SPD - Do you have an easier labour?

[shinyshilling]

Do you have an easier labour if you have experienced SPD? My legs now feel like they belong to two different people, who are wrestling to gain back the other one. I currently feel like the whole street could trundle in and out and hide their christmas shopping in my pelvis!
The one up side of this is that a MW told me this week that if you have SPD, your pelvis has already considerably widened and this may result in an easier birth. Please can someone tell me that this is true? I have requested this on my Christmas list ten times over...There must be some positive side to all this aching!Sorry for the three questions in a row!

pupuce, i think you've just helped me to make up my mind about what type of birth im gonna have,,just call me FLIPPA from now on!!

I had SPD and a dreadful labour - but that was partly the hospital's fault for not being remotely interested in my birth plan. I wasn't allowed to try any position other than on my back, wasn't allowed to use the pool, ended up with baby stuck, legs in stirrups for forceps delivery. Not good!

Only thing I can say is that in spite of all of that, the SPD resolved itself a few days after giving birth.

(and before anyone says anything, I did make a formal complaint about this and many other things about my care, and eventually met the head of midwifery and got a BIG apology ).

Just to add to my earlier post, I intended to have a waterbirth as instinctively I felt it would be better with SPD. I even managed to get the one room with the birthing pool, however DS decided to arrive quite quickly so they didn't even have time to fill the pool up!

bebejam - I only had gas and air not through choice but as they believed I was only in very early labour and just making a fuss, I dilated very quickly though. I delivered on my side/back I think, no stirrups used then again first time round SI pain was not written in my notes ever as I got no acknowledgment other than "back pain" midwives were quite ignorant of it tbh. I was in stirrups for stitched though. I don't have pain opening my legs but raising them up and down (I know I have to be different). SI pain was not an issue in the birth (don't want to worry any 1st timers) but think it was due to being in so much pain elsewhere.

I'm typing this sitting on my exercise ball (brilliant thing) so comfy. Have a belt thing too which is a bit useless. Went shopping yesterday which involved a bit of walking and really suffered for it last night.

Hoping to revive this thread! Have had pain since 14 weeks which was at the front but is now more at the back and down thorugh my bum which is really getting me down. I have a physio appt on Dec 1st (thru doc) but can I get help quicker do you think? Even a little bit of walking is painful, as is picking up a toddler and the worst position is sitting on the floor cross legged. Was planning a water birth at home and this thread has reinforced this. Does this sound like SPD? Any tips welcomed....

Hi fellow SPD sufferers, just wanted to let you know my case. I started getting pain in my pelvis area 3 months into my pregnancy. The pain was horrific, I used to cry myself through the night because I couldn't sleep. It might be worth a try ask your consultant to see a pain clinic specialist, it was too late for me, but they can offer a little pain relief. I had to have a CS failure in first stage, got to 4cm, then after drip 5cm and that was it. Was in labour for 26.5 hours. I had a mobile epidural which meant I could still move around, just make sure they don['t give you too many internals. My beautiful Thomas was 10lb 9.5oz, and almost 12 weeks later I am still suffering with SPD, it was dreadful up until about week ago, still getting pain, on crutches, and clicking. SPD is worse than torture! The problem I have, I so want to have another child but know I would be confined to bed and the many would be worse!

hello.

i had a relatively mild case of spd with dd. i hope i never have to experience a bad case!

i had a waterbirth and found it was excellent. the support of the water made moving around - which had been so painful during pg - very easy indeed. it was fantastic. after months of feeling i could barely move, i felt light as a feather in the water.

intuitively (i'm not a mw or a ob/gyn) i would have thought that all things being equal spd would make for a worse birth. you must be very careful your mw knows about the specific issues for labour with spd - e.g. legs must not be too wide apart during delivery.

fwiw, the pain eased almost immediately after the birth. i had some lingering pain for the first few weeks if i had exerted myself, but otherwise have made a complete recovery now.

hth.

Hi,
I'm 26 weeks into 3rd pg with spd so thought I'd join you. Laundrylover, don't sit cross legged!!!!! if it is spd that's one of the worse positions to be in. you need to try and be aware of your pelvis and keep it lined up correctly as much as possible, get in and out of bed/ cars etc in what my physio calls a ladylike manner..... knees together I don't even sit with my legs crossed on the sofa this time. I have been doing all the things i remember from last time from the start this time and have aa great midwife who refered me to physio at booking because of my history and I seem to be keeping it under control this time although I have had some pain since about 12 weeks. Worst is in bed, do others find this? Also I have a clicking sound which I didn't have before. I have been lucky in that it has always just dissapeared after baby comes, for those still suffering.
Sorry such a long waffle, I have never come accross anyone else who has had this prob so to be able to talk to people who understand is really good.

definitely worst in bed!

meant to say, physio helped me a great deal.

I'm glad that this thread had got started again! I don't sit cross legged now but that was my position for doing Tilly's night nappy - I've adapted and am certainly gald she's in knickers all day. I had no spd at all last time but gave birth standing up so think this would be OK this time if I don't like the pool. I'm lucky cos all my pain is at the back now so can actually still open my legs occasionally!!

Can I ask what spd is? It sounds bad! Thanks.

Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction, Tongey. Basically it's problems with soggy ligaments and pelvic bones when you are pregnant. It's a pain in the bum - qute literally for me!

I didnt,no. My ds got stuck and I wasnt dilating, got stuck at 4cm so they put me on a drip, in the end, had all the things you shouldnt with spd-stirrups and an epidural.
He was 8lb 13 1/2oz though and after the birth saw chiropractor who confirmed my pelvis was very badly twisted to the left, she re-aligned it so hopefully things will be easier in labour this time......

Hi Shinyshilling

I had SPD with dd's preg - she's now 5 months old.

I'd had an emergency section with ds so was really keen to avoid a section again. Consultant wasn't that convinced I'd get a normal delivery this time round, but I was desperate to at least try.

When I was in labour I made sure the m/w and other staff were totally aware of the fact I had SPD and they were brilliant. Every time I was examined by a doctor (loads of monitoring cos of previous section, not SPD) the m/w would jump down their throats and say - "NOOOOO don't split her THAT far apart - don't you know she's got terrible PUBIC pain". I always hated that word!

Anyway, long story short-ish. Dd was in distress (as ds had been at the same stage) so I was advised to have an epidural just in case I need a section, plus dd was back to back and pushing was an evil experience.

I'd been told by my physio to avoid an epidural if at all possible cos that's when permanent damage can happen - you don't feel a thing and your legs flop too far and split. So the m/w again was v v careful to make sure my legs didn't go further than they'd been able to pre-epidural IYSWIM.

Pushed dd out in 45 mins - don't know if that's fast or slow tbh. She was 8lbs 7oz with average head size.

Pain was immense afterwards and is only disappearing now after 5 months. It's very sore the day after sex too

Just make sure your m/w is informed and your birth partner too so they can keep an eye on your legs

You will be slightly limited in birth positions, but your physio will recommend the best one's for you. And remember that pain relief will mask the pelvic pain too so don't get carried away!

good luck!

Hi- hoping to revive this thread. Have been suffering with SPD since 14 weeks and now on crutches or in a wheelchair when out and about. This is my third pregnancy and the pain has been significantly worse each time. Was induced with both previous pregnancies and am likely to be again this time - my mw referred me to the physio team who have been fantastic - I have been having hydrotherapy treatment (has anyone else?) which has been great whilst I am in the water but unfortunately my SPD is so severe it does not appear to have any lasting impact. The physio has recommended a water birth as a result though because I am running out of comfy positions and I was pleased to read so many positive postings on here supporting that - I feel slightly less worried now - thanks