Health-seeking behaviours of primiparous women with persistent pelvic girdle pain postpartum in Ireland

Background Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PPGP) is a common complaint and may persist for many months postpartum beyond the end of standard postnatal care period; yet, very little is known about the health-seeking... [ view full abstract ]

Background
Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PPGP) is a common complaint and may persist for many months postpartum beyond the end of standard postnatal care period; yet, very little is known about the health-seeking behaviours of women with this condition. Exploring the experiences of women with persistent PPGP with regards to the care they received and the help/support that they sought for their PPGP can provide useful information to understand and address their needs.

Aim of the study
To explore the health-seeking behaviours of women with persistent PPGP for more than 3 months postpartum.

Method
University and hospital site ethical approval was granted. We used a descriptive qualitative design. A purposive sample of 23 women with persistent PPGP for at least 3 months after birth were recruited from a large cohort study and took part in a face-to-face semi-structured interview. Data were thematically analysed.

Findings
Three main themes emerged from the data. ‘They didn’t ask, I didn’t tell’, whereby women said they often felt their problem was ignored by health professionals and expressed a need for more follow-up. ‘Seeking advice and support’ describes women’s role of talking to others and the triggers and barriers for seeking help. In the third theme, ‘Coping strategies’, women described the ways they dealt with their persistent PPGP.

Conclusions and implications
Women stressed the importance of adequate follow-up for their PPGP postpartum, beyond the 6 week postnatal check-up, since their PPGP persisted for longer. The study findings illustrate the health-seeking behaviours for PPGP from the women’s perspective, which is unique because women did not have to have been in contact with the health service provider regarding their PPGP to participate in this study. These insights highlight a hidden morbidity suffered by an increasing number of women in Ireland, at a time when they need to be feeling well in order to care for their baby.