Help! Got SPD, social services have just rung, panicking a bit now.

[BoffinMum]

I'm 32 weeks pg, have three children already (youngest will be 8), and have bad SPD, which I have had since 19 weeks. I use crutches and a wheelchair, get the higher mobility rate of DLA and have a blue badge.

I had to be admitted to hospital for a few days a couple of weeks ago because of the SPD, and as part of the discharge plan they were supposed to do a referral to Occupational Health. This didn't happen, so my mw chased it up. They have just rung me and asked me a lot of health and disability questions (similar to the ones on the DLA form). They asked me if I had any needs I knew of, and I said I was worried about whether I would be able to pick the baby up and carry it around once it was born, and so on.

They then said I should ring them from the postnatal ward after having the baby and they would refer it to the Children's Team for care. First of all, I am having a home birth, and secondly, does this mean they are planning on taking the baby into care????? I am a bit worried now, but hoping I am over-reacting and that they don't mean that.

Also if anyone can give any advice about how you do look after a baby with SPD I would be very grateful. DH will be home for three weeks but I am on my own after that.

Am absolutely sure they don't mean anything like taking baby into care, don't panic! They probably want to offer you some support which you might welcome, especially after your DH is not at home. Hopefully someone will know more about the practical issues of SPD for you.

Can't answer the children's team question but I am 99% sure that they don't mean they are taking the baby into care. Hopefully someone will post that knows a bit more about that. It might mean home start or something.

With regard to looking after a baby with SPD you ought to be having physio (are you?) before and after the birth. I had SPD and my physio showed me how to get baby in and out of car safely in and out of cot etc. I didn't carry dd much in the early days as I was in too much pain. I had a moses basket upstairs and an old fashioned carry cot that someone loaned me downstairs and I put her in that a lot of the time. Homestart helped me too but they can only come for 2 hours a week. Can your older ones help with fetching and carrying etc? You might need a changing station at height level and a cot that the sides go down on. Occ health might be able to help with things like that in your home. Happy to answer anything specific! Good luck with it all. HTH

im not part of the childrens team but i am failry certain they will just want to make sure you are coping and if not what they can do to help ensure you do.

try not to panic, you ahve plemnty to worry about other than this

I have worked with a mum in a similar situation. The children's team were involved purely to offer support and in no way to take the child away. This support included 10 hours home help a week such as house work etc, a taxi to help other children get too school, and a family support worker who could help with child care a couple of times a week if neccessary. I think on the whole social services get a bad press because they generally deal with families involving abuse but they do also work to support families going through a difficult time which it sounds like your SPD is. Hope this helps and good luck with the new baby

Thanks guys, I am very glad I posted now because that has really put my mind at rest. I am seeing a hospital physio but I don't think he would be able to help with things like babycare advice, but I imagine Occupational Therapy can, so presumably that's what they're coming around for, and they were just not very clear on the phone (person who rang me was not a native English speaker).

I am just wondering now ... how do I know what I need, and what to ask for?? Maybe I should break the day down into chunks and write out a little timetable of how life would work normally, and see where the gaps are?

Hopefully your SPD will ease after the birth, I found going to an oestopath cleared it up almost immediately (wait for 6 weeks), physio wasn't very good.

Good luck!

Thanks coco. I haven't found physio any use at all, actually. I have seen a chiro a few times and that has helped fend off the worst excesses, though. I was on all fours before I went to the chiro.

i imagine what they will do boffinmum is an assessment of your mobility and transfers.talk about strategies to conserve energy,good lifting with baby/discuss any equipment and/or adaptations for you.maybe discuss postnatal pain management and analgesia

childrens team will probably do a needs assessment ask some questions eg what are your hopes/worries/expectations/safety/what support is in place - how can they help.probably be visited by SW and HV post birth too

doent sound like any move to take your bay,more a recognition of your needs and some planning and assessment

If they do that, ScottishMummy, then that would be very helpful indeed. Obviously they see different mums in this situation but I've only got my own experience to draw on, so I have little idea what is possible or necessary.

from your point of view,what questions do you have,do discuss any niggles/worries.
what you hope to achieve from this assessment

do talk about
transfers,mobility
pain relief
what can they offer you

good luck

you sound like i did !! sorry but all they will should do is offer advice and offer help from surestart. my dd is now 20 month and i am still suffering but was my second pg with severe spd i am getting about now but still have problems .lots of ladies dissapear after the birth or 6 months afterwards. try not to worry as your dh is about for 3 weeks rest rest and rest i didnt listen when told to and now my pelvis is out off line

Thanks, ScottishMummy, I have now done a list of different domestic things I need and I will be able to take their advice on the physical stuff, so hopefully I'll be prepared OK for the visit.

Sounds a bit like this kind of role doesn't it?

Here

Hope that helps, I'm sure they just want to help.

Just an update - Occupation Health came around last week (lovely, lovely ladies) and suggested some gadgets and adaptations, which will arrive tomorrow, apparently. These include strategically positioned perching chairs, a bath lift thing and a wheelchair cushion, which will all help a lot. They also gave advice on baby changing, carrying and bathing. They said if I am still very bad after the birth they can come back and look at more permanent adaptations, but we are all hoping it will not come to that. It was obvious they don't deal with many pg people but they were very helpful and I was pleased they came around.

Thanks for all advice earlier, btw.

Fantastic news! Glad you are getting the support.