SPD / PGP, weight gain, exercise and work

[CapsizeQueen]

I have done some searches on this but wondered if anyone had anything to add.. I have a couple of questions..

1. How am I supposed to exercise with SPD? Have always been active but am now going out of my mind because anything I do makes it SOOOOO much worse the next day (including yoga and swimming before anyone suggests that)

1. Due to the lack of exercise weight gain in increasing and worrying me. Should I restrict food intake to stop weight gain? I am worried that weight gain will make it worse - I am 5 months.

1. Work. I am on my feet all day and I am on crutches by midweek as it progressively gets worse during the working week. How bad does it have to be to ask to be signed off for the duration? I try to teach sat down most of the time but it just isn't working.

I am seeing a fab NHS physio btw who has realigned everything and given me exercises but told me that because I have hypermobile joints it will probably get worse.

Anyone got any experience with this?

I cant exercise at all, I get up and end up laying on the sofa in agony and struggle back upstairs to bed. Im 28 weeks with twins and put on 1st 4 so far.

As for work as soon as your no longer able to cope go and be signed off, im lucky im a SAHM anyway

There may be some better qualified people along to give advice soon, because I am not an exercise professional and not have SPD - although know people who have.

Unless you are already overweight or have put a lot on in the first 5 months, I wouldn't have thought that 'restricting' food is a good idea. You don't need to be eating for two' so perhaps avoiding junk/un-needed extras would be enough.

Are there any upper body exercises you can do, or is the SPD equally bad all over?

Mine started at 5 months too. My advice would be:

1. Don't exercise, or do anything that makes it worse. Don't do anything that involves parting your knees. Rest as much as you can. With your knees together.

1. Don't restrict food intake either; just try and eat 'sensibly' (whatever that means!). You will gain weight, whether you restrict food intake or not, but you can always lose it again after having the baby.

1. No experience of this one, but I would talk to your school (?) about anything that can be done to support you teaching in a way that doesn't trigger the SPD. Any chance of some extra TA time or anything?

1. Might be worth seeing an osteo as well as the physio.

And massive sympathy as it completely sucks! There are lots of tips on here if you search SPD / PGP but really, don't worry about exercising, worry about minimising anything which triggers the pain, it's only for a few months (and pregnancy boosts your aerobic capacity even without doing any exercise so you might not lose as much condition as you fear).

Thanks for the comments so far.

harrygracejessica - trouble is I have a tendency to struggle in to work no matter what - I'm stubborn like that!

I was just in the overweight BMI band to start with, but fit and muscular. Have put on about a stone so far which is probably too much.

Upper body is getting a fab workout as using crutches and bearing almost my entire body weight on my arms! Not allowed to lift or carry heavy objects and weight exercises were advised against by physio... she said to just walk/swim as much as pain allowed - which isnt much when I used to do a 15mile hill stomp at the weekends and run cross country on lunchtimes...

Was just wondering whether something like a handbike at fairly low loading would be an option? Doesn't involve weights etc.

Could you swim with a narrow float tucked between your legs?

Sorry, may not be helpful - just trying to think of any possible options.

CQ I am surprised your physio even advised walking tbh, all the advice I got was to do as little as possible which involved parting the knees. If you're swimming DEFINITELY don't do breaststroke. I found that even doing things which didn't hurt too much at the time triggered rebound pain later on or the next day. I developed a very fetching knees-together shuffling walk!

It feels awful if you've been used to being active but it isn't for long and really the best way of handling it is to minimise things that hurt. It's very different from having an injury where you can gradually increase the amount you can do; this is a chronic thing that you need to manage for as long as you're pregnant. The good news is for most people it goes as soon as the baby's born.

Have you checked out the pelvic partnership website? there's some useful advice on there.

I feel your pain! This is my third preg with SPD but so far... 26 weeks... not too bad... prob shouldn't have said that!

I was totally unable to exercise and put on 3 and half stone with both ds and I'm only 5'3"!!! I've got hyper mobile joints too and have been told to avoid yoga whether pregnant or not - it loosens your joints and us hyper mobiles are loose enough!!

I have a very sturdy belt that I bought through a recommendation from my physio, way sturdier than I've seen at Mothercare etc. Sorry can't remember where it was from as first preg was 9 years ago. Also I read on a thread on here that silky PJ's help with manoeuvring in bed. But basically all the sitting down while getting dressed, getting in and out of car with knees together and getting help in and out of the bath - or just showering - is really important to follow.

I wouldn't worry about weight gain too much, you'll be so ecstatic that the SPD has gone once your babs arrives (and you've maybe had a bit more physio) you'll be running around clicking your heals in the air!

systemsaddict - physio didn't actually advise walking - just said not to walk more than the pain allows!

Frida75 - thanks for that - I know I'm not alone in this, and I hope yours stay OK this time!

I've read all the tips on the pelvicpartnership site but nothing said anything about how to stay active. I guess it's because you don't! 4 more months with little exercise - I'm going to get soooo unfit!

I had bad spd in my first pregnancy - not quite needing crutches thankfully, but close. The physio I saw gave me a belt that I called my girdle - just about stretchy, incredibly supportive and really helped me - felt like I was being held together round my pelvis. Very comforting! Due to other problems as well I was not supposed to walk far all through my 2nd and third trimesters.

After about a week lying on the sofa and eating I got bored enough to try an aquanatal class, and it was bloody brilliant! It was run by the community midwives once a week, and as I got more heavily pregnant I used to just go along and bob in the water. There was another woman there who walked up to the edge of the pool on crutches due to her SPD, and she thought the time in the water was wonderful too.

Definitely don't do breaststroke legs, I used to do very occasional laps with breaststroke arms and barely flapping legs. The aquanatal class was gentle but effective, and it definitely helped me loads.

There are no aquanatal classes here and I can't afford the gym. Swimming is bloody expensive and difficult to park at as well....

Ah well, blobdom here I come...

I know this is a super old thread, but I found it so maybe someone else will! For what it is worth, I tried last time (it has already kicked in during this pg) to keep my core strong with reps of:

Feet together slow rises onto balls of feet, hold it, and lower (I did it while brushing my teeth so I would remember). Main thing is to make sure pelvis is in good position and posture is good while rising. This also helped me strengthen my hip muscles.

On all fours, knees together - curve back slowly while squeezing pelvic floor trying to 'pull' belly button toward my spine. Arch (gently though, as this sometimes can exacerbate php) and breath.

I found if nothing else, these helped me keep good posture and relieved some of the load on my pelvis.

It is waaaaay worse this time round though so I will probably be eating my words...

Swim with a leg float. Should reduce any pelvic movement.

I did this with a serious knee injury as it was about all I could do. Works really well!

I could hardly walk, never mind exercise. I wouldn't have been able to get in and out of the pool.

I got signed off at 21 weeks and ended up staying off - I had an hour and a half commute and just could not do it.

An osteo did manage to get me slightly more mobile, would def recommend it over physio.