My name is Lauren & I am hoping to raise money for the Pelvic Partnership (PP).
The PP is an amazing little charity run by a small group of dedicated women who have lived experience of PGP. They offer vital support & guidance for sufferers, with PGP affecting roughly 1 in 4 women during pregnancy. I am one of those affected.
While pregnant there was little to no help from the NHS, & any advice I did get was largely wrong. The lack of knowledge & understanding regarding this often dismissed & underestimated condition led to a very poorly managed labour that ultimately left me unable to walk.
I felt I was alone, I was in chronic pain & confined to a wheelchair. I had very little use of my left leg & didn't know what was wrong. I couldn’t look after myself, my baby, or my horses. I got passed between doctors, physios & pain clinics with no one willing to help find out what was wrong. Their solution was just to put me on more & more drugs to try & mask the pain. As a result & on top of the chronic pain, my mental health was at rock bottom.
8 months postpartum I found the PP & discovered I wasn’t alone. Their advice & support were invaluable & I was so relieved to find help & people who really got it. Sadly so many women are affected by this horrid condition, though in most cases the symptoms ease & disappear after birth, in other cases, they persist, or as in my case, they get worse.
The NHS largely fails to help or provide correct advice. The PP is working hard to raise awareness & change the advice given & treatments offered.
I’m pleased to say that 3.5 years on & thanks to the right advice, intense specialist physio/osteopath treatment, & the right cocktail of pain medication, I’m able to do everyday things again. I still struggle with pain & activity-related flareups but I’m so much better.
There's a long way to go, but In April with friends in tow, I’m attempting a 9-mile ride that I know will push me to my limit!
Wish me luck & thanks for your support :)
