Pain...

[princesspineapple]

Has anyone suffered with Sciatica/SPD ect and coped okay with labour?
I'm planning on a water birth and am strangely really confident that it will go well, have faith that my body will know what it's doing (this is my first baby), and usually I cope pretty well with pain.
But I've been suffering with shooting pains down my right leg since about 15 weeks, which are getting so much worse as baby is getting bigger. I also have pain radiating across my hips if I stand for too long.
Over Christmas I've been very uncomfortable, had to have the occasional lie down, have gasped in pain when moving a couple of times... and my family / friends have become quite fond of pointing out that this will be nothing compared to labour and I'll end up not coping.
So I suppose what I'm getting at is, have other people been in agony while they were pregnant and still had a good birth experience? Or am I doomed unless I woman up between now and then?

I literally couldn't walk for two weeks before my little girl was born because of pain in my right leg and feeling like it was just going to collapse from under me. However I survived birth and so will you. It's a completely different pain to sciatica so you will cope with it differently. I had an epidural and i was so scared to have one but honestly it was amazing! No one gets a reward or blue peter badge for going without pain relief so if you need it take it. It's such a surreal and personal experience and everyone's experience is different so just keep calm and do whatever suits you when your time comes to meet your baby xx

Thank you for replying Kt, not sure how I missed it! That's really reassuring, thank you :) I'm usually good with pain, but the shooting pain from the sciatica leaves me breathless sometimes! I'm not going to be a hero when it comes to pain relief, just hoping the pain will be bareable! If not, at least it will be worth it :)

I had sciatica and pelvic girdle pain too. Had a relative straightforward delivery with just has and air.

It hurt a lot but was completely different to any other pain I've ever had before. The main thing is to kind of embrace it if you can, don't tense up to brave yourself against the contractions. Much less painful that way.

Thanks for the advice Snuffle :) I've always been quite confident about giving birth in the sense that it's natural and my body will know what to do... Hopefully that will help me to embrace the pain!

I had SPD and sciatica. The water really helped.

I'm really really hoping for a water birth fourormore... fingers crossed that nobody is using the pool when I go into labour!

I get spd and have had sciatica in pregnancy, the pain from my spd was much worse than labour and yes ro labouring in water that really helped my spd.

Good luck

I had SPD with both pregnancies (2nd quite a bit worse than the first) and I did hypnobirthing with my 2nd and felt that it made a huge difference (as did knowing what to expect, fear crippled me in my first labour) I would go as far as to say I almost enjoyed my 2nd labour, I found it really natural and liberating, and was fairly active throughout. So I don't think SPD = hard labour, but every body and every baby are different, the key is to not beat yourself up IF things don't go exactly as you plan.
Congratulations on the pregnancy/ baby when he/she arrives

It was one of the reasons I opted for a home birth - I knew I'd have a pool!

Thanks everyone! Water definitely seems to be the way to go, but I'm trying not to get too hung up on it in case it's not an option... My midwife says there are a crazy amount of babies due in our area around the same time as mine so to be prepared for things to be a bit hectic!
Hypnobirthing sounds really interesting... Is it too late to start practicing at almost 31 weeks?

I started the hypnobirthing audio at 30 weeks so it's not too late. You listen to it everyday and it's around 40 mins. I just found it hard not to fall asleep to it lol x

You might like daisy birthing classes if there are any around you? Some hypnobirthing bits with some yoga moves amongst other things

Have you tried a tens machine or got one for labour? I LOVED mine and was able to stay home to 8cm with it (then water birth at mlu)
They don't work for everybody but at £30 to hire it was the best £30 I've spent in my life.

I've not really looked into birthing classes or a TENS machine... I'm so unprepared!
Bought some hypnobirthing books and a cd last night though so I'm going to give them a shot! :)
Thanks again everyone for the advice!

I hypnobirthed in water with ds it was good (he was a vbac). I too believed my body would know what to do and it worked. I got to 7 cms in a back to back labour with barely a squeak, I was sat on a ward and the people around me didn't realise I was in labour until I rejoiced it was time to go to the pool! I ate 3 meals during labour too, so hypnobirthing definitely worked for me.

This pregnancy I have spd and can barely move, however am having twins and am booked in for a c section as the only way I can have a waterbirth is if I have a home birth. As for comments from family and friends, ignore. Start hypnobirthing practice straight away. Download rainbow relaxation and listen to it several times a day (with partner if poss) and get a book. I overran the times the nhs expects, ie you should be this far dilated by x o'clock or you need intervention, it's important your birth partner is on board and keeps you calm whilst speaking on your behalf. So it's best they read the book too!

Have you been referred to an nhs physio? You should have been. However I found a private osteo was more use.