To ttc when I already have SPD?

[Grainwhole]

I had crippling, house-binding SPD when pregnant with DD (now nearly 3)which miraculously disappeared at birth but then bizarrely returned a year ago. It isn't crippling now - I can do most things but it hurts, as opposed to in pregnancy when I literally couldn't walk in the end.

I'm dying to have a sibling for DD, but AIBU to think I can do so without also giving her a disabled mum?

Is there ANYONE out there who's had it between pregnancies but yet not been housebound second time round? I can accept pain, but just not not being able to move.

I am being unreasonable aren't I? :(

Mine has never really gone but is significantly worse around the time I am due on.

if you have concerns I would speak to a physio and see what they suggest. there may be exercises they can give you that will help lessen ot the second time around or maybe an osteopath or chiropractor maybe?

Yabu

I had crippling spd which was as bad as you describe. Im fully recovered now, but it took a while after dds birth to go away. Dd is now 2.3 years.

I was advised by every health professional i came across to wait around 4-5 years before ttc again.

Im unsure whether i will have another child, how can i look after dd whilst pregnant if i cant even dress myself without help?

I might not get it next time, but i dont think i can afford to take the risk.

Watching this thread because I'm wondering the same thing.

I had an entire day in late pregnancy where my baby shifted slightly and the pain went completely (then he wriggled back again ) so I'm wondering if that means it might not come back in a second pregnancy if the baby is smaller or lying differently .

I was in a wheelchair with my SPD with DS2 (18). I have never got better, still use crutches and a wheelchair if we go anywhere I might have to do any walking. I am waiting for my 6th major pelvic surgery in 9 years. Had DS2 been my first, he would have been an only.

Contact the Pelvic Partnership, they will give you some excellent advice.

PS, I'm 35 and have PCOS - worried it's now or never. :/

I have 5 children. when pregnant with DD4 I had extremely bad spd. couldnt walk without crutches, everything caused pain and was such a huge effort. I was told by doctors under no circumstances to have another baby until at least 4 to 5 years or i would end up in a wheel chair. Fine i hadn't planned on having any more so not a problem!

My spd lingered on and off but never as bad as while being pregnant.
I started a new contraception and ended up pregnant with dd5. i panicked thinking i couldn't cope again with that. how would i look after my 4 daughters in a wheelchair?!
But i had hardly any pain. ached like in general pregnancy yes but never needed to see a physio or have medication.

eqch pregnancy is different and unfortunately there is no way of knowing what your next pregnancy will be like but i think if you want to do it then do it. just make sure you see the physio early just incase.

I'm doing it right now, 29 weeks with DC2. Its pretty sore and I've had it longer than with DS but I've had physio from the start and the management of SPD is part of my
birth plan.
For me, its never been something I can ignore and it'll go away, even when I'm not pregnant but as long asI keep doing my physio and see them them if there are any changes its managable.

I honestly didn't know it could carry on for so long after pregnancy?!
Dd who is 15: I was diagnose with SPD after the birth. Wasn't that bad at all

DS who is 11: awful awful. So much pain, was off work from about 18 weeks and pretty much housebound.

DS who is 6: went to physio from 8 weeks. Never got bad and I worked all the way through.

Just because its been bad once doesn't mean it will be again.

I say go for it and ensure you have physio early. Good luck

I echo PP's that each pregnancy is different (they were) & Dr's advised minimum of 3 years between (I did).

My second pregnancy was much harder in terms of SPD. Dr's told me wheelchair for life.

I cope ... but...I have treatment every single week. I had a home help every single day for 10 hours for a total of 10 years. It is horrible every time for 8/9 days every cycle. I do not remember what it's like to be painfree; every new pronouncement by NICE removes another set of painkillers for me. I love my second absolutey but thank god I couldn't see the future in terms of its impact. And we have been very lucky in that DH could earn enough to cover these costs. I don't know how we would have managed without that & help from family & friends.

Knowledge of the range of outcomes beyond the actual pregnancy will help you plan the timings.

ps I also have PCOS & was approaching 40 for no.2 so also up against the clock...

Oh dear, it's not looking good is it?! :(

Dayglo, are you still walking?! Can you still carry DS around?! And what was your SPD like between pregnancies?

mammaof4 how bad was your SPD when you got pregnant that last time?

clutches at the minority of positive stories

YANBU - I had the same dilemma after suffering terribly with DS1 (couldn't walk much more than 20m or so even with crutches during 3rd trimester and was in constant pain). It took months of physio/chiropractic treatment to reach the point where I was 90% pain free, but shortly after that I decided to take the risk and try for a second, as we wanted our DC to be close in age (they'll be 2 years apart). I'm now 28 weeks pg with DC2 and although I've had twinges of pain since conception and am starting to struggle with pain/discomfort, I'm much better informed about how to tackle the problem this time around and have been more proactive in seeking regular physio treatment and, crucially, doing so early on before the problem got too bad as there's a lot more they can do to help then (I've also been referred for hydrotherapy, which is v helpful). I'm fairly resigned to the fact I'll probably need crutches at some point later in the pregnancy, but I do feel much better prepared mentally, and I know more about what aggravates it and what to avoid (hard with a toddler though!) I also have good support from family, which makes a difference as they help with childcare, lifts etc when DH can't, and my employers are really sympathetic and good about giving me time off for frequent appointments and referring me to occupational health, so these were factors I took into account too. The Pelvic Partnership is a great resource so I'd recommend contacting them for advice (they can also recommend practitioners in your area). Time will tell whether or not my decision was a sensible one, but there's really no way of knowing how your symptoms will vary between pregnancies so I decided on balance to go with my heart and have another baby! All the best with whatever decision you make. X

Watching this thread as I have the same dilemma - DS is 15 months and I still gave SPD. We planned 3 children but I'm not sure my body can take it. We've tentatively discussed ttc this summer but I'm terrified of what will happen given that I already have the SPD symptoms. Will it be worse than last pregnancy? Start sooner? I haven't been given any warnings about the gap between pregnancies, the doctors I've seen seem woefully uninformed about the condition. I'm awaiting an orthopaedic surgery appointment.

Good luck with whatever you decide OP. It seems that every pregnancy is different for everyone and it's just luck of the draw.

I had SPD with DD1 and have it again this time round BUT because you know the signs to look out for, you can deal with it earlier but you are far more likely to suffer from it again. Mine isn't as bad this time round but it's probably because I'm being cautious about not over-exerting myself.
YANBU but just bear in mind that it will be a lot harder to deal with it when you've got a toddler to look after too.

Positive story- I was on crutches and signed off sick with dd1. Nhs physio gave me exercises and told me to buy a support belt and that it would go when she was born. Few days post birth I could barely get out of bed and was back on crutches with dd in sling, and bought wheelchair so we could go for walks. Took three months till I could walk properly, still had some niggling pain.

Didn't read that they advised waiting 2 years, got pg when she turned one! Few weeks later there was a fair in my town and local chiropractor was doing free spine checks. I have an old shoulder injury and went over. She said I wouldn't be worried about your shoulder, your pelvis is well out and correctly identified all my issues. I started seeing said chirpractor, who did specialise in pregnancy and had a special foam pillow to accommodate bump as it got bigger etc.

I never had to get the wheelchair out, let alone the crutches, and still see the chiropractor every couple of months to set me straight as I now have a one year old and carrying her on my hip causes big problems, but is unavoidable most of the time when dealing with three year old.

Moral of the story, it IS treatable- not 100% but can certainly be helped. If you can afford it find a chiropractor. My friends were amazed as it is supposed to be worse the second time.

Grain, my last pregnancy which was the one after having the excruciating spd was great. In fact i wouldnt say the spd came back at all. i had the general aches and pains of pregnancy and the odd twinge but nothing like i expected.

Yanbu and yabu

Do not try before you have gone into overdrive with planning. Get a referral for physio see if you have a pain clinic. Talk it over with a HCP who specialises in the subject.

and that will give you the best chance and obtaining support before can hugely reduce the problem

Thanks so much everyone. I'm all over the place one day wanting to throw caution to the wind - the next saying let's look into adoption. Actually which way I go depends entirely on how bad my current non-pregnant SPD is - on the days it's fine I forget how bad it can be!

One if the biggest failings I've had is in finding a physio/ chiro/ anything who's been able to do anything with me - and to be fair, having never felt better after any appointment ( and a couple have said I should) I've never stuck with anyone for more than a few sessions. Thanks for the Pelvic Partnership tip - I've spent lots of time on their website for general advice, but never called for therapist recommendations - shall do that now!

Another Q - carrying around a toddler basically all the time now I do wonder whether that strengthens you in any way do you think? I seem to remember reading the relaxin levels peak quite early in pregnancy, the fact it continues to get worse as you go on from there being because of the increasing weight of baby... But if you're used to carrying around a heavy, unwieldy toddler, perhaps we're a bit stronger in that way second time round. Maybe? Ahhhh, if only a stork would deliver a perfect little newborn preformed to my door! :)

Grain - I certainly found my core/upper body strength is better now that I'm used to carrying around a toddler, so I reckon you have a point there. I saw a great NHS physio the other week who gave me some advice which has helped me no end: you basically need to "engage" your core at all times, which means slightly tensing your abdominal muscles and simultaneously tucking your tail bone in/underneath (a similar movement to what you'd do if you were trying to stop yourself breaking wind!) Do it when you walk/sit/lie/move - just as much as possible. It has become my mantra and it has made an enormous difference to me this time around - I'm 30 weeks now and still able to walk a good couple of miles with only mild twinges, so I'm cautiously optimistic as at this point in my last pregnancy I could barely shuffle down the road without crippling pain. Slightly terrified about the next few weeks will bring though, now that bump is getting much bigger! I really sympathise with your dilemma The more I hear about people's experiences with this hideous condition, the more I think that the way it varies between pregnancies is just total luck of the draw!

Grain perhaps if you say whereabouts ish you live someone can recommend a physio. Mine was amazing. SPD started at 8 weeks pg the second time though and was much, much worse. My physio kept me mobile and reduced the effects greatly (never ended up on crutches).

I was pretty much housebound in DS1's pregnancy and in constant pain. With Ds2, I knew what the problem was and that it wasn't the "pregnancy aches and pains" that I'd been fobbed off with at the point where I could no longer do things like walk around a supermarket.

Anyway, things like getting a grabber stick to reduce bending, sitting in a supportive chair helped. I was also fitter and stronger at the start of the pregnancy. With hindsight, the early niggles came in later. It was still restrictive, but the pain was more directly connected to movement than constant. Keeping moving on crutches reduced water retention and helped reduce some of the weight gain. My glitch was that it continued to affect routine activity for over 3 months after the birth, I suspect aggravated by a 3rd degree tear weakening that zone.

Going to see the osteopath was a turning point. I still get serviced monthly to manage silly niggles that surface. I have gently built up fitness and strength while listening to my body. I'm hoping that should I muster myself for a Dc3, that I'm optimising my chances of managing it, but it is a scary thought to go through it again.

I think a 3 year gap is best for me. I found that the independence that Ds1 gained while he was 2 years old (2.3yr gap) helped. The less I have to do for Ds2 while pregnant, the better for my body.

I was crippled on dd1 and on crutches from 22weeks. I was determined not to have another one but changed my mind. I spent two years at physio and pilates and got pregnant when dd was 2. I was not fully recovered from the spd but was 39 so time was not on my side.

I went to physio from 6 weeks and even with a toddler and working full time I did better 2nd time round and lasted until 32 weeks before I gave in to crutches. I had to finish work about the same time but kept dd in creche. My recovery was much better the second time, though I have never returned to my previous self and fitness levels are low.

With the second pregnancy I think you know what you are in for, and don't struggle on pushing shopping trolleys etc. I also had 2 ELCS because of it, I just could not risk further damage to my pelvis.

Ahem. BFP! Why did I suspect and POAS? Sudden up in SPD pain! About 50:50 excited:scared!

bronya I'm in Central London - any recommendations so appreciated! :)

I hope it goes well for you. The physio I know who is amazing is about 40min from central London. I am sure someone on here will know someone closer for you!