When Rebecca Middleton became pregnant, she never imagined that pelvic pain would leave her in a wheelchair for the last three months before giving birth.
Her pregnancy began with a tough first trimester full of nausea and sickness. By her fourth month, she started experiencing severe pelvic pain.
“I could barely walk,” Rebecca recalls. “I had occasional lower back pain before, but this escalated rapidly.”
After raising her concerns, Rebecca was referred to an NHS physiotherapist and was eventually diagnosed with pelvic girdle pain (PGP), also called symphysis pubis dysfunction.
Pelvic joint problems are more common than many realise, affecting around 20% of pregnant women.
“I was terrified—would I walk again? How would I care for my baby?” she remembers.
Even after giving birth, Rebecca faced challenges with walking, lifting her newborn, and pushing a pram. “I was disabled for seven months and needed constant help,” she explains. “Caring for a baby felt impossible during that time.”
Before her pregnancy, she was unaware of this condition. Now, Rebecca volunteers with The Pelvic Partnership, a charity dedicated to raising awareness and supporting women with PGP. The good news is that with proper care and treatment, PGP is manageable.
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