PGP and birth - positive stories?

[StiffyByng]

I have PGP/SPD which is making daily life quite tricky. I'm keeping on top of it I think, but find it hard to walk. Please, please tell me positive stories of giving birth with this, and getting better afterwards? I've read the horror stories of women ending up in wheelchairs for life, and I need to hear the flipside, especially as people say most people ARE fine and DO get better. I'd be really grateful for some cheerful words right now!

My story - had it confirmed by osteopath and physio my joints were fine, it was purely hormonal. Spent a summer banned from commuting and (allegedly) working from home and using up all my accrued holiday, buying baby stuff on the internet and using a wheelchair/buses/cabs when I did make the effort to go out.
One plus was that once ds popped out, I recovered really quickly though the PGP took a couple weeks to go and then I needed to build up all my muscles by doing lots of walking - which happily is the main thing I needed to do with ds in a pram anyway.
By 3 months I was doing postnatal exercise at hospital and then signed off as fit to do any exercise. In fact probably fitter than I'd been for a few years thanks to all the walking!

My PGP did suddenly get worse in labour so I needed an epidural for that, but apparently that's really rare. Certainly turned out OK for us!

I had PGP/SPD from 8/40 with DD. The pg did end with ELCS as I was in so much pain but that was more to do with hospital policy than anything else

I hadn't left the house apart from hospital appts for a month, as walking was increasingly difficult

I had DD Monday morning and as I left hospital on the Thursday I left the crutches in physio as I passed

I still get the odd niggle now and again, when the weather is cold and when AF is due, but it is just a niggle, don't even need painkillers

This is DC3, and I've had it with every pregnancy, really quite badly and from about 16-20 weeks I can barely walk, sorry, hobble anywhere - no more than a few hundred yards most days and I need a wheelchair for anything more e.g. a big Tesco, large malls etc.

I'm somebody who thinks nothing of a 10 mile walk on a day at the weekend when not pregnant, and loved cycling and more recently became a runner.

With DC1, I had a precipitous early labour at 36w6d and the SPD did not really affect things at all thankfully for the birth. I made sure my legs weren't too separated and yelled at the midwife when she got the stirrups out. I felt a lot better right away and within a few weeks I was only in discomfort if I did scissor kick style movements, rather than with every waking (and sleeping!) second.

With DC2 it was even worse as I was also officially on bedrest so sitting on my backside for so long meant things seized up even more. I had an EMCS for unrelated reasons, but was naughtily out shopping 5 days later feeling fantastic and the SPD was gone long before the EMCS issues were.

I was so hacked off with SPD, I decided to run the London Marathon the following year (with no previous running experience) to stick my finger up at it. The marathon was exhausting, but not because of SPD!! I can sometimes feel discomfort at certain times of the month but it's not life changing - it can be ignored. There were far worse pains associated with long distance running!

Now nearly 35 weeks with DC3, nearly crippled myself in agony walking between a few shops just now and in intense pain, as always. Seeing an osteopath weekly which helps compared to previous pregnancies.

But because I know it will go again, I can tolerate it mentally. I'm already planning on long distance races to run this autumn, and buying some rollerskates to keep fit and to stick my fingers up at it again :)

I have PGP from 26 weeks with DS1. When my waters broke I felt instantly better as the weight lifted off my pelvis. I gave birth without pain relief or invention and although it took a few weeks for the pain to really go did not have any lasting effects!!!!

I had to stand up over the bed or kneel, I couldn't lie on my back at all, which might be a helpful tip XXXXX

I had PGP from about 29 weeks with DC1. Some days I could barely hobble and moving my legs in bed was sheer agony. Worried loads about the birth but was lucky that labour coincided with one of my better phases (I had a few days where it was awful and then it seemed to lift a little, which was weird) and labouring in water also helped me.

I did have a recurrence about 3 days after giving birth, although not a very bad one, and another worse one when DS was about 7 mo. Apparently that can happen. Since then, though, nothing. Including my pregnancy with DC2, even though I'd been told it was almost inevitable it would return.

Wonder if I'd be as lucky with a DC3?

Good luck. Just make sure PGP/SPD is clearly flagged in your antenatal notes, including details of how far apart you can usually comfortably part your knees, and in what position.

This is incredibly comforting. Thank you all so much. I'm 36 weeks tomorrow and picking up the crutches on Wednesday. I had been feeling relaxed and confident about the birth and am
struggling to maintain a positive attitude so I can't tell you hope much it helps to have your encouragement here.

I am just picking up all the zombie PGP threads as it is very much on the forefront of my pregnant pgp mind;)

I had a sublime birth with severe PGP. Totally underwater except for my head, on my side with my knees together. Didn't feel a thing pelvis-wise as the water bore the weight.