anyone out there suffer from hypermobility syndrome??

[Stom91]

soo, i suffer from hypermobilty sydrome which is rather pain full at times.. been off work since mid august and having to start my mat leave early in october due to barely being able to walk.

ive been reading about it can cause you to have a rapid labour (this is my first pregnancy) i also find that local anaesthetics wear off rather quick or dont work at all.. ... it also says that sometimes epidurals don't work ( im not planning on haviing one but its good to find out all the facts)

i just wondered if there was anyone out that that suffers from it and how their pregancy/labour went.
itll also be good to find someone that understands. i find that because people cant physically see theres anything wrong with me, they tend to assume im faking it.

my first mw didnt have a clue what it was, my second thankfully knew what i was talking about (was surprised i hadnt seen a consultant yet) and has booked me in to see a consult in a few weeks.

sorry if this is long winded

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

I have it, but only mildly, so this is just my e,experience.

I had a fairly quick labour with DD (8hrs) but a longer one with DS (a day plus!)
I've used pethidine and gas and air in pregnancy both of which were fine.

I have had progressively worse PGP in my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies. Is this what is affecting you? Have you been seeing a physio/chiropractor?

Hope the consultant can give you more information.

[MrsMcEnroe]

I have it, and so does my DS, who is able, rather spectacularly, to dislocate his shoulder at will. He has been warned by the consultant not to do this again, and is awaiting a referral for Physio to help tighten up his ligaments ....

Anyway, I digress. I had an epidural during my first labour and it worked perfectly; total 100 % pain relief. It did slow down my labour, and I needed an episiotomy and ventouse, but I suspect I would have needed those anyway as I am tiny and DS had massive shoulders, was lying back to back and had the cord right round his neck so he wouldn't have come out on his own. I only had gas and air during my second labour and everything was fine.

I did suffer from appalling lower back pain during the late stages of both pregnancies, but I suffer from this anyway as I have an unstable SI joint, and this did improve a bit after birth.

I managed both deliveries without any problems (well, without any problems that were attributable to the hyper mobility anyway!).

Hope this helps a bit, and good luck!

[SaucyJack]

Hmmmmm!

I have hypermobile joints, but they don't cause me much grief so I wouldn't say I had actual hypermobility syndrome.

But in answer to your question....... both of my labours so far have been quick, particulary in the pushing stage. DD2 was actually delivered by my mum on the lounge floor.

Never had time to get any pain relief either.

I might actually discuss this with my MW now you've posted this. Never thought to link the two before.

[cravingcake]

Me, i am hypermobile. Not to the point where i couldnt work but i'm a stay at home mum to a 23month old DS so theres not much choice

My first pregnancy was fairly normal, i didnt know i was hypermobile. Around 20 weeks my lower back was in agony but i changed the type of leads i used to walk my dogs and it helped massively.

Labour was a different story, my waters broke as a slow trickle & it took a while (4 days) for my DS to finaly arrive. I went in for induction after 36 hrs & another 18 hrs later i finally started getting proper contractions which took me from 3-4cm to 10cm in about 10 hours (all fairly normal). I was in a lot of pain so had an epidural, i thought it was good (it took away the worst of the pain) but i later found out it wasnt that well placed. I was pushing for 3 hrs & my DS was in distress so forceps were used and i was given an episiotomy which tore further. I suffered a 4th degree tear (the worst degree when the entire perinium and part of anus tears). Its only been in recovery that i found out i'm hypermobile and had i known previously i would never have consented to forceps. Obviously not everyone who is hypermobile will have this degree of tear.

I'm currently pregnant again and will be having ELCS this time.

[Stom91]

thanks for the replies :) umm what is PGP??
im seeing a physio but its not making any difference.. my back is usually pretty painful, but its excruciating at the moment, i cant sleep on my left and my hip kills and i cant sleep on my right as my muscle gets stuck under my shoulder blade (thats what it feels like)

standing to wash up is painful, so is sitting too long. just cant wait for my lil to be here, 13 weeks seems ages away!!

yeah i read it is hereditory, that should thing is weird! i cant do anything like that lol. i can bend in weird ways.

im glad the labours weren't too bad it has reassured me abit. thanks x

[Stom91]

cravingcake gosh sorry to hear that was so awful! yea i want to stay away from forceps, 1. they freak me out, and 2. they freak me out lol.

so the labour times are pretty normal, (eg as if we went hypermobile its no different) sorry i dont make much sense, but i mean there nothing saying it will or wont be rapid. etc

[cravingcake]

There does appear to be a link between extensive injuries and hypermobility (theres a number of us on the Ragged Bits thread in general health who are hypermobile). Also if you look on the hypermobility association website (sorry on phone so cant link) there is a section on pregnancy which could be helpful.

My only advice would be when it comes to labour that if things look like they may be heading down intervention route to do as much as possible to avoid it, whether thats something simple like usig a birth pool or changing positons or more serious like opting for c-section earlier rather than later or refusing induction (as examples). Discuss with your midwife that understands as much as possible about what your birthing options are.

[cravingcake]

Oh, as for current pain you are in try using a hot water bottle and remember you can take paracetamol if required. Dont worry too much about how you sleep, just try to get some sleep - if i'm on my side for too long i get pins & needles in my arms which wakes me up.

[Stom91]

Yeah my hot water bottle is my beat friend at the moment and baths... Yeah I've already said to my midwife I'd like a water birth. ... I don't want to be induced as I've heard that labour can be worse.

So would you say intervention would be worse due to being hypermobile?

Just want the pain to go away now I really wanted to enjoy being pregnant but I've hated it. :(

[cravingcake]

Intervention (like induction) can often be more painful, which inturn often means more likely to need epidural, which means more likely to be on your back, which can make pushing baby out harder, leading to increased use of ventouse or forceps (which require episiotomy) and can increase chances of tearing. Its a bit of a cycle that once you start with one intervention it can lead to another. Healing time is also a bit longer for hypermobile people. Please remember not all inductions are like this, and this may not happen to you.

Being hypermobile wont make it more painful, just more likely to cause damage during the process if that makes sense.

If you do want and can aim for a waterbirth then definitely go for it. If i hadnt suffered the tear last time i would be going for another vaginal birth this time but its not recommended for me.

[SurvivalOfTheUnfittest]

I haven't been officially diagnosed, but have come to believe in the last few months that I do have it. Struggled immensely with pelvic girdle pain with dc1 but a chiropractor kept me much more mobile with dc2. I have to say that I have not got back to being pain free since having dc2 who is now 3. I've had extensive physio but I still can't do some activities. I gave birth to dc2 on my side and that seemed much more comfortable.

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

pelvic girdle pain I found a chiropractor more helpful than a physio.

[Stom91]

I will keep all that in mind cravingcake
Yeah i really don't want intervention if i can help it.
Definitely going to talk to my consultant see what he says.... I woke up in so much pain last night ..
I'm. Worried i wont be able to carry to full term. Felt. Like my spine was going to snap last night :(

[TigerSwallowTail]

Yes I have it and my labour lasted 45 minutes.

[Titsalinabumsquash]

I suffer with it badly.


Second labour was 20mins
Third was about 5 mins.

I didn't have any build up though, it was a case of nothing then waters broke as babies head crowned.

I feel your pain hms is damn painful.

[Titsalinabumsquash]

I will add that I was in a wheelchair for ds3, I couldn't walk at all the pai. Was unbearable.

[Stom91]

Oh gosh I'm not that bad yet.... Last night the pain woke me up which it hasn't done for a while. It was awful. Just didn't what to do with myself.

I'll make sure I'm prepared incase of a quick birth then. Hospital is a 30 minute drive.. Can be longer if it's busy :S

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

Is there a homebirth service in your area? If quick birth is possible it's better to have a planned hb than an unplanned one.

[Stom91]

not sure, its my first so id rather be in a hospital, and i want a water birth.
ill see what the consultant says.
i just want to be normal, i would like just one day with nothing hurting :'(

[TigerSwallowTail]

I was on crutches with dc2 because of the pain, but it went away after the birth. With dc1 I had an epidural, it slowed my labour down but kept wearing off and had to be topped up and I was up walking about soon after to the surprise of the midwives.

Ask for a referral for a physio.

[Stom91]

im already seeing a physio.

well thats good, i really want to avoid an epidural if i can.
but who knows what will happen x

[Mummabear12]

Yea I have it! Got diagnosed in last pregnancy and I saw a physio (didnt do anything) suffered with pelvic girdle pain a lot and having the pins and needles when you sleep is awful! Labour wasnt quick was 16 hours from first contraction to the end and had awful back pain throughout! I gave birth on all fours and was no way I could of been on my back! Stil suffer with my back no dd is 20 months and am 8 weeks pregnant! Dreading later stages of pg purely cuz of the pain! So I feel for you least you know your not on your own. Good luck x

[Mummabear12]

I meant 26 hours of labor not 16 lol x

[Stom91]

Thanks mummabear.. Today and yesterday it's started to get worse... Not even a bath has helped today. I just feel utterly useless.

I've had it since I was 12 I'm now 21 and would love just one day pain free :/

[quackojuliet]

i was told i was hypermobile by osteopath, but think it's pretty mild. is it basically bendy joints? they said they could tell i was by watching me bend my finger backwards.
sounds like a good thing for a natural labour though, no?