SPD/PGP - is BFing meaning my pelvis can't stabilise?

[NEtoN10]

Posting in chat for general traffic.

I had very severe pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy. Went from being very physically active (daily yoga) to housebound as I couldn't get up the stairs to my flat.

DS is now 5 months and I felt a huge relief after birth with the pain lifting. But I've noticed I'm still extremely achy when walking and climbing stairs. I don't feel like it's settled back. I'm exclusively BFing and I read this means I'm still producing the hormones and chemicals which relax the joints.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice? I would prefer not to stop BFing yet, id really like to get to a year.

What are you doing to build your strength back up? Are you having physio? I would look at that before giving up breastfeeding as although you're right there is an element of the hormones still being there you do need to work on strengthening everything again.

I had physio for a long time after having DC and then moved onto some gentle strength building weights work which helped massively.

My physio has me doing weights and walking everyday even with spd in pregnancy. I was told the only thing that can prevent the pain and stability long term is exercise and I’ll need to continue for up to a year afterwards. Nothing to do with breastfeeding and everything to do with loss of muscle-mass during pregnancy.

I didn't breastfeed DS and my pelvis took years to recover, regardless!

Breastfeeding has absolutely no bearing on the recovery from SPD.

Have you contacted the Pelvic Partnership? They can put you in contact with someone in your area who can help you and give you some general advice.

There's loads of support groups on Facebook too.

Thanks everyone. I do yoga three times a week now and walk a lot... it just still feels all wrong. In the pregnancy I found the physio didn't help at all and I ended up in a lot of pain just getting there. They gave me lots of yoga style exercises I was already doing. I can try osteopath again it's just hard fitting around child care.

I don't want to give up BFing was just wondering if it was resulting in delayed recovery?

Nothing to do with breastfeeding and everything to do with loss of muscle-mass during pregnancy.

Im really not sure this was the case for me... I was training to be a yoga teacher when I got pregnant so I exercised a lot! Tons of planks and core work. My SPD got so bad I couldn't even do a child's pose and I used to be in agony after a yoga class... so it wasn't about loss of muscle mass. My hips were so flexible it was unreal - I think too much relaxin was released

I would see an osteopath. You can have a misalignment in your pelvis that can be relieved by giving birth, but the underlying misalignment is still there. If you can fix that and with some strengthening and stretching and figuring out what makes it better, it should improve. It definitely took several months though, with both my ff and bf babies, so I don't think it makes much difference.

I had severe pgp with my second, mostly si joint pain rather than spd. I breastfed my DD till she was nearly a year. I don't think it had any affect.

I did struggle initially, but I was inactive for such a long time I had a lot of muscle wastage.

I just kept pushing myself, waking longer distances uphill with the buggy as fast as I could! It did hurt but I saw it as a good pain, a productive pain, rather than the kind of destructive pain I had when I was pregnant.

I work in a very physical job and I had to get my mobility back whilst on mat leave otherwise I would have been in big trouble!

But if you really feel like something isn't right you may be out of alignment, I think it's more common with spd. Try an osteopath who specialises in women's health. They can be brilliant.

Good to know there isn't a connection.

My friend is an osteopath she just only works locally on a wed so I'll try get my DP to take the day off so I can go.

Thanks everyone!

Did you all get it each pregnancy? I'm dreading it happening again 🙄

I used a chiropractor for my spd and throughout pregnancy. I still go 3-4 times a year and this started 5 years ago. Physio was useless for me.

Doesn’t your body produce relaxin while your breastfeeding too or did I imagine that?! Could be why?

My physio recommended pelvic floor exercises, bridging exercises and taking up a pilates class. I find if I run or stand for too long i get painful hips, so hoping that these will help. Maybe try a pilates class too?

Yes I could do Pilates... I just like yoga so it's harder to get the motivation when I have an hour away from DS. I think a strong core does help so I'll keep working on that. Just still aches so much when I walk ☹️

I could have written this!

My physio told me that there is still increase relaxin production whilst breastfeeding which could contribute. But now I don't know what to believe!

I FF, so don't know about BF, but pretty much soon as the drugs for the CS were gone so was a lot of the pain for me.

For about 2 years after every 4-5 months I would go to my osteopath and she would reset my hips. I had an initial time where I went every couple of weeks, then every couple of months, then further and further between appointments. I haven't been for about 4 years now.