Active birth and SPD/mobility difficulties

[ardenbird]

So, I'd very much like to have an active birth -- not just lying flat on the bed. But I have severe SPD, such that walking for few minutes at a time is very painful. I've also now developed ribcage/sternum pain (apparently due to the same ligament-loosening processes that cause SPD), such that even sitting upright for more than about 10 minutes is excruciating. The only position that eases things is semi-reclined with my legs bent and up (and it's not exaclty comfortable, just less massively painful!). This is how I've been sleeping, and now I'm spending most of the day on the couch like this (getting up every 60-90 minutes for the toilet, of course! :) )

It just occurred to me to wonder how is this going to interact with labour? Will contractions be so overwhelming that I'd be able to be upright despite the ribcage pain and walk despite the SPD pain?

Does anyone have advice for how to handle it -- perhaps only staying in a position for 10 minutes until I do something else, spending some time reclining? I'm planning on using a pool, so I hope that the buoyancy will alleviate some of the pain on the pelvis/ribs, but I'm also thinking that I may get out for the final stages, and also there is the part before getting in the pool too, to consider.

Interested to hear about this, I am in the same situation and not sure how I can manage active birth when I can barely get off the sofa at the moment! I am also hoping to use the pool but of course there is no guarantee it will be available on the day and it also means no hard drugs.

I've had 3 labours with SPD. One on my knees on the floor with elbows on sofa - insistently not moving my knees further apart. By the end my legs were shaking.

Second was in a pool - the relief as I could move around and the floor was inflatable so no sore knees.

Third I started in the pool then finished in left lateral on the sofa.

The pool was the best!

SPD will be the least of your worries, BUT make sure everybody understands what you can and can't do and knows what your pain-free leg opening range is. I ended up in theatre with an instrumental delivery and they separated my legs so much it took 6 months of physiotherapy to recover.

Interestingly I gave birth with knees on floor and elbows on sofa as well! Also refused to move my knees apart right up until the end when I rocked back on my haunches and pushed out a baby.

I found that once I was in latent labour a lot of the pain from my SPD vanished - the midwife told me this was because a baby's head makes a very effective internal "brace" as it descends! I didn't move around as much as I did in my first labour (no SPD) but was able to stay on all fours and move my hips etc quite happily.

I had been very worried about being able to have an active labour but honestly it was so much better than I expected. And amazingly after three months of hobbling around like a little old lady a lot of my symptoms (locked hip, aching, general stiffness, shooting pain in groin) were gone within a couple of days. I still get the odd leg cramp 2 weeks in but that's about it. Pretty miraculous

I didnt have SPD but had terrible back pain and was worried about labour.
Def test out how far apart you can comfortably get your legs when you're nearing your due date, and write this in your birth plan so the midwife's can see (even if you're out of it on gas and air and totally forget!).
I started out of the pool, and tbh, no position was comfy! Then moved to the pool and felt like I was floating! It was soooo good! From then on my body relaxed loads and it made the experience much nicer. Was also really good for my back, so i would strongly recommend putting on your notes that you'd like to use the pool or at least try it if its available when you're there.
Hope thats a help x Ive had horrible pelvic pain this time round, so really hoping for another water birth!