pelvic pain and birth

[isobelle]

please can anyone share some advice - tips for pelvic pain (SPD) and birth - have agonising pain - anyone had elective csection or how was labour?

Thanks so muchx

Hi,

I had SPD for the last 2 months of pregnancy. not one of the worst cases, but caused me pain when walking, turning over in bed etc. Went to a group physio session, where they advised to be careful not ot exacerbate during labour - avoid putting legs up in stirrups or giving birth on back, or pushing feet on doc / midwife's hips etc. In practice had difficulty getting my LO out and needed ventouse, and despite my midwife starting out very keen to be carefuly with SPD, by the end the doctor had me doing all the things they said not to, but she had to come out somehow!!

I was a bit worried about that, but my SPD symptoms seemed to reduce a lot as soon as I had her, and gradually disappeared completely (she is now 7 months old and I'd say it's been a few months since noticed any twinges, apart from the odd very slight one if I do something really awkward, like getting up off the floor whilst holding my LO)

www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk/ This website has lots of tips for coping.

I had SPD adn was on crutches and then in a wheelchair for the last 2 months. Had fantastic physio support and they took me down a very agressive management plan - if it hurt I either wasn't to do it or minimise it, with the objective of minimising any long term damage.

I had an imemdiate improvement post birth, and a second big improvement when I stopped breastfeeding at 6 months. Now at 9 months it's still improving and I feel I may eventually be fully better.

Re birth, it was fantastic! I was just so desperate to get the baby out. I had DD without intervention at 40+3.

She was back to back, which meant I was on morphine at 2 cm dilated. Fortunatly it sent me to slepp for a few hours. I then had gas and air, more morphine, she turned by herself and I had a really wonderful birth with no intervention on all fours.

I was absolutly hell bent on not having an epidural, as very small changes in position made a massive differece to the SPD pain, and i was very wary of sustaining any extra damage. also i was very keen to avoid a c-section as whilst the physios hadn't put any pressure on me they had said that the more abdominal damage i got the harder it would be to recover from the SPD

i did a hypnobirthing course and found the cd's very helpful with dealing with the pain at night

hope this helps

katy

I had a c-section, not because of spd pain, but because DS was breech and back-to-back, and they tried to turn him and he went into distress. However, I had horrible spd from 20 weeks, so was told it was a bit of a blessing I ended up having a c-section.
However, I don;t want to put you off or anything, but the recovery is being anything but smooth. I wasn't able to do any exercise from the 2nd trimester so was not in good shape & on crutches for the last few weeks, so didn't start off in good condition, but the c-section really wiped me. they do cut through your core muscles, which adds to the already unstable pelvis/ lower back region. In my case, I got a bit better from the spd in the couple of days after the c-section, I then got an awful lot worse. Due to the loss of feeling through spinal block and pain meds, this meant I managed to do something to my hip and pelvis, either myself or through being moved badly straight after the c-section. So 5 months later I am still really struggling with day to day activities, and its been only in the last 3 weeks paying for a private physio myself that I have seen any improvement. Basically the c-section then subsequent hip injury meant that nothing was working to support my back and pelvis, and that is a really big problem for pretty much everything, from lying down to sitting to walking, even taking the brake off the buggy or getting into a shower...

so, I am sorry I don't have a positive story to share, but I do wonder if a water birth would have been better, which is what I'd wanted before they discovered he was breech...

sorry, read my post back and it really wasn't that helpful - please don't be scared if you end up having an c-section, mine was a pretty drastic case. my tips, rather than scaring you [sorry] are:

• make sure everyone moving you knows you have spd and they should be doubly careful. Also make sure the surgeons know in theatre itself so they don't put you in any positions that will cause problems after
• make sure all midwives know that you have very bad pelvic pain [can you get a large note written in your records somewhere?], and that they need to support you more in looking after your baby and not to overexert you [i really really wish i'd done this!]. Things like picking your baby up from the bedside cot thing are very difficult just with a c-section, but you have to make sure you don't twist something or strain beyond your capability with spd as well.
• if your pain is not getting better, demand to see a physio on the ward, and don;t let them tell you any pain in hips, back and pubic bone is normal!
• really important to get help after coming home from hospital, you need to tale such good care of yourself and not over do things
• get on some post natal hospital run rehab exercises classes to get those core muscles working again

good luck!

OMG isobelle are you me? I was about to start the same thread.

I've got really bad SPD - on crutches, wheelchair. Can't do much, and am housebound with DD who's 3. I'm 37 weeks now, and am really worried about giving birth. They've refused me an elective caesarian (but am seeing the consultant next week again, and I'll beg!) .. .but in the meantime, i'm planning a homebirth. Am worried that doctors in hospital will place my legs in stirrups etc, and make matters worse in the long run. At least if I'm at home, I'll have my lovely midwives with me, and DP by my side, who all know my limit with opening my legs. God I'm scared!! I really want my life back after being stuck to the sofa for so long.

Thanks very much for all your responses- I am very worried about it all as the pain is awful and thought of giving birth seems like it would be easier to be hit by a train !!! maybe not quite - i have a dd aged 3 also and feel awful that I cannot bound around before new baby arrives - as much as I dont fancy cs recovery - i am planning on asking consultant - please let me know bessyboop how you get on....
thanks

I certainly will let you know isobelle ... I told the consultant last week that there will be no way way I could open my legs during birth. And she said, 'Well you'll have to have an epidural to numb the pain then, won't you."

:-o

I just gawped, and said that epidural was the last thing I wanted because I would strech my legs far apart, as I wouldnt feel the pelvic pain. But that could do long term damage...
I asked for a CS, and she gave me a snobby looks: "You do know that it's a major operation?"
Eeeerm, yes, thank you very much!!

Hopefully I'll see another consultant next week ... cross fingers.

I hope everything works out for you isobelle!

hi bessyboop any feedback on your consultant appointment?

Thanks

Hi isobelle, poor you- spd is grim, especially with an older dc to care for. I had moderate spd during my last pregnancy - no crutches or anything, but substantial pain if I had to walk any distance. It didn't really affect the birth though- I had a waterbirth on all fours, which I think helped alleviate the pelvic discomfort. Ds2 is now 11 weeks however, and I really hoped it would have disappeared by now, but unfortunately it lingers on... I guess it depends on the severity and exact location of your spd, but I found that the contractions took my mind off it! Good luck with whatever you decide.

thanks - this is encouraging - heres hoping....!!