sciatica or pelvic girdle pain?

[sammielou]

In the last few days I've started getting a very sudden sharp pain just below my right butt cheek. Like, grabbing my backside and yelping 'ouch' kind of agony that stops me in my tracks and makes me afraid to take another step.
It usually happens after I've been sitting or standing still for a while, and then go to take my first step.

I've had odd feelings all over my bump at times, but usually I'd say it was discomfort rather than so bad as pain - like everything is just a little stretched. I have occasionally had a kind of stabby pain near my belly-button (always very short lived, like a few seconds and it has gone away if I rub it), and a stitch-like pain just below my bump when I'm walking. Sometimes one or both of my hips hurt too, but I had similar hip pain before I was pregnant so I'm not sure if the two are related.

A bit of googling (dangerous, I know) tells me that it could be sciatica or PGP, and that often doctors get the diagnosis of these two wrong. I have a tendancy to just nod and agree with whatever medical professionals say, even if I'm thinking 'no, that doesn't sound right' because I'm meek and non-confrontational. My next MW appointment is on 8th March and I want to go armed with a bit of knowledge to understand them and make sure they get it right.

So are there any ladies who have experience one or the other (or both) of these conditions and can describe how it felt to them?

 

[Copterpops]

Sciatic pain usually runs from your lower back, and down your leg. You can see how it hurts by sitting on the edge of a table, slouching over (chin to chest and arch back as much as possible) and then straightening out the leg on side you get pain in. This will put a stretch on the nerve so if the pain appears you could say sciatica.

Pgp comes in number of various guises however and I personally think is 'diagnosed' to cover a broad spectrum of pains.

Since it happens after you change positions, it could just be that everything is starting to loosen in preparation. Try not to stay in one position too long, to try to limit the amount you are attacked by the pain.

Hope you feel better soon, and it's not a long lasting symptom.

 

[IheartDex]

I had sciatica earlier on in pregnancy and now am experiencing the joys of SPD. They were completely different for me. I thought sciatica was agony (and it probably was to be fair) but this SPD is just horrendous. The sciatica was in my back low down and in my bum and thighs. It was on one side at a time. The SPD is a constant pain in my pelvis. It's in my hips too but nothing like what's going on in my pelvis. I can't even describe it either, it's grating, it's sharp, it's constant and dull, it's clicky, it changes quite a bit but it is mainly concentrated in my pelvis and lady bits area.

Does that help at all?! Xxx

 

[sammielou]

Thank you both for your responses. I'm still not sure what is going on with me! My pain is entirely in the right leg, just below the buttock. Thankfully after suffering it for about 3 days in a row, it seems to have calmed down now. I start to feel discomfort there and I know if I lie down and relax for a bit it will ease and not get so bad.

Still getting discomfort all over my bump at times. A gentle massage or warm bath seem to help, so I think that is muscles under strain.

I have no clicking nor particular pain that I can say is in my pelvis. Also nothing in my back but an occasional ache that I reckon is just bad posture/ growing bump.

 

[Fruity01]

I had this in first pregnancy and pray I do not have it in this one. I had spd (really bad pain in my groin area) and what I thought was sciatica but after going to gp about it he diagnosed sacroiliac joint pain (a sharp shooting pain starting from lower back / buttocks and shooting down my leg to the back of my knee - due to way baby is positioned and resting on a nerve). GP told me sciatica is when the pain shoots straight down leg to your foot. Both are equally painful and I could barely walk towards the end of my pregnancy.

Physio was absolutely useless for the spd and not worth my time attending initial appointment and apart from being told to take paracetamol for the sacroiliac joint pain there was nothing more I was told to be done.