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39 weeks, SPD - worried about labour!

10 replies

LittleMissSnowShine · 23/08/2010 14:04

It's been a fortnight since I last saw MW at 37 weeks. Since baby's position was good, heartbeat strong, head engaged and my blood pressure fine, she decided I wouldn't need to see her again.

A couple of days after I last saw her I started getting really crippling SPD pain. I've been pretty stiff and my mobility hasn't been great for last month or two but I wasn't in any pain so I didn't press for a physio referral.

It's started to really affect my pelvis, legs and knees - I even fell down the stairs last weekend

I bought a good support band and I've been doing my best to only take tiny steps, keep my legs together and use a hot water bottle for the pain and, since I'm so close to due date, I was intending to just wait til after LO arrives before trying to get a physio referral. But I've been reading loads about how SPD can affect labour, how important it is that you've had an assessment so the MWs know the extent to which you can be mobile, whether or not getting in/out of a birth pool is a great idea, how far they can try and open your legs if you've had an epidural and can't feel what they're doing etc. So I'm kind of worried now that I should have really pressed to get a physio referral...

Any other SPD ladies out there and how did you find it affected labour for you, if at all?? Thanks!! (And sorry for epic post!)

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LooL00 · 23/08/2010 14:30

I keep saying this and no one else ever says it happened to them BUT I had really bad spd and as soon as I went into labour it got lots better, that is from not being able to walk from room to room to being able to stand quite happily for quite a while.i had a home birth as i couldn't face walking from the car park to the labour ward. The only problem i had was getting stuck on the floor after i'd given birth,DH had to haul me up. The physio told me that ice was the best thing for the pubic bone pain, but once baby's head was engaged it seemed a bit mean!She also told me that kneeling and leaning on the sofa was a good way to give birth as your legs can't move further apart as you're kneeling on them. And if you think about that as how far apart your legs have to go, then it doesn't seem too difficult.

Good luck! one thing is that spd sometimes results in very quick 2nd stages so you might find it's over very fast. with dc3 (age 7 weeks) it was 5 mins!

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LittleMissSnowShine · 23/08/2010 16:57

Thanks LooL00!! Kneeling and labouring on all fours seem to be what all the things I have been reading recommend, but I didn't know that SPD could actually make the second stage shorter...result!!

Yes, I've got stuck in the bath a few times lol

I feel really stupid that I didn't realise I had SPD but everything I'd heard about it seemed to involve people saying how painful it was so I just assumed that I was stiff and losing flexibility but ultimately I was fine. Now I realise all those months of not being able to do my own shoes up or get in or out of the bath were a prelude to limping around like I am now. Ho hum.

Thanks again for sharing your experience :)

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japhrimel · 23/08/2010 22:05

Are you sure it's SPD? Probably sounds silly, but not all pelvic pregnancy pain is from the SP joint. Stiffness for example may be a knock on effect of SPD (with your muscles getting tense trying to stabilise your pelvis) but it isn't necessarily down to SPD at all - it could be more due to back or hip issues (or just lugging that bump around!).

Ice can help SPD pain, as it causes inflammation, but if your biggest issue is muscular tension, warmth might be better.

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japhrimel · 23/08/2010 22:06

Oh, forgot to say, you can work out a lot of what the MW would work out yourself anyway. E.g. how far apart you can bring your knees without serious pain or injury, what positions are most likely to be comfortable (try some out), how to get into a birth pool if you want to use one (again, try it out if you can)....

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ILoveGregoryHouse · 24/08/2010 08:45

Hi. I have SPD mainly affecting my sacroiliac joints. This is dc4 and I have had left lateral deliveries - lying on left side and one water birth. All second stages have been quick although head delivery always controlled as I didn't do forced pushing. I agree about the ice, it really helps.

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LittleMissSnowShine · 24/08/2010 10:40

japhrimel - I'm not absolutely sure it's SPD since I haven't seen MW/physio to make sure but I have most of the obvious symptoms and very focused pain right in pelvis and below bump now. I've also found that only taking tiny steps and being very careful going up and down the stairs and getting in and out of bed has been helping a bit, so I can only assume that's what's wrong with me

I have a hospital appointment on Friday tho and I will be begging for a sweep - I really hate being off my feet like this, it's driving me crazy!

Thanks for your experiences GregoryHouse - what do you mean by head delivery being controlled? Forceps/ventouse? Or something else? Sorry, I'm clueless! But I'm also getting pretty nervous that I'll somehow make things worse for myself during labour and I'll still be limping around like this when LO actually arrives, which would be a nightmare!!

Thanks again!

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LooL00 · 24/08/2010 10:56

littlemissS you should try to see a physio postnatally,I did after dc2 and she straightened me out and gave me pelvic stability exercises to do. i'm booked in for mid sept when dc3 will be 2.5 months old (no appt avail earlier!).I'm fine at the moment but can't run,kick or hop. I can walk fine and have no trouble looking after my dc. Don't worry you will get better very quickly after you give birth, it's very rare for it not to get better.
You could look at the pelvic partnership website for advice, but at your stage it's probably more helpful to be lying down resting!

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LooL00 · 24/08/2010 11:08

littlemissS you should try to see a physio postnatally,I did after dc2 and she straightened me out and gave me pelvic stability exercises to do. i'm booked in for mid sept when dc3 will be 2.5 months old (no appt avail earlier!).I'm fine at the moment but can't run,kick or hop. I can walk fine and have no trouble looking after my dc. Don't worry you will get better very quickly after you give birth, it's very rare for it not to get better.
You could look at the pelvic partnership website for advice, but at your stage it's probably more helpful to be lying down resting!

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ILoveGregoryHouse · 24/08/2010 14:29

Hi. What I mean by controlled delivery is that I was very careful not to forcefully push - it would have difficult for me anyway. I did what lots of women do by just letting the contraction do the work iyswim. I had no forceps or ventouse or anything, thankfully. Have you looked at hypnobirthing techniques?

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LittleMissSnowShine · 24/08/2010 14:37

Thanks ILoveGregoryHouse! Just wanted to check :) I did listen to hypnobirthing cds a couple of months ago but I found them really hard to get into - I might give them another whirl in next few days tho, even all the relaxation and breathing bits alone seem like they might be helpful to stop any forceful pushing...

And thanks LooL00 too! I think I will def try and see physio postnatally - I was born with slightly messed up hips but I had an operation when I was a baby and I've been fine ever since but the last couple of weeks have shown me how difficult it must be for anyone who has to deal with a condition like this on a chronic basis. Ouch!!