pubic bone pain - excruciating!

[redheadmum]

is anyone else pregnant and got v bad pain in the pubic bone?

I'm 37 weeks and it's just hit really badly - I can't move without pain...

any tips?????

[starshaker]

dont move that was the only thing that worked for me sorry

[Evesmama]

baba getting positioned...i got it walking down high street miles from work..thought i was gunna go into labour in bank!

[crazychick]

I you mention it to your midwife the physio can give you a type of belt. It helps to support the baby and stop it pressing on your pubic bone. I remember the pain with my two. Just be careful and mention it to the midwife as pubic bones can split as well. I do not mean to alarm you.

[Slave2Babe]

awww i sympathise ... when i was carrying DD she was breach a few weeks from the end (luckily turned round before the big event!) ... and she used to kick me right down there!!

speak to your midwife and i'm sure she can help you ... i was given exercises to help encourage the baba to reposition.

hang in there ... not long to go!

[rickman]

Message withdrawn

[redheadmum]

thanks for the tips will do a search

[shhhh]

Yes I also had it, it's called spd or full name as below. Having had baby 4 weeks ago I still have slight pain. Not as much as before when I was carrying baby but at the moment I can only lie on my back. If I lie on my side when I turn over my pubic bone "cracks" yup it is as bad as it sounds !! Apparently it should clear on it's own one my hormones have settled. Fingers crossed

[Lonelymum]

I had this with my fourth baby - apparently it becomes more common the more children you have. I was referred to a physiotherapist and was given crutches to walk with but I found them a worse pain in the backside than the pubic pain IYKWIM. Everyone kept staring at me and asking me and my children what I had done and I didn't find they helped at all. It did seem to ease off a bit (but then you are already 37 weeks so maybe you have noticed that?) Anyway, the moment the baby was born, all seemed well again but I am afraid to have to tell you that my pelvis is definitely weaker now than it was and still gives me pain eg if I try to push something to the side with my leg, like sliding a box to one side. Also, when I was on holiday last week and hill walking all day, I found the pain returned. And my youngest is now 2.4 Don't want to depress you - everyone is different and you may well be fine after the baby.

[Rochwen]

Eeeek, I'm really worried now !

I've been diagnosed with SPD too and it really freaks me out. I used to think that only women carrying twins or more would get it or women who already had a few children. I had no idea it would ever affect me.

I've go three really burning questions:

Firstly will it get worse. I'm 32 weeks now and the pain started about 4 weeks ago and has been getting slightly worse. Does that mean it will get really bad the bigger the baby and I get? What will happen when the baby starts to 'engage'?

Secondly, I've read somewhere that there is a chance the pubic bone can separate if I slip or the pressure gets too much (or if they stick me into stirrups during delivery). That totally freaks me out, logic would say that the whole pelvis would have no support if it were to separate, would it not? How would they fix it if it broke, more importantly can they fix it or will I be stuck in a wheelchair for life should the worst come to the worst?

Finally, will it really go back to normal after delivery and how long will it take? I'm leading a very active and athletic life (well I did before I got pregnant) and if I still had a niggling pain left and the fear of the pelvis being instable then I'm not sure I could get back to competitive sports. I just cannot imagine a life without sports and the thought really really really scares me.

Please help !

[fifilala]

I got a really stiff belt from the physio-it worked wonders, my pain improved from about 36-37 weeks when baby engaged-apparantly when the head is in the pelvis it stops the bone rocking around - this is what I was told!

[Rochwen]

Gonna lie in a corner and cry now !

[merglemergle]

fiflala-I've got SPD and have been told the opposite. In fact I was told it was caused by the baby being engaged early.

Sympathy to anyone else who has this. It is just awful, especially if you have other kids.

I am hopefully seeing a physio tommorrow (long tale of lost referrals). The ONLY thing that has helped is walking, but I have to take painkillers first.

Rochwen. The thought of the pelvis separating is REALLY scary...I'll check with the physio if I can.

[Jodie657]

It cant be from the baby engaging early. i had it with my last pregnancy and with this one and with both i got it very early on and my son never engaged til i was actually in labour

[Rochwen]

Ok, so freaked out now that I made an appointment with my GP. Will also research chiropractors who deal with that kind of thing. I will not let this beat me !!!

The misalignment of the pelvis theory makes a lot of sense as I've always had one leg shorter than the other, so that would explain that.

So, what can I do to stop this from getting worse? Excercise or totaly rest?

[Rochwen]

Just to add: Spoke to a woman yesterday who gave birth about 2 years ago and she suffered from SPD pretty badly (crutches), however, although it was in her birthplan and her notes her consultant still put her in stirrups when she needed an episiotomy and a ventouse, appartently telling her that the health of her baby was more important than her discomfort now. Sure he is right but there must have been something else they could have done, no?

[babylily]

My experience of SPD has been this.....sorry if this is long...
I had SPD with my first pregnancy from 18 wks. I'm now pregnant again (5+6) and the pain came on at about a week after conception!
It always came back for a week around ovulation time and I've been told I can be referred for an operation once I have finished having babies...
although I've also been warned by my GP that any further pregnancies would be a bad idea.
I'm currently waiting for my first physio appt to receive my crutches, tubigrip, support belt and sick note for work for the rest of my pregnancy. Also seeing a consultant about pain management (recently discovered that taking 8 paracetamol/co-codamol a day for months of pregnancy can cause asthma in baby...my dd has asthma so I don't want to inflict it on this one too. I'm expecting to be hospitalised early on too.
I had an elective c-section last time as I was in a wheelchair by the end and terrified of the idea of labour pain on top of the existing agony.
I have a 2 year old daughter and currently feel that getting pregnant again was the most selfish thing I've ever done. In the space of 10 days dh & I have gone from elation to despair...
Ona positive note - I have known others with the condition who have not needed crutches, who had more good days and bad and who have only experienced it with one pregnancy.
xx

[Rochwen]

BabyLily big big {{{{{Hugs}}}}} for you !

This is just so unfair, some women manage to avoid all ailments in pregnancy and are happy, glowing and superactive and others are given such a hard time. I really feel for you !

...and you are NOT selfish for bringing another human being into this world. I think you are very brave !

[Lonelymum]

Rochwen, as I posted earlier, I had this with ds3 and I feel I can give you a slightly rosier picture than Hausfrau, although I am sure it must be a very individual thing and you will just have to wait and see how bad it gets for you.

I think the pain did decrease as the pg went on - I don't remember using my crutches at all by the end.

I was definitely told that the best thing for it was to limit activity. I can remember the physio telling me not to do any unnecessary housework and certianly never to stand at an ironing board. It was very practical advice for me as I had three small children, but I do remember sitting down to iron for the last few months - how I didn't burn the bump I'll never know! The physio can show you how to do certain things like get out of bed safely - you must keep your knees together at all times.

Although I said I still get twinges now 2.4 years later, and it was particularly bad when hill walking recently, I wouldn't have thought that a fit person used to sports such as yourself would be unable to continue them after the birth. Perhaps though it would be worth again seeing a physio to discuss if there are any particular sports you should avoid?

[Lonelymum]

Sorry, that is meant to say it wasn't very practical advice for me...

[Rochwen]

Thanks Lonelymum !

...why oh why do we have to go through all of this just to have a baby (and then be told all the time that 'it's the most natural thing for a woman to do'. Mmpffff ...