Am i doing the right thing?

[Revelsarethebest]

Im worrying here as to whether im doing the right thing...

Its my due date tomorrow (first baby). From being 8 weeks pregnant, i ve had SPD. From being 6months pregnant its much, much worse.

For the last 3 months i ve been practically housebound, i ve been going out once a week only and thats just to get me out the house and even that has been hard work with the pain.

I went to my doctor who prescribed co-codamol 30/500mg.

They dont even touch the pain.

I dread getting up out of a chair, going to bed as it kills me getting in and out of it and turning over.

Walking from the living room to the kitchen is agony etc.

I went to see my consultant last tuesday who agreed to induce me on monday (one day after due date).

Consultant also checked my cervix and did a sweep. She said babys head wasnt far enough down for the sweep to probaly work. The sweep didnt work.

However the consultant did warn me that inducing before the baby and my body is ready could be a lengthy process, and carries a high risk of needing forceps etc.

This has made me really worried, im worried about forceps etc and im wondering whether im doing the right thing being induced.

I dont know what to do, continue with the pain im having for the next possible two weeks or be induced on monday.

I had a (booked) c-section due to SPD. It was pretty severe, I was in constant agony and I pretty much demanded one.

I couldn't open my legs at all without massive pain, and initially their answer to everything was "epidural" however I was very concerned by that. There was a perception that SPD pain was very much immediate so if I didn't feel it at the time of the movement that would solve the problem, but for me that wasn't the case. If I moved further than my natural pain limit (I did it in water a couple of times where I didn't notice it at the time) then I very much knew about it later on. I had no confidence that this wouldn't be the case for me in labour. Every suggested position was one I couldn't do - I went through these one by one with the senior midwife and she soon got the idea when I was crying in pain.

I think that is normal - not to feel the pain at the time. That's the problem, you don't realise you are causing damage.

I understand your fears about being induced, but it doesn't always end in intervention...I was induced on my due date and although the first pessary they gave me didn't work after 24 hours, the gel they then gave me, did, and my DD was born less than six hours later, with no need for forceps or any othe intervention and just gas and air. A friend of mine had the drip though and whilst she too needed no intervention, she always said to me that an epidural would have been welcomed as it brings on labour so fast...Good luck whatever route you choose though OP, exciting times! :)

Crooked- sever SPD can almost always be treated, but not always. Unfortunately I am permanently disabled from it, but that is very rare and I do agree that getting the correct help and plenty of rest does help so much. As I said though as painfully as giving birth naturally was with my SPD having a section actually made things worse long term. It's just a case of finding what works for each indivual sufferer

im so worried, also worried about the SPD not clearing up afterwards, its hard to imagine ever being pain free!

I wont sleep tomorrow night

Revels I really understand how scared you are. Another think I've just remembered is that whilst breastfeeding you carry on producing some of the relaxin hormone - once you stop bf you may well notice a huge improvement again.

I went to the osteopath unable to move, I shuffled along with crutches, a couple of treatments later I didn't need them anymore. sleeping for the last 3 months of pregnancy was horrific - I sort of passed out for a couple of hours at a time and woke up to change positions. After birth their was a huge improvement quickly. My youngest is now 7 and I can't remember the last time I even had a twinge but full and complete recovery can take a few years.

You poor thing revels, it's not surprising your worried

Just try to take things as they come, listen to all advice and then choose what is best for you. I'm sure however you deliver it will be fine and I bet you can't wait to meet your baby!

Make sure you take good care of yourself and don't overdo things and I'm sure you'll be fine SPD almost always clears up after delivery and then you'll be able to enjoy gorgeous newborn cuddles pain free

I was offered a c-section for severe SPD, and it sounds like mine wasn't as bad as yours!

The op itself went great, and 2 days later I was walking upright without crutches. I had a little pain from the wound, but it was nothing compared to the SPD!

Please do ask for one if its what you want, AFAIK, the rules have changed recently and every woman is now entitled to ask for one, and you certainly have a need for one!

Revels, I have had severe SPD since I was pregnant with DS2 16 years ago. I was on crutches very early and in a wheelchair by 22weeks. I was refused a C section, because back then you didn't really have the same rights as you do now.

I was induced at 36 weeks, but despite them trying 3 times it didn't work. I had a sweep the following week, which fortunately sent me into labour and DS2 was born, very quickly and naturally the next day.

When I had DS1 I had SPD towards the end of my pregnancy. I went into spontaneous labour, but ended up with a ventouse delivery and my legs in stirrups. My orthopaedic consultant thinks that this is when the vast majority of the damage to my pelvis was done.

It is well documented now, that if you have SPD that they should do everything they can to avoid putting your legs into stirrups. I think that unless your baby has come down into the pelvis then you should perhaps avoid the induction, but knowing what I do now, in your shoes I would be pushing for a C Section.

I'm still disabled by my SPD too, and have plates, screws and bolts holding my pelvis together! I can not walk unaided either.

Crooked I couldn't agree more about taking SPD seriously, it's so difficult to access good help and that really needs to change. I hope my post earlier didn't come across as snappy- I didn't mean it to be at all, I just try and let people know it can (very very rarely) be perminent because I have had to fight so hard to get my condition recognised and I still get a lot of looks if I'm asked why I'm in a wheelchair and on morphine! So I'm really sorry if I came across badly

Revels I forgot to say earlier that if you are in lots of pain don't be afraid to push for more pain relief, there are lots of options available and there are ones that are bf safe if that's a concern. But just to reiterate again what crooked says rest rest rest and don't do anything out of your comfort limits and if you do have any ongoing problems (and I am sure you won't) try to get as much help and support as you can

If things get too much before you decide what to do ,you can always ask to be admitted so you can have some proper pain relief until you know what you want to do

I can also understand your fears.
I had SPD which was probably on the middle of the scale (I managed without crutches but often had to stop and try to breathe through the pain of walking).
Ended up induced because of reduced fluid round the baby, and reduced movement as a result (hers, not mine), and they were starting to worry about her.
Induction and labour went fine.
Then when she crowned, she got no further (cord round her neck and hands above her head). I went in stirrups and had a ventouse delivery, and I'm not exaggerating to say the pain of that made labour feel like a grazed knee. It was beyond hell. I screamed and screamed and screamed. I have very little memory of DD's first moments after birth as I was so lost in the pain. I wanted to hold her immediately afterwards - I couldn't, because I was so lost in it all I couldn't hold her properly and they took her away. I resent that now - I won't get that time back.

I'm now 13 weeks pregnant, and in my booking appt I decided to highlight this right from the start, to ensure that people were aware I wanted to better manage the SPD through pregnancy, and that I wasn't going to let it affect this birth. I ended up crying.
The midwife was lovely. She didn't mention C-Section but she's started talking about water births as an option and said as we go through pregnancy we'll keep discussing it and generating options - she's confident we'll find something that works. I feel a lot better just because she's taken it seriously.

At the very least, you need to tell everyone as soon as you arrive that you've got SPD. We assumed it was in my notes, didn't say anything, and by the time I said "Hmm, not the best idea as it might hurt" things had got far enough along that there was no going back. They didn't seem to know so it wasn't taken into account. Hope all goes well for you.

I was induced at 42 weeks and I ended up with a forceps delivery, I was so petrified about how I would be after and I had absolutely no pain, to the point were I was then starting to worry about why I had none! I was sat cross legged on the floor two days after giving birth. I've had no ongoing problems with anything. It's not ideal but I just wanted to share a non-horror forceps story. Just make what decision feels right for you and try not to worry. Good luck.

crooked 50hrs a week home help?? My god u did have it bad :-(

Sounds like alot of you have really suffered with this condition too :-(

Mine cleared up straight away as well.

oinky I ve heard so many horror stories about forceps, like them making you incontinent, being incredibly sore afterwards etc.

Just goes to show that everyones case is different

I was induced on my due date because of SPD, it was fine, I didn't need the drip just the pessaries and ARM set me off....

I wouldn't ask for a c-section personally, my SPD went as soon as I gave birth, with a c-section you are restricted for 6 weeks due to it being surgery.

Good luck OP and congratulations in advance :)

I am gobsmacked how many people would ask for a c-section. I had bad spd in both pregnancies, so I know exactly what you mean OP. My first dc was induced (reasons not related to spd) at 39 weeks. It was a 22 hour labour, with forceps and episiotomy. 2nd dc I went 4 days over (felt like 4 years as I was suffering a lot!), but went into labour naturally. It took 12 hours to get to 10cm and then they did an emergency c-sec (again, unrelated to spd). The recovery from the c-sec was much more painful and took much longer than the recovery from being induced and the forceps delivery. Looking after the baby was very difficult, movement very restricted and painful. If you can possibly hang on just a few more days, please do, rather than opting for a c-sec. xx

MikeOxardForHalloween, not everyone with SPD would be able to give birth without doing themselves serious damage. It's not as straightforward as you are making out. For you the recovery from natural was easier - for me I seriously don't think it would have been as I could not get my legs far apart to give birth in any position. So giving birth would have involved me being manually moved to a position which exceeded my pain threshold.

They wouldn't have got my legs open enough to have deliveredDS2 with forceps.

I have been left with permenant damage to my pelvis from having my legs in stirrups and a ventouse delivery when I had SPD with DS1! I will never walk unaided again.

I know, I had read so many horror stories about forceps that if I had known there was a chance I would have had to have forceps before hand I would have said no way I want a section. In the end the consultant was fab, his team were excellent. I suppose you do tend to hear horror stories but I could not believe how easy I had it after the birth, I didnt even have painkillers. I just wouldn't rule anything out and speak to your consultant about what you feel will be best for you.