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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

SPD after baby is born

29 replies

Rochwen · 29/10/2006 22:28

I had very bad SPD during my pregnacy. I was lucky to have a C/s to deliver dd and my SPD was much better once she was born. However, now, 16 months after the birth, it is still not gone. It's bearable but I am still in pain every day. Will it ever go away or am I stuck with it forever? Is there anything that will help make it better?

I am a keen sportsperson and have been all my life I would be devastated if I could never get back to competitive sports. I sometimes feel that my pregnancy has ruined my health (and thus my life).

I am on a waiting list to see an orthopaedic surgeon, I have regular appointments with a physio (which doesn't help one bit) and I am planning to see a chiropractor. Any other ideas?

Anybody else who had SPD during pregnancy, did it ever go away, how long did it take, can you do sports (if you do?).

I would love to hear your experiences. Thank you.

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chelle479 · 30/10/2006 07:09

i had SPD with my last pregnancy, but was very lucky, mine went within a few weeks of delivery.I was worried that i may get it again this pregnancy, but so far things have gone well...I get a little pain at times, but nothing as bad as what it was.
I hope you manage to get rid of your SPD...being a sufferer previously, i can definately sympathise with you, good luck with the orthopaedic surgeon!
hugs chelle

millysimmons · 30/10/2006 16:33

I had very bad SPD during my pregnancy but was incredibly lucky as it went on delivery & havent felt it again yet, but its only been 3 weeks. I am still going to see a chiropractor this week to help with my pelvis in the hope it wont return & having my pelvis correctly aligned will help. I have heard its very common for women to get the symptons again around the time of the month.
Have you contacted the pevlic partnership? They will be able to talk you through recovery & give you some more ideas.

foxinsocks · 30/10/2006 16:40

there's a recent thread on this somewhere

it's nearly 5 years now after my last child and I still get twinges

probably took 3-4 years to feel confident about doing stuff that really hurt it (so kicking a ball, cycling that sort of thing)

probably a year or so before I wasn't actively noticing the pain iyswim

I swim now - never did running (am lousy at it and have bad knees!) and I enjoy cycling but don't do it as often as I swim. Hth. See what the surgeon says - neighbour across the road, her friend has just had her pelvis wired together (owww!) so perhaps the orthopod will have some good info for you.

jofeb04 · 30/10/2006 20:56

Hiya,
My dd is 13months, and I still suffer terribly (sp?) with my SPD.
I had physio, but as it was not doing anything for me, they canceled it!
I am still on tablets all day with it, and at night I can be in agony.
However, swimming has helped me. I only do it for 20minutes and I can not do it every day either. But, I am getting back to living my life normally, and am coping with it.

UCM · 31/10/2006 09:46

I was given crutches & a belt yesterday to help me walk with SPD and I am truly hoping it goes when I have the baby.

pirategirl · 10/12/2006 21:58

hi
i had spd from 26 weeks onwards. Nothing helped, physio after, chiropractor, osteopath. The pain is much better now but my daughter is nearly five.
I accidently got pregnant when my dd was 9months old, the first time we had had sex, cos of bad tearing and stuff. I had to terminate which is the worst thing i have had to do in my life. I was told i wuold be in a wheelchiar, and after four weeks of agonising, and copin with my spd, i knew i could not care for my 9month old and carry another.

I feel sad cos it will prob come back again if i ever wanted another baby.

SPD is a pig of a thing, but some women see it go quite quick. Its luck of the draw. But most who suffer are fairly hypermobile anyway. my daughter is and i fear for her in the future.

x

kittyschristmascrackers · 10/12/2006 22:32

Hi Rochwen, I always get spd, it's horrible.

After the birth I always go to see a wonderful lady who practises "The Bowen technique" It has been incredible how this therapy has put my hips back together and quickly.
It has also helped other people who've had problems with joints etc that no number of expensive professionals have been able to help them with. I would seriously look into it.

DeckTheHallsWithFRAUsOfHolly · 10/12/2006 22:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Harry2007 · 12/12/2006 12:00

Hi Rochwen, sorry to hijack your thread but I came home from hospital on Monday following a 5 day stay during which I was diagnised with SPD. I have been taking pethadine and morphone for the last five days and have been sent home with very strong painkllers, a walking frame and fembrace.

I was just wondering how common it is for someone with sever SPD to deliver naturally (I am 33 weeks at the moment). I literally cannot move my knees apart further than about 2 inches.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

lulumama · 12/12/2006 12:11

vaginal birth & SPD

lulumama · 12/12/2006 12:12

pelvic partnership

lulumama · 12/12/2006 12:12

\link{http://www.radmid.demon.co.ukgood info on here too!}

lulumama · 12/12/2006 12:13

good info on here too!

Harry2007 · 12/12/2006 12:48

Thanks for the info everyone - am very concerned, upset and scared at the moment - pain so bad throught the night that I was vomitting.

Also had 3 growth scans which show the baby to be very big - looking at approximate weight of well over 10 pounds - so I'm sure you understand why I'm so scared.

I seriously don't think I can cope with another 7 weeks of this pain, but my Consultant has been quite supportive saying that although he will try to get me as close to 39 weeks as possible, that this may not be realistic.

Anyway, enough of my moaning and thanks for all your help.

2boysmacca · 12/12/2006 13:50

I had SPD with my first pregnancy and it was never diagnosed. I was put in stirrups for the delivery (!) which f*ed me up completely. It continued until after I gave up breasfeeding around 13 months. I tried to stay active as the pain lessened after delievry but I was always aware of it and could never walk very far. During my 2nd pregnancy it started straight away, so much so it was this that made me take a pregnancy test! I did physio and given crutches, neither of which helped. I gave up breasfeeding at 7 months and I still have it 2.5 months on but by no means severe. It hurts if I run, but bearable.

As my mw were aware of SPD they were really supportive and I managed a homebirth.

I would love another child but I have been told that next time I could be in a wheelchair. I found it hard enough coping with an 18 month on crutches.....

Can't really offer any advice other than pilates, but in my experience the pain does recede as time goes by. Good Luck

Original poster
Rochwen · 13/12/2006 21:13

Good news here. I went to see a Chiropractor a couple of months ago and she diagnosed correctly what was wrong with me (hypermobility in the lower spine having caused my pelvis to twist thus causing the SPD.). Apparently she treats a lot of women with SPD and in Norway, where she is from, pregnant women with the slightest twinge of SPD are sent to a Chiropractor straight away. I have had very intensive treatment with her since, twice a week (at £40 a pop). The treatment is using up all my savings as I am not currently working to bring up my daughter but it has been so worth it. I feel so much better. There have been two days last week when I didn't feel my SPD at all !!!! My Chiropractor thinks I am now fully re-aligned and can start doing pilates and pelvic excercises to strenghten my core muscles. An NHS physio is teaching me those excercises. My chiropractor even thinks that I could probably even think about another baby if my pregnancy would be closely managed.

So, I can recommend going to see a Chiropractor to anyone. SPD is such a swine and I didn't know anything about it before I got pregnant.

I will probably need regular treatment but I am so happy to be better and my hopes for a sporty future are high. 2012 Olympics here I come !!!

Good Luck to everyone. I hope you all get better soon !

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Rochwen · 13/12/2006 21:17

One more thing, Harry2007, if I was in your position I would ask for a section. Labour will put a huge strain on your pelvis and might well make your SPD worse, also, there is no guarantee that you won't need to be put into stirrups, and that, can really injure your already weak pubic joint. It'll also be pretty difficult to have an active labour if you can't move around. Have a chat with your consultant.

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Harry2007 · 14/12/2006 09:04

Glad to hear that your somewhat sorted out Rochwen! Thanks for the advice too - I'm seeing my Consultant Monday and I am going to ask for a section I think. I know that the longer the baby stays in, the better it will be, but I just don't know how much more of this I can take. I couldn't actually go to bed last night because the pain was so intense and the pressure of the baby pushng down is absolute agony.

Don't know if I sound a bit selfish in what I just said, but I can't go on like this for much longer.

Thanks

Original poster
Rochwen · 14/12/2006 15:00

Harry2007, I sooo feel for you. I wasn't as bad as you were but I couldn't cope. My dd turned herself breech (I was later told probably because she was uncomfortable in my twisted pelvis) and in the process she broke my waters 6 weeks before her due date. When the consultant said that he was really sorry but they had to deliver her early I was sooo relieved. I really didn't care I just couldn't stand the pain anymore.

Be forceful when you ask for your section as I am sure they will try to talk you out of it (as they did with me I only got my section because dd was breech). Tell them that if you have to deliver vaginally and the baby won't come out by itself you will refuse an instrumental delivery (because they will have to put you into stirrups for that) and you want a section instead. Ask them to write that all over your notes and make sure your birth partner knows this and stops them when they arrive with the stirrups.

Good Luck ! You have my full sympathies. SPD is such a swine. I am so resentful that I got it. All my friends had these wonderful active pregnancies and are now back to they gym while I, whose life used to revolve around sports, am still stuck with this disability. It sooo sucks ! (sorry for the rant)

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Original poster
Rochwen · 14/12/2006 15:02

Harry, one more thing, have you ever been to a chiropractor? Apparently there is a lot they can do even while you are pregnant. My chiropractor said that had I come to her while I was pregnant my SPD wouldn't have gotten quite as bad as she could have constantly realigned my pelvis and that would have helped my general stability.

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Original poster
Rochwen · 14/12/2006 15:02

Me again, more general this time, so did any of you with SPD ever got back to doing sports?

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2boysmacca · 14/12/2006 16:16

Nope. I did a few sessions at the gym a couple of months ago but it was too painful

Original poster
Rochwen · 14/12/2006 20:51

That's not good.

Does that mean that once you have SPD your active life is over forever? I really cannot imagine a life without sports. I could give up a lot of things, even chocolate, but not sports. I've done it all my life, my confidence was made through sports, my great successes came from sports, being sporty is who I am.

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2boysmacca · 14/12/2006 21:03

I'm hoping to get back to it. Admittedly I haven't been since giving up bf.

Harry2007 · 19/12/2006 09:57

Hi everyone!

Once again, thanks for the advice - just thought I'd keep you updated.

I saw my Consultant yesterday and he said that there was no way I'd be able to deliver naturally due to the severity of the SPD and that he would be booking me in for a CS at 38 weeks at the latest. It's such a relief to ahve a doctor who actually understands what I'm going through! It's given me a bit of a lift actually - just knowing that the end is near is enough to lift my spirits!