SPD - what makes it better?

[JollyYellowGiant]

I'm only 16weeks pregnant with DC2 and I'm struggling to walk any distance already. Lying is painful, sitting is painful, driving is painful.l I can hardly carry DS any more, I can't stand on one leg.... How on earth do I get through the next 23 weeks??

Have put in a self referral form for physio but I have no confidence in getting an appt any time soon. I've just left a message for the midwife saying I'm really struggling, but she seemed quite dismissive last time I mentioned it.

Last pg I had a sore pelvis for the last couple of weeks. That was manageable but this time I have months and months still to go!

What can I do to make it better?

[RoseGarden123]

I just wanted to say I sympathise with you, and would love the advice!
I am 29 weeks and was diagnosed today with SPD, along with high blood pressure, glucose in urine and suspected anemia! Was fine till this point, so still in a bit of shock!
I spoke to midwife today who was really helpful, she has referred me to physio and advised to minimise exercise as much as possible, concentrate on making sure that whenever you move/ get up/ get out of car/ etc on trying to keep knees together and with all actions try to keep knees as close together as possible minimising pressure on the pelvis.
I have better days than others but all distances hurt as do stairs, turning over in bed etc.
I hope you feel better soon.

[worsestershiresauce]

I didn't find a solution but I did find a walking stick helped take the weight off which is turn reduced the pain.

[talulahbeige]

Acupuncture if you can spare the money.

[JollyYellowGiant]

Oh, I hadn't thought of that, Talulah.

Thanks for the advice folks. Spoke to a different mw and she said physio referrals are pretty quick at the moment, so I might wait a bit and see how that goes and if I'm still struggling after that I can look into something else.

Trying to minimise carrying DS and also to reduce household chores (hah!). Although DS is not yet 2 he weighs 14kg so I think that's a big contributing factor.

[CityDweller]

Take comfort - my spd/ pelvic girdle pain kicked in at around 20 weeks and was really bad btw about 22 and 28 wks. But, now (I'm 37wks) it's a billion times better and has been for months. I put it down to regular acupuncture. I've also had osteopathy, which sort of helped at the beginning, then seemed to make it worse, then I found a new osteo and it started helping again! I think seeing someone (osteo, physio, chiropractor) who can check the alignment of your pelvis is important. But I've only been to the osteo occasionally over the past couple of months, so I really put it down to the acupuncture. There's a place near me that does a women's 'multi-bed' clinic so it's much cheaper than it would be seeing the same acupuncturist in a regular clinic (£25 instead of £60+).

Also, moderating my activity to avoid things that flared it up. So I had to give up cycling (weep weep, I feel bereft without my bike) and strongly resist the instinct to run for trains and buses. I also have to be careful about how and what I sit on (hard chairs make it worse, as did my office chair at work, which sucked). I found yoga made it worse, but pilates mostly helped. Swimming is also ok (front crawl only, and if kicking aggravates it you can use one of those floats between your legs, called a pull-buoy). On my really bad days, I also got relief from a hot bath and icing my pubic bone.

Oh, I also got an NHS physio referral, which came through quickly, but while they were very nice and quite sympathetic they weren't particularly useful when it came to treatment. Although, I recently found out pregnancy acupuncture is available at my hospital through the NHS, so you might ask about that.

Good luck and have heart that it is possible for it to get better, not worse, as pregnancy progresses - but only if you treat it in some way. At 22 wks I thought I'd be on crutches and signed off work within a month or so. Turns out I can now walk and do most other things pain-free. It's definitely added up, in terms of cost of treatment, but has been utterly utterly worth it and while we're far from rolling in cash, we looked at as another 'expense' of having a baby.

[Signet2012]

Don't separate your legs, get out of bed with your knees together and same getting in.

I had physio but didn't really do too much for me but I have other conditions which is probably why.

I found sleeping with a pillow between my knees helped a bit.

Got better towards end of pregnancy wasn't as bad as early on I found. going on the sick from office job at 30 weeks helped

[BarmeeMarmee]

Boots (and probably other places) sell support belts to go under the bump and keep your hips and pelvis more aligned etc as it should be. That can help. I wore a huge tubigrip over my bump at night, a cushion between my knees to keep everything aligned.

Not much advice there but hope something there might help. You have my sympathy OP, fully understand how painful it can be!

[Mango194]

I'm suffering with hideous SPD too so I really sympathise! I'm 35 weeks now and for me it started around 24 weeks, but I tried to ignore it for ages and carry on as normal, which was a big mistake! My advice is this:

-get it seen to ASAP - it can be managed but it will only get worse if you try and power on through it!
-avoid hoovering - this seems to really set it off (for me at least!)
-use an ice pack on the affected area for 5 minutes 3 times a day - I've found this really helps.
-have a hot bath before bedtime
-try sleeping with a pillow between your legs
-carry a plastic bag with you so you can slide in and out of the car on it
-avoid walking for more than a few minutes if you can
-don't sit still for long periods (I have a desk job so I find this makes it worse)

I've just seen a very good physio (luckily I was referred pretty quickly) and she gave me some exercises to do every day, along with crutches to take the pressure off a bit, both of which are helping. She also talked to me about paracetamol for pain relief (haven't tried this but it might be worth asking about it if you feel you need it). You can also buy special cushions/belts etc to help with the problem, so it's worth investigating these to find out what works for you.

Hope this helps - and good luck!

[GeorgianMumto5]

Get that physio appt and do not - repeat, do not - refuse the offer of crutches! They help a lot, more than you might think. I refused them with Dd, then realised my mistake as and practically ran off with them from physio with ds. Well, more hobbled.

Always keep your knees together (exit and enter cars like the queen). Don't crouch or bend down. Train little ds to retrieve things off floor and to climb into buggy/highchair/car seat. To pick him up, first have him climb on a chair.

Home delivery is your friend, heavy trolleys are NOT!

Dh bought me a long-handled dustpan and brush and then proudly told work colleagues, who ruthlessly mocked him for buying me that instead of sweeping the floor himself. They had a point, but sometimes you don't want to wait the whole day to sweep up a cocopop.

Google SPD/pgp birth plans. I found some really good advice online, but it was a looonnng time ago and I can't remember what the organisation was called. I believe they're still out there.

[Mango194]

Some good advice/info here:
www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk/

[JollyYellowGiant]

Thank you so much, everyone. Particularly heartening to hear that it might not continue getting worse until the birth!

Thankfully I don't need to worry about labour or birthing as due to complications last time I'm having an ELCS :)

[MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill]

I third or fourth the acupuncture, I had a much better second pregnancy and I'm sure that was the main reason.

[InvaderZim]

You're thinking of the Pelvic Partership. Good luck, OP, The thought of SPD coming back worse makes me not want a second pregnancy.

[DigestivesWithCheese]

Osteopath. I had a pregnancy where I was on crutches by 17 weeks and on morphine near the end. Physio exercises and support belts made no difference (actually, support belt made it worse)

In my next pregnancy, I saw an osteopath from 17 weeks (when I started to struggle with pain) and after 2 apts I was fine! I saw him once a month throughout the pregnancy and I was able to walk right to the end. This was a twin pregnancy so I was carrying a lot more weight than the time before. I wish I'd thought of it sooner.

[Whitewineformeplease]

I really struggled with this too, OP, so much so that I'm scared of a second pregnancy. The advice so far on this thread has been great, I wish I knew half of it when I was going through it! I also found that it eased when the baby changed position, so would get on the floor on all fours for ten, fifteen minutes, or kneel on the ground but rest your upper body on a chair. The support belt didn't help me, but some other women swear by it, so give it a go. Try everything! Good luck!

[JollyYellowGiant]

Things have been a little better today :) still painful if I move wrongly but I have been much more careful with my positioning and have avoided carrying DS at all.

On the down side, it kept me up last night.

I think mine is probably Pelvic Girdle pain as it is mainly at the back. The worst thing (apart from carrying DS) seems to be standing on one leg or leaning more on one leg.

[Mouseface]

Oh you poor thing! xx

No hoovering as Mango said

Plastic carrier bag on your car seat if you drive so that you swivel without twisting your pelvis when getting in/out.

Pillows between your legs when lying down so that your knees are like a rectangle with your pelvis at the top - you need to keep as still as you can whilst resting and have plenty of pillows to help.

feet this end

l l
l l < knees
l_l

pelvis here

Lying on your side whenever you can rather than sitting will release the pressure off your pelvis.

Warmth helped me and I found the cold, damp weather hurt more so layer up, tights and big pants can help keep your pelvis warm.

Avoid the stairs as much as you can, try to go up a step at a time so one foot, then the other onto the same stair.

You can take co-codamol if the pain gets too bad BUT get it prescribed and watch out for constipation as that will add pressure to your pelvic region.

Osteopath and acupuncture are a huge YES from me too if you can afford/get referred from the GP/MW. You need support and you need it now.

Go and see your MW, ask for a physio referral asap too, they have female specialist physios who can help with SPD or PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain) I ended up on crutches and having hydrotherapy twice weekly, and on pethidine, I was induced after being bed ridden so the sooner you go the better.

When baby comes, DON'T HAVE AN EPIDURAL if you can help it, if you can't feel how much you're pelvis is hurting, then the damage is likely to be much worse, your physio will tell you that, also try to birth on your side, not your back.

Tell EVERY health care professional that you have SPD so that they don't pull your legs at all. Or try to manipulate you.

And listen to all the advice up thread and see what works for you lovely. Good luck :) x

[MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill]

Avoid standing on one leg, it pulls the pelvis away from itself (ifyswim) try and keep your legs on an even surface and as close together, as much as you possibly can!

[GlitterySkulls]

the only thing i found that actually helped was finally giving birth

i'm hoping that's not the case for you, & some of the tips above will help you

[DXBMermaid]

I've been to see a chiropractor a couple of times. Although it doesn't mean my SPD is gone she has made it more manageable. I am convinced that seeing her has prevented me from ending up with crutches.

The other thing is to listen to your body, so if it tells you that unloading the dishwasher hurts too much, then leave it!! I just returned from a trip to London (don't live in the UK) and I really overdid the whole walking and taking public transport thing, mainly because I didn't want to hold other people up. Now that I'm back at home I'm taking it very very easy and only doing a limited amount of activity each day.

Lastly, for me I have noticed that a warmer weather here really helps so I am keeping my fingers crossed that spring will come to all of you soon. If it doesn't just take lots of warm showers or baths.

[atrcts]

Avoid:

1. Lifting
2. Pushing a trolley (especially round corners!)
3. Moving anything with your foot
4. Standing on one leg
5. Parting your legs! Keep knees as close together as poss except when laying down, then use a pillow between knees.
6. Hoovering or mopping
7. Sitting slumped in a chair
8. Crossing legs
9. Striding

Do:

1. Use a pillow between knees at night to keep the pelvis in good alignment
2. Remember pelvic floor exercises
3. Take little steps with knees close together
4. Take stairs 1 at a time
5. Sit in a good position for the back
6. Sit down when putting on lower clothes (jeans/socks etc).
7. Remember that "this too will pass"

[RachaelH1983]

i have been suffering with pain down below and general aches for weeks midwife said it was just everything getting ready for birth.. I am nearly 33 weeks and this morning the pain was so bad i rang my materinty ward as my midwife only works part time and she told me its spd and i feel for anyone suffering with this... the pain walking my daughter to school this morning was so bad i could of cried !! i have to see my midwife 2moro and will be getting what ever she can offer me the pain is unbearable i feel for anyone suffering with this and its nice to know im not alone