hip problems - could this be from forceps delivery?

[brdgrl]

I was reading the thread on caesareans, and I was surprised to see the posts about the problems associated with forceps in delivery. I hope it is ok that I started a new thread, because I am hoping someone who has been thru similar can give me some advice.

My DD is 17 months old. I had an epidural. She was lying on my back somehow, and after hours in labour, I was told that I needed a caesarean. I was prepped, but then the doc got her out with forceps. I was pretty dazed by this time, but it wasn't a particularly horrible birth experience or anything!

But since the birth, I have had terrible hip pain. (I did not have SPD during teh pregnancy). I had x-rays taken which showed nothing (this surprised me, because it feels like something is 'out of whack'. I was on a waiting list for physio for a long time, and then had about six sessions. I can't say they made much difference. We got a new mattress, a new stroller, I am more careful with my posture...I was told to work on my core muscles and given some exercises, which I do, but I am still in serious discomfort. No one ever mentioned to me that the forceps birth could have anything to do with it; they have basically just blamed it on my weak core muscles.

I can't walk great distances, I can't push a shopping trolley, I can't carry DD for long, and sex is painful. I don't seem to have gotten any real help, and I am depressed about it.

If you had problems like this after a forceps delivery - Have you gotten help with this? Can you give me any advice as to what I coudl ask for, or do myself...anything?

Ask for a bone scan or MRI if the problem persists. Stress fractures won't always show up on x-rays.

. What type of physio did you see? Was it a women's health/gynae specialist physio, or a bog standard one? Ask for a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon. I had/still have pelvic and coccyx pain after giving birth to DD 13 months ago. Had physio and was told it was all back OK, X-ray showed up some misalignment. But it was the MRI that showed up the huge amounts of bruising and trauma to the area. I've had some steriod injections and manipulation which has helped, and some acupuncture as well.

And if strengthening your core muscles is still not helping with the pain, etc then you might need to go back to a women's health/gynae physio and get a specialist assessment of your pelvic floor - if you have actually damaged those muscles then just trying to do "normal" pelvic floor squeezes in the usual way may not actually work and you might need some help to re-learn how to do them, some different exercises, or some equipment to help you.

Good luck!

thank you for the responses! cardamomginger, sorry to hear about your problems, that's terrible.

it was just a regular physio. he'd massage my lower back and manipulate my hip back and forth, and then showed me a few exercises. the massage was nice, obviously, but did nothing to actually help with pain.

ok, it sounds like i should ask for referrals to both orthopedics, for an MRI, and a gynae physio (i didn't even know there was such a thing) for a pelvic floor assessment.

thank you!!! :)

Nah - regular physio is unlikely know what's what? Where in the country are you? Do you have health insurance? I can recommend my orthopaedic guy and my wonderful wonderful physio if that would help. Hope it gets sorted for you X

thanks for the offer; i am 'off the mainland' tho. will make an appointment with my GP again and tell him what i want!