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AIBU?

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Original poster

Pgp/Spd issues

72 replies

LadyHilton · 02/01/2017 08:19

Hey all
I am currently 26weeks plus 4 days with my first child and am suffering from PGP. It's all mainly in the front pelvic bone. My back and hips only hurt if I stay laying down.
I was an early show (between 5-8 weeks) and appear much bigger than other women I know around the same due date as me ( due early April 17)
I originally thought my pain was due to lying on either side at night too long and turning over was quite painful. Now I am currently suffering if I am in bed too long, if I sit too long or even stand too long, I feel at my wits end. She is a very active baby and moves quite a lot. I made the mistake of making myself go for a walk after a very big dinner last night to help baby settle and sleep for a bit. Boy did I regret this Sad
Not only was I knackered after about 20 mins and was feeling sore and demanded we walk back, but once I sat down on the sofa, after about 10 mins either position I sat in I was in agony.
Right now it's 8am, sitting up in bed after excruciating pain throughout the night and getting up to walk to the toilet. But the more I'm just sitting here is also uncomfortable. I use the pillow between legs which is a short term relief.
Did anyone find physio helped when it's this bad?
I have a full time sit down job which can get unbareable. And cannot be seen getting up too much to move as it means I am not "actively working" I don't want to be forced into early maternity as I'm only taking 5 months off as it is. Sitting or laying in bed does not help.
I am opting for a water birth in hoping this will help.
Am I likely to have a natural birth?

I could have cried this morning due to the pain.

OP posts:
Anatidae · 02/01/2017 09:29

I'm still suffering over a year after delivery. The ONLY thing that's helped significantly was seeing an osteopath who specialises in pregnant women/postpartum issues. I was very very skeptical because I'd had physio and it hadnt helped at all. She literally did a single series of (quite unpleasant) manipulations and crunched my pelvis - it hurt like hell but the next day there was significant and lasting improvement.
I've gone from being unable to walk to having just niggling pains, so a big improvement. If I get pregnant again I will see her throughout!

WormitTheDog · 02/01/2017 09:30

I didn't know that about breastfeeding. I guess that could be the reason my spd didn't completely go after my second. :(

Original poster
LadyHilton · 02/01/2017 09:35

[Anatidae] did you seek that privately?

OP posts:
nutbrownhare15 · 02/01/2017 09:49

It's very treatable. I had it from about 5 months and was in agony. Went to nhs physio who examined me and gave me a support belt, said she couldn't do.anything until after the birth. I was in agony. Thank god I found the pelvic partnership website which explained it was treatable and had a list of practioners recommended by women with pgp. Mostly private unfortunately but worth checking who is in your local area. I went to my local physio specialist, hobbled in. She manipulated my pelvis which didn't hurt. Walked out almost pain free 15 mins later.Best £60 I ever spent. I was mostly pain free after that although I did go for a top up appointment around 36 weeks as was getting a little more pain (was never again in agony). She did say to take it easy on the walking while pregnant which I did. Lots of info and advice on www.pelvicpartnership.org and most importantly a list of people who can treat you. Go asap, don't suffer x

nutbrownhare15 · 02/01/2017 09:51

Sorry its www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk

SnugglySnerd · 02/01/2017 09:52

I've actually found the physio exercises quite helpful but you have to keep doing them. Using an exercise ball makes it much better too.

Paulat2112 · 02/01/2017 09:57

I had it very bad in two of my pregnancies and ended up on crutches and then in a wheelchair. Youngest is 3.5 now and my hips are still sore in the morning. Go to physio.

BoredOnMatLeave · 02/01/2017 09:59

OP I could have actually written this myself last year, i was exactly the same. Swimming helped but getting out of the pool was awful. I had a couple of baths a day which helped. Sorry but I don't really have any other advice! However I ended up with a big baby, DD was 10lb6, natural birth and honestly it was fine, I would do it again in a heart beat. Don't worry about big babies, most of the time they help themselves out anyway.

Cakeycakecake · 02/01/2017 10:05

I had sciatica and spd from 20weeks and was signed off work. Inappropriate environment to use crutches and couldn't survive without them. I had a band which helped when i was bigger but from early on I was on tramadol and the medication was increased as I drew closer to labour. I was eventually induced due to pain.
I'm not trying to scare you but warn you of how bad it can get. They've told me to make this baby my last because of the severity- it would almost certainly come back.
Physio helped in the early days but got to a point where it was pointless and they acknowledged that themselves.
Good luck. Seriously. When it came to labour I couldn't wait for my epidural so I'd see an end to pain. Pushed baby out, no intervention, but no way was I turning down any drugs they'd give me 😂

LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/01/2017 10:09

You sound exactly like my DP! Sad

She has two different pillows and uses them in combination, so it might be worth trying a different shape or density of filling? You may already be doing this, but limit unnecessary strain by making sure you get your partner to lift things and pick things off the floor and so on.

Daisy - blimey, don't be so rude. She's perfectly entitled to post wherever she likes. You could just not bother replying if it is so difficult for you?

illegitimateMortificadospawn · 02/01/2017 10:20

I didn't know that about breastfeeding.

It wasn't covered on the Pelvic Partnership's website. After the women's physio discussed it with me, I rang the Pelvic Partnership's helpline to suggest it was added. Haven't checked since...

Waitingfordolly · 02/01/2017 10:21

I had it badly too and NHS physio didn't help. I would pay for specialist private physio looking back. Sitting in an exercise ball helped. I couldn't move around properly when I was in labour. At the time I just thought it was normal for labour and the midwives weren't very sympathetic, but looking back I'm pretty sure it was the SPD. I have had hip and lower back issues ever since, helped by exercise, but never completely gone, so another reason to get decent physio. My DD was 9lb 7 and pulled out with forceps in the end, which probably didn't help either!

shrunkenhead · 02/01/2017 10:26

Ca key cake cake the SPD is one of my main reasons for not having another! Tbh I think labour seemed easier in that I'd already been in constant pain for months and it was the only thing to overtake it IYSWIM. I was offered crutches but it just wasn't practical with the work I do.

WormitTheDog · 02/01/2017 10:31

Waiting, that was my exact experience of my first labour. I could only get comfortable on my left side. Which made it difficult for them to monitor the baby. They were quite rude to me and I felt they just weren't listening to how much pain I was in. It sounds crazy but I was so relieved when I ended up with an emcs with my second and didn't have to deal with any of that. My experience from start to finish with spd was that I was either told there was nothing that could be done or up against people who didn't understand/thought I was exaggerating.

toptoe · 02/01/2017 10:37

Pilates legs and hips exercises help eg squeezing a pillow between your knees 10 times. Raise your bum off floor 10 times. Physio will show you these.
Also don't walk far. Walk with little steps to minimise movement of pelvis and hips.
When getting in or out of car lower onnto seat then swing both legs in at same time.
Go up and down stairs one step at a time. So one foot on next step, other foot on that step (rather than step for each foot).
Bouncy ball to sit on. Bean bag to lean over if you need to change position.
Basically exercise to strengthenn ligaments to hold it together better, minimse movement and sit with a straight back.

toptoe · 02/01/2017 10:40

agree help in pregnancy was shit and never had a formal diagnosis. Then afterwards I got to see a physio and that made a world of difference (where above advice came from). If they had only sent me there when it first appeared!

In labour I was walking like a cowboy. Baby changed position a lot too and I think that's because there was a lot more room down there than there should have been. Bet no one has bothered to do a study on it, because it's women's issues

toptoe · 02/01/2017 10:45

never knew this site existed www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk/emotional-impact-of-pgp

Rockingaround · 02/01/2017 10:49

Sod your manager! Grin I'm 32 weeks with my third, I appropriate the crippling pain of SPD/PDS I'm having as a message to my body "no more babies!" I have bought a belt thing off amazon and am awaiting a referral for the physio, I have bought a body pillow which is attached to me as I move around the house, Ive also had a cold pack frozen peas in tea towel in between my legs (right on the pubis) for the xmas holls. It's a complete fucker Flowers

peanut2017 · 02/01/2017 10:56

Feel your pain OP. I'm 25 weeks and in the last 2 weeks this has come on me. So painful getting in and out of bed, moving in bed, stairs, walking etc

Feel like an old women. Have the gym ball and find this good - doing pelvic tilts on it. Then doing a few yoga movements on the mat helps - especially getting on all floors. Have Physio appointment on Wednesday so fingers crossed this will help. Have no idea how I can manage work as have 40 minute commute each way and sitting at a desk. Not the environment that I can bring in a gym ball unfortunately

TheFairyCaravan · 02/01/2017 10:57

TBH, as you can still walk and don't think "crutches are a good idea for work" you're doing well and it's not actually "this bad".

I'm a long term sufferer of PGP/SPD, my son was 20 on Christmas Eve. The majority of ladies I know and talk to were on crutches from very early on because they couldn't cope without them and then in a wheelchair. I was bedbound from 26 weeks after not being able to take a step without from 16 weeks.

In your position now I would contact the Pelvic Partnership to see if they can recommend a chiropractor in your area, they are much better at treating SPD pain than NHS physios.

TheresABluebirdOnMyShoulder · 02/01/2017 11:10

I really feel for you, SPD is horrific.

It seems to affect everyone differently and people recover at different rates/with different treatment.

Mine started about 25 weeks and by about 30 weeks I was on crutches and could barely walk. I had one appointment with an osteopath who specialises in PGP and, although it was excruciating, I was able to walk out of the appointment without my crutches feeling great. Unfortunately over the next couple of days it just went back to square one and I just couldn't justify the massive cost for only a couple of days relief so didn't go back again.

My labour was not quick or easy unfortunately (36 hours and ending with an EMCS) but the SPD did get a lot better after delivery and has now gone away completely 6 months on. I found that pushing the pram made it worse in the early days.

Good luck and Flowers for you. It's bloody miserable but I promise you it's worth it!

TheresABluebirdOnMyShoulder · 02/01/2017 11:12

Also meant to add that I was exclusively breastfeedings and it didn't prolong my symptoms or make the SPD worse so again, that is different for everyone.

1pink4blue · 02/01/2017 11:21

I had spd with my last two pregnancys i couldnt even walk by 32 weeks with ds4 so they induced my at 37 weeks +1 day he was born weighing 9lb 2 so i dont know if his weight made it worse.
I had a birthing ball it just made the pain worse for me and the bands around your hips and bump also did nothing for me the only thing that helped was rest i was also advised not to have anymore dc because next time it could get worse.
I saw a physio but she wouldnt touch me due to how much pain i was in but she gave me great tips on sitting and moving around.
With dd i wasnt as bad i could still walk with crutches but they induced me at 38 weeks in case the spd got worse.
She is 22months and i still get twinges every now and again.

1pink4blue · 02/01/2017 11:24

Oh forgot to say when i went in to have ds4 i couldnt walk when i left hospital the pain was gone and i was walking normally the same for dd the pain just went and i ebf both babies

ILoveMyCaravan · 02/01/2017 12:08

Please contact the Pelvic Partnership, they have specialist physios who CAN help. Unfortunately many NHS staff do not know enough about it to treat this condition.

Please get help now, it's not a condition that improves in pregnancy and is not guaranteed to disappear afterwards. My son just turned 16 and I am permanently disabled with it.

In both my pregnancies I used crutches from 10 weeks and couldn't walk at all at the end, so it's not a question of whether or not 'work' would allow it, if it's that bad, it's essential.

Good luck.