasons, such as pressure on the lower spine and pelvis causes pelvic girdle pain (PGP).
Whereas, round ligament pain is when the two ligaments in your pelvis, which are on either side of your uterus, stretch and thicken to support your growing uterus.
Why Do Women Have Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy?
Pelvic pain, whether it is PGP or round ligament pain is a common attribute linked to pregnancy. Pelvic pain generally starts during your second trimester, when you start gaining weight and your body starts to change, and grow, in order to accommodate the baby.
“PGP is common, affecting 1 in 5 pregnant women, and can affect your mobility and quality of life. Pain when you are walking, climbing stairs and turning over in bed are common symptoms of PGP. However, early diagnosis and treatment can relieve your pain. Treatment is safe at any stage during or after pregnancy.”
Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, UK
Pelvic pain is one of the down sides of pregnancy because it is not just painful, but it restricts movement and your everyday physical activities.
What Does Pelvic Pain Feel Like During Pregnancy?
Pelvic pain is like a sharp jab that starts way down inside your groin and is sometimes like a stabbing pain near your pelvis. The pain is internal so no gel packs will be helpful to alleviate the pain.
The pain can occur near your pubic bone, and sometimes it is like a push-down pain near your groin.
This pain usually heightens when women participate in physical activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, getting abruptly up from the bed and other such actions.
How to Get Rid of Pelvic Pain?
There are a couple of ways to get rid of pelvic pain, some include:
- Continuing with physical activities so that you can come to terms with the pain.
- Exercising is another great way to reducing pelvic pain and there are many exercises specifically designed for pregnant women to get rid of pelvic pain.
- Wearing comfortable shoes, preferably flat, also lessens the pressure on the back and helps with pelvic pain.
- Avoid lifting or pushing heavy objects, so as to avoid pressure on the pelvis, back and groin.
- Wearing support garments such as pregnancy bands to help alleviate pain.
Pregnancy Belts for Pelvic Pain
Pregnancy belts or bands are an ideal way to help with pelvic girdle or round ligament pain. During your second trimester, when your bump is steadily growing and making space for the baby, wearing pregnancy bands can prove to be fruitful for you.
These bands will not only lift your bump to give you a lighter feeling on the abdomen, but also take away some pressure from the pelvis, back, hips and groin and distribute the weight which helps lessen the pain.
According to the leading baby and mom-to-be health and wellness website:
“Many moms-to-be find that wearing a maternity belt or girdle relieves round ligament pain, low back pain, and pelvic pressure by providing gentle, firm support for your growing belly.”
BabyCentre, UK
Do all Pregnancy Bands Help with Pelvic Pain?
Yes, all pregnancy bands are designed to take away some pressure from your pelvis and back, which will give you a feeling of comfort and reduce the pain that the pressure causes.
However, if you have heightened pelvic pain, you can consult your doctor or midwife and invest in a pregnancy band with groin support, for securing the groin which will enable you to have a feeling of compression on your groin.
These specific pregnancy bands are for women who feel a severe push-down pain near the groin and the straps that support the groin will keep it compressed in place, which will be comfortable for you.
Summary
The reason why pregnancy belly bands for pelvic pain is a must is because pregnancy bands are a great and safe way to help with pelvic pain. They provide comfort and solace to expecting mothers and ease their back pain. They are recommended by doctors worldwide and are a great way of relieving the pains and aches that come with pregnancy. Belly bands are an extremely useful product and perhaps one of the best investments of pregnancy.
