likelyhood of being induced a bit early due to spd...if i really whinge!!

[pipinmybelly]

hello ladies!!

im 33 (nearly 34) weeks preg with my first baby, due on 29th july. however, i am unfortunate enough to be suffering with sod. at first it was just about manageable but now im almost in tears trying to walk, im so uncomfortable and i cant sleep at night because im in so much pain which is making everything else seem worse coz im tired and ratty. i have seena physio who very kindly gave me a support belt although to what use i am supposed to put it is beyond me as it serves no support purpose to me!!

what im hoping wondering is if it is this bad now is there any chance of any early induction say at 38 weeks? iv got midwife friday so was going to speak to her. i know it can only get worse as baby will get heavier...please give me some hope!! not sure how i will possibly last another 6 weeks feeling like this!!

[MavisG]

I think you can but I was very wary of induction (also had horrible SPD, feel for you) because of increased risk of instrumental delivery (esp if early induction), which could mean having to open your legs wider and make the SPD worse. What area of the country are you? If you can get to Tunbridge Wells, this is the fella to see.

[pipinmybelly]

im in wales..im also worrying about delivering even if i do go full term because of spreading my legs as it really hurts opening them wide enough to get out of the car...really worried about having to have a c section too!! so all in all im buggered if i do and buggered if i dont!! thanks for your reply...dont know whether to mention to midwife on friday?x

[pipinmybelly]

bump

[MavisG]

Do talk to your midwife about your options. I had a good delivery kneeling (in a birthing pool) and leaning forwards. My husband knew I didn't want my knees to go wider than my hips.

If you're worried about this one suggestion I've read is to tie a piece of non-stretchy fabric in a loop to go over your knees, the length measured out so that it limits how wide they go. You wouldn't have to wear it throughout labour but it could be useful e.g. afterwards. I had a dappy midwife who kept going on about me opening them wider - Just for a minute - as if that would be ok. I'm glad I was sure about what I needed. (Other midwife was fine, btw - most are.)

[LilRedWG]

I was offered an elective section at 38 weeks which I gladly took - I was wheelchair bound and in massive pain.

[MavisG]

Other suggestions to help for now are: satin/silky pjs and bedsheets, monkey bars - to help you turn over in & get out of bed, walk with small steps and not too much, don't swim esp breaststroke.

You can take paracetamol regularly - taking it 4x a day is far more effective than now and then, it works better if you keep ahead of/on top of the pain. As soon as you've had the baby you can have stronger painkillers even if you're breastfeeding.

You can get crutches from your physio - I found these very helpful. And the support belt might be in the wrong place, could be worth trying it a few different tightnesses - it should pull your bones together. No good for sitting down in though, standing only, so I wore mine on top of my clothes. (Style & Beauty followers look away.)

If your physio's not very hands-on (ie doesn't manipulate your body/bones) consider an osteopath - but only see one who has experience with SPD.

Also, google 'Pelvic Partnership'.

Good luck. It's shitty shitty McShit, it really is. But you will get better.

[pipinmybelly]

thanks mavis i really am going to have to speak to midwife, i cannot walk its horrible!! just scared of what the options might be thats all!!

[MavisG]

Oh, and sit on a carrier bag in the car so that you can swivel out and stand on two feet together. Don't do anything on one foot. Sleep downstairs and hire a commode from the red x if you have to. A chair by the bath so that you swing both legs in at once (if you've no separate shower).

I don't drive so have no idea if this is too sweaty to bother with - maybe something satiny instead?

[MistyB]

Try this for getting in / out of car / bed / chairs etc.

If you can, I would recommend seeing an osteopath regardless of whether you plan to have an early induction as this will help you cope with the next few weeks.

You could also use a TENS machine to ease the pain now too.

Do speak to your midwife but also ask to speak to a consultant if are still unsure as you will need to consider the impact of the birth and potentially painful contractions / increased intervention associated with induction, versus the C-section option.

[vicbar]

Hi I was induced on my due date because of spd with my 1st and that took a lot of crying and general convincing. They said they wouldnt do it any earlier.
One thing I would say is I found my 2nd labour better (again induced but because of waters going without progression) as I moved around more, made good use of the birthing ball and delivered standing up. Even though the spd was far worse with no 2 (I had to use a wheelchair at times.)

[LilRedWG]

I would definitely say that it depends on your health authority and the consultant also. It was suggested to me that I should maybe consider a CS quite early on and once I had decided to go for it I had no arguements.

Talk to your MW/consultant and tell them your fears and needs - they do have to take your opinion into account.

Take care.

[TaurielTest]

Like MavisG, I had bad PGP (SPD) and had a comfortable delivery kneeling up/leaning forward in a pool. I'd be wary of induction, as previous posters have said.
It sounds like your physio hasn't helped you much - you can get crutches to help you move about, and if you need stronger pain relief talk to GP about codeine.
The advice in this leaflet is great.
My experience may not be typical, but I actually found that mine was at its worst at 30-35 weeks, in the last few weeks of my pg baby's head engaged further, I rested more, and it eased off a bit. Not making you any promises though

[Sal321]

Bear in mind that not all physios are equal when it comes to SPD. Our local hospital has only got general physios. I had PGP (not for very long, I must have done something and not done it again + excellent osteopath) and was referred there. The physio said that if it came back/got worse I could have a support belt and measure how far I could open my legs. I know a physio at the large teaching hospital a bit further away and she specialises in women's health and antenatal physio and I think I would ask for a referral there to see a specialist physio if I had any more problems.

[ktwiltshire]

hi, in addition to the other bits of advice offered here, you need to speak to your midwife, tell them you want to have a comprehensive discussion about birthing options, and that you want to see a consultant if needed (you would need their say so to be induced/csectioned).

i had terrible SPD and was wheelchair bound by 30 weeks and on huge amounts of painkillers. I fought a huge amount to get taken seriously by the consultant, and ended up only being listened to by the 3rd consultant i saw (i got the courage up after a while to ask to see a different person as i felt i wasnt being listened to). finally, when i was listened to i was given the options to either be induced at 37 weeks of csection at 39 (as i really wanted a csection as i too was scared shitless of a natural delivery). i was given these thoughts at 34 weeks and went back at 36 weeks with my decision.
as my pain had increased a huge amount in those 2 weeks i said i would (much prefer the induction at 37 weeks as if i had to go on for much longer i would need to move up to morphine for painkillers and that in itself was another risk to the baby.
so i went into the hospital at 37 weeks for induction. initially the dr on the ward that day didnt want to induce me, it was the first consultant i saw who i hated!, but after much insistance and a ultrasound the next day to check DDs size they started inducing me that afternoon.

they tried everything known to man to induce me, it took from the thursday when they started to induce me to the saturday evening and DD was eventually born by csection as the induction wasnt working much at all and DD wasnt happy in the womb at all.

mine is an extreme case, like i say i was wheelchair bound from 30weeks and on maximum dose of codeine from then too, so i had exhausted all sensible options of trying to get by until delivery!!

if you want to talk and get more opinions, hop on over to the SPD thread, there are lots of us on there.

im now just over 2 weeks post baby, i can now walk compeltely unaided again and im still just on the normal painkillers post csection. im still limited on movement and what i can do (not just from the csection), but the relief of being able to move about and turn over in bed with....only some difficulty is brilliant!

[pipinmybelly]

thanks to everyone for the brilliant advice and comments...i guess, apart from trying to help myself with doing the things suggested to ease the pain, iv just got to talk to my midwife to see what she suggests... ima bit of a poof though and probably wont be listened to as im not firm enough, can i request to see a consultant then if i want to discuss my options? my midwife is lovely so hopefully she should have some answers for me, i just want to be prepared for friday morning xx

[MistyB]

Yes you can definetly ask to see a consultant, if you feel you want to, then do feel you can request it - that's what they are there for - better to be forearmed than an emergency situation arise - best case scenario, it will put your mind at rest!

Midwives see a higher proportion of straight forward natural births and are trained to ensure that births are as natural and stress free as possible which in most cases is the right thing to do while consultants see mostly complicated births and their training is focussed on this side. This way you will get both points of view and be able to take the time you need to make an informed decision.

It's difficult to be assertive as they know more than you but a calm Mummy is more likely to have an easier birth and a less stressed baby. I used to come to each midwife appointment with a list of inane questions and my midwife saw it as part of her job to put me at ease.

[pipinmybelly]

bump

[ktwiltshire]

yeah you can ask your midwife if you can see the consultant, tell her you want to be considered for an early induction, or at least an induction at term, as it has to be OKed by the consultant, im sure they will understand.

but i would seriously consider taking some form of painkillers to get you through the next few weeks if your not already on any, your GP should be more than happy to prescribe sommething to help you get to term.

good luck

[malteser1981]

Here is some food for thought......the large obstetric unit I work in has conducted a huge audit into labour outcomes for all women undergoing induction of labour.
A very brief summary is that as a first time mum if you are induced (regardless or gestation or indication) you have a 50% chance of having a CS. The overall CS rate is below the national average at 21%, so in nutshell you'll more than double your risk of requiring a CS. I suppose it all depends on whether that risk outweighs the symptoms you are experiencing, for some women who are so disabled by their symptoms it is, for others they can manage a bit longer with support and decent analgesia.

Good luck either way.

[pipinmybelly]

thanks malteser think id rather struggle on and see how i go....il speak to midwife tomorrow see what she says xxx

[kerryhull]

Im 35 weeks pregnant and also suffer with spd its really getting me down cant sleep can hardly walk im seeing my midwife in 10days and im going to ask if I can get induced early becauae I cant bare another 5weeks of this