pelvic girdle pain, labour and stairs - help!

[margherita76]

Hello I am 40+ 3 and waiting, waiting... and worrying because I am in quite a lot of pain and I live up many stairs. I am worried about the labour and the impact that my limited mobility will have as I am on crutches. For example -will I be able to use the midwife led unit? Will I have to be induced if the baby doesn't come soon, and if so have an epidural? Or maybe I should just have an epidural - though I had always envisaged a natural birth, maybe in water (which would help the hip / leg pain).

But also I am worried about getting to the hospital because if I go into labour and as directed wait until contractions are 4 mins apart, I won't be able to get down the stairs in time. It takes me about ten minutes to get down the stairs at the moment which is then followed by intense pain as a consequence of the exertion. This of course is all without the contractions.

Anyway this all probably sounds a bit garbled but I wonder if any has any advice or experience for me. The problem I have is not SPD but it is hip related and so I think comes under the PGP label.

Hi Margherita, how lovely to be so near to having a baby! Have you spoken to your midwife or GP about this? It sounds like they should know about your situation and be prepared for you.

Obviously you can't wait until your contractions are 4 mins apart - getting downstairs would be far too painful for you.

Do you have a partner? If so, I think you and he need to speak to the midwives immediately about your situation. I can't believe they are not taking this into account!

Best of luck - I'm sure everything will go well as long as you keep the medical staff fully informed about your situation. xx

Margherita, I am just the same only a few weeks behind you - severe PGP, on crutches, 36+3 weeks. The general advice about PGP is that water birth is a very good idea, as is as active/upright a birth as you can manage (see this ACPWH leaflet, www.acpwh.org.uk/docs/ACPWH-PGP_Pat.pdf) and that if you do end up having an epidural you have to be very careful that you or your HCPs don't make your pelvic problems worse. Personally, I found water and kneeling up to be very beneficial in my first labour.
I am planning a home water birth with my second, though like you I'm beginning to worry about the stairs etc. and wondering about heading for the MLU instead where it's all on one floor...
ASTL is right, give your MW a ring and talk it over again. Best of luck, let us know how things go.

Hello ATS and Puddock thank you for your advice and sympathy. I do have a partner yes - I have been trying to get him to practice carrying me down the stairs in case it comes to that!

I have told the midwives and the doctor (GP) but the consensus is that I have to wait and see. I suppose it might be better if I was having these conversations face to face but I can't easily get down the stairs to get to the hospital. But you are right that I should speak to them again about the fact that it's really bothering me and I will not be able to make it with contractions coming so quickly.

Tomorrow I am going to see the doctor about induction and have a sweep so I guess that will be my moment to really state my case.

Puddock, how do you cope with PGP and a child?! I can barely dress myself!

Not well! Basically, DP has had to shelve work for a few weeks (he's a self-employed writer) to look after DS. Which is bad news for us, as this was meant to be the "get lots done before the new baby arrives" month...

I hope your GP has some sensible suggestions for you tomorrow.

Lie a little? If they insist you stay home till the contractions are 4 min apart, phone them and say the are every 4 mins when they are every 6 mins???

I have the same hip problem, but thankfully in current preg, our house only has the 2 front door steps and no stairs, but it previous preg, I have been known to "bottom shuffle" down the stairs on a cushion (maybe not practical while actually in labour though)!

My tips for the pain - pillow between knees when sleeping, turning over and getting in/out of bed very, very carefully as pulled ligaments/semi-dislocated joints are very difficult to get better once they happen. sit in stiff upright chairs (with a cushion for padding your bottom), they are a lot easier to get out of (without stressing the pelvis/hips) than a sofa.

Driving, if anyone else is having trouble driving due to very loose joints/pelvic pain...... Now at 30.5 weeks, I have to drive with a round bolster cushion (50cm long, fairly firm and about 15cm in diameter) under my knees, along the front of the car seat. This tilts my hip joints back into the correct position, as other wise I can't actually lift my foot off the accelerator onto the break (the shape of the seat/position of peddles causes my hip joint to slip forward and semi-dislocate), the pain was really intense, but with the cushion its only a very minor niggle. So anyone having the same problem, try that!

well as it turns out they have booked me for an induction tomorrow evening. The consultant felt that with the pain and limited mobility together with the fact that my sister went 40+ 13 and lost the baby they would be better off inducing me. Which of course has sent me into a panic - as I am dreadful at making / accepting choices.

I had envisaged using the nice clean hotel like birth unit and pool and now all that will not be possible. I felt like I would have to convince them to induce me at 10 days and yet it seems they were more than happy to do it at 40+5. (partly to avoid the bank holiday weekend - their words!)

I can of course change my mind as I keep envisaging forceps and there are many downsides to being induced - but as I've said I have had 4 weeks now of pain and I'm not sure I can carry on waiting indefinitely.

Oldmum, sounds like you have worked it all out. I find that the pain comes and goes but even standing up for brushing my teeth (say) really hurts. Who knows how I would be if I didn't live in a tower!

Good luck for this evening MARGHERITA!

I've had 2 inductions, and whilst hardly pleasant experiences (the drugs made me vomit continuously, but that's rare), it was all over in about 12hrs each time, and no forceps.

My pain comes and goes too, some days very bad, others not.... but yours will be over soonish, should start to resolve within a few days of the birth.