If you suffered/suffer with SPD and were given crutches, do they help?

[Nbg]

Mine has started again and I'm only 16 weeks.
Its quite painful already and when I walk I look like I waddle like a 40 week pregnant woman.

In my last pregnancy I was given crutches because I was struggling to walk with pain in my leg for sciatica but I hardly used them because they didnt really help.

So if you have them for SPD, does it help you to walk with a bit less discomfort?

[dustystar]

A freind of mine from school used them and i don't think they eased the pain much but without them she was pretty immobile

[Nbg]

So it was a walking aid then?

I dont know how the hell I'm going to do it with a bloomin pushchair and a 3 year old.

[LilRedWobblyGut]

They didn't ease the pain massively but meant I was still mobile. I used to put as much weight on them, through my arms, as possible to take the weight offmy pelvis - the result, sore shoulders & arms as well as sore pelvis , BUT I would have been immobile without them a lot sooner than I actually was.

[LilRedWobblyGut]

NBG - did you have SPD in both of your previous pregnancies?

[Nbg]

I had a niggle with dd and a bit more pain last year but more towards the end of my pregnancy.

I'm just a bit worried its started already.

[LilRedWobblyGut]

Get on the phone to your midwife tomorrow and ask for an urgent physio referral. Also, try a chiropractor - worked wonders for me postnatally, but he said he could have helped anitnatally too.

[dustystar]

My friend's youngest was 3 1/2 at the time so fortunately she didn't need the buggy. I'm not sure how she would have coped otherwise.

[LilRedWobblyGut]

Snap - almost - Ruby!

[Nbg]

Well because I was only pg last year I still have all my exercise and relaxation things from the physio I went to.

I used the pushchair today as a support but I was panting by the time I got home lol.

[Nbg]

Other thing is, I have a massive hospital phobia which started last pregnancy so I dont think I could do physio

[Nbg]

and since my MW is so lovely about it all, I wondered if she would pick up crutches for me if I need them.

(I even have my ante natal appts at home!)

[treacletart]

Ive been seeing an osteopath since about 20 weeks with my (allegedly mild) but very painful spd. She's worked wonders for me and all through deep massage rather than any scary manipulation stuff - It would be well worth you checking out local practitioners - mine offers half price treatment during pregnancy too.

[Twiga]

Having waited an age for Physio appt, I finally got crutches fri past. Agree re: the sore shoulders thing also have couple of blisters on palms of hands. Def mainly a walking aid although using them through the day means that I'm less sore by night than I have been. They are also an absolute God send for mobilising at night as I find that once I've been asleep for a few hours I stiffen up and struggle to weight bear through my legs so they help me in that way. Not really using them around the house otherwise. The main issue for me with the whole spd thing is that my pelvis is out of alignment due to one side being looser than the other. One of the most helpful things about the physio appt was the traction applied to my left leg which helped pull things in line a bit more and also given the tip to sit with a folded hand towel under the side which was lower (right in my case) to help keep things aligned. Overall I wish I'd seen the physio earlier but given that my mw screwed up and it was then a four week wait I've finally got this sorted at just before 38 weeks [hmmm].

The other thing is that it is not poss to manage buggy and crutches or even a walking toddler plus crutches unless they're a bit older. My dd is 21 months (would imagine a 3yr old wouldn't be so bad) and thinks swinging off them or walking right in front of me hanging off them to "help Mummy" is fun. I've mainly used them when I've had the chance of a lift to places (don't drive)or have someone else with me, otherwise I just have to lean heavily on my pram!

Nbg, really hope things are sorted out quickly for you and you're not too uncomfortable, spd really is rotten!

[Nbg]

The oesteopath sounds good but not sure we could afford it tbh.
I'll have a look into it though as I know there is one that isnt far from us.

Its things like school runs when dh isnt at home and I have no choice but to have the pushchair.
Also like you said Twiga, on a night when you've been asleep.
DS wakes for a bottle around 6am and it is agony getting out of bed and walking across the house to him.

[Nbg]

Possibly Ruby, although I have found the ultrasound scans quite a problem to go to but I have bit the bullet and gone.

[LilRedWobblyGut]

A friend (who I met at anti-natal classes) had an extremely hospital phobic DP. At the first class he went white and started sweating. In the end he had to leave as he couldn't stand being in the hospital. She attended all other ante-natal classes alone. Her DP went to three sessions at a hypnotherapist to help him overcome his fear and was present at the hospital for the birth of his son and even cut the cord!

Maybe worth a try for you? I'm sure a sympathetic GP/midwife could get a referral for you.

[dustystar]

Could someone from school help you out with the school run? The reason i have become friends with the lady i mentioned is because i saw her struggling to and from school on crutches for a couple of days and stopped on the third and asked her if she would like me to pick her dd up from school until she was in less pain. Ironically another friend from school had asked her that morning if she needed her to take her dd to school. We did school pick up and drop off until about a month after her ds was born and she was strong enough to do it herself.

[CarGirl]

I relied on pushing the pushchair instead of using the crutches, but I too forked out for an osteopath and it made a massive difference, much less pain and didn't the crutches. In the subsequent pregnancy spd started much earlier but never got anywhere near as bad because I didn't do things to aggrevate it in the first place - lifting, lots of walking, kicking football etc etc etc

[Nbg]

Hypnotherapy sounds fab. That poor guy. Must have tore him apart thinking he couldnt be there for his babys birth.

I think I might have a couple of sessions of EFT to try and help matters.

I did have a support belt with dd which was very good, forgot about the pillow so will do that tonight.

Sadly I dont know anyone here who could help.