Is this SPD?

[JoyceBarnaby]

I am 34 weeks pregnant with DC2. My first pregnancy was trouble-free and DS is now 3yo.

For 2-3 weeks now, I've had pain at the very base of my bump/ pelvic area - mostly on the left-hand side but not always. It started off just being a pain when walking, but now it hurts when lifting my feet when driving or trying to put my pants on, for example. Don't even mention turning over in bed...

Initially, I was concerned it was something like a UTI, but I discussed it with my GP and she said it was a particular ligament that can suffer during pregnancy. She is usually excellent at all things antenatal and she didn't say it was SPD. She said it was common in pregnancy and that I could do myself no permanent damage.

From reading bits on here and my pregnancy books, it sounds like SPD but not as severe as some women get it. What do people think?

Sounds like it, mine started of similar but unfortunately has gotten worse the more pregnant I've got. I left it thinking i'd be ok and have trouble walking anywhere now (38 weeks) so I'd ask your midwife or GP to refer you to a physio sooner rather than later.

I had this too and it was SO horrid - I empathize. My Dr. didn't call it SPD either but just said that the hormone (relaxin?) that was flowing through my body to prepare it for labour.....aka to relax it....was relaxing things a bit too much and the bones in my pelvic girdle were pulling away from each other to a degree causing pain.

Rolling over was the worst but toward the end it was getting hard to walk. We tried ice packs on my....well pubic bone - that sometimes releived some discomfort. I also bought a medical belt to hold my pelvis together better but that met with mixed results. The best I can say is to keep those legs together as much as possible, sit down when putting on your pants, play with pillow arrangment when you sleep and rest, rest, rest.

My Dr. assured me that it would go away after baby was born and it did indeed go away very quickly thereafter.

Hope it gets better

Thank you very much for your replies, ladies. I will speak to my GP about physio - do you think that with 6 weeks until my due date it will be possible and worthwhile?

Thanks also for your empathy. I've tried not to moan too much in RL - I think people are getting a bit pissed off with me!! What with the hyperemesis that only abated recently, varicose veins and heartburn - and I haven't even told anyone (other than my GP of course) about the constipation, piles and constant thrush!! Sorry if that's too much info - am feeling a bit sorry for myself today!! I really am very happy to be pregnant and obviously, so long as our baby is healthy, that really is all that matters. Anyway, I just mean thanks for sympathy/ empathy!! Much appreciated!!

Just bumping in case the evening crowd can offer any extra thoughts!!

Sounds very like SPD to me. I'd ask your midwife for a physio referral, to a specialist gynae physio. However, you may well wait a few weeks to see one so might want to look at seeing someone privately.

I'm nearly 36 weeks and have been having physio for ages. For the past couple of weeks I've also been seeing a chiropractor and that has helped too, so it's not too late in your pregnancy to get help.

Things to try suggested to me by physio: small steps, keep your legs together, roll into bed, sleep with a pillow between your legs, spend time sitting on an exercise ball, spend time in swimming pool, do adapted yoga if you can still manage it, use a tubular bandage (works better for me than a belt), walk as little as possible, never stand on one leg (e.g. sit down to put clothes on), wear satin pyjamas to make turning over in bed easier, use ice or heat packs, have warm baths. There are exercises you can do too, but I'd wait for a physio to show you how.

Hi Joyce, I had SPD in my second pregnancy from around 36 weeks, found walking up the stairs nearly impossible and had to crawl for the last 2 weeks. I found that support belts helped ease some of the pressure on the pelvis, mothercare do these belts, or could ask your midwife if they hand them out or not. I was lucky in the sense that it didnt get as bad as others who ended up on crutches etc.

However, I would reccommend a support belt. Although it's not a miracle cure, it does lessen the pain IMO. Also sleeping with a pillow between your legs and laying on top of a duvet to cushion the pressure on the hip you are sleeping on. I also had a pillow behind my back to stop me rolling and a pillow supporting my bump. DP hugged me non-stop after DD2 was born as he had not been able to get near me for weeks . I found my SPD did not affect my labour or delivery and it went as soon as baby was born.

Am pregnant with DC3, now 23+1, and have just discovered that I have suspected PGP. Very similar to sciatica and SPD, but mainly in the buttock and hip. Oh joy, what us mummies go through for our babies!

I hope the pain doesn't get any worse.

Definitely agree with the pillow-bunding sleeping thing, it really helped me.

Worth seeing a physio if you can - I apparently had a slightly misaligned pelvis which she manipulated there and then

Also, I had big problems with my PGP after having a sweep - in fact I could barely walk for 2 days because of it - if you need to assume the (ahem) internal exam position avoid both legs splaying apart at all costs IYSWIM. They can do what they need to with you sitting on your fists and reducing the amount of splaying, that helped for me on subsequent sweeps and numerous internals in hospital (I was induced).

As said above, keep your legs together as much as you can.

Good luck

Thank you very much for all your help and advice - it's very much appreciated x

Perhaps I should have kept my legs together 34 (or would it be 32?) weeks ago - then I wouldn't be in this state, ha ha!! Only joking, of course - must remember the end result is worth it!!!

can I jump on the thread rather than start a new one exactly the same?

I'm only 14 weeks, got what I thought was spd in the last 3 week sof my last pregnancy (DS is now 2.5) and am really worried I have SPD starting...it's a sharp pain at the top of my right thigh and around the right hand side of my pelvis. It's worse in the morning and I think got worse the last few days because my bike's been serviced so I've walked more than usual when I normally cycle.

I'm in rehearsals at the moment and we do circuits in the morning, which I've been joining in with, but is this probably exacerbating the problem? If I call my midwife and see a physiotherapist, what are the chances of nipping it in the bud? Cycling isn't painful at all and I'm laying off the circuits for a bit (will prob do pelvic strengthening exercises etc) am just terrified that getting it this early means I'll be in a wheelchair by the time I hit the third trimester!

I have the beginnings of this, too - it's been getting worse for about a week and I shuffle along making tiny steps. Agree with others that the pain in the hip you're lying on at night and turning over in bed are probably the worst things. I will be following MainlyMaynie's advice. I'm 33 weeks and it's the next four weeks at work that worry me, especially as I work 11/12 hour days and commute an hour each way...
Hope everyone currently suffering recovers soon and thanks to the others for your advice!

ooh i posted a separate thread - just repost it here

I am just posting what has been working for me.

On a very wide scale from painless to bedbound I am lucky enough to be on the mild end of the SPD spectrum.

When I was 13 weeks I did some over enthusiastic down hill running in a run in the lakes - I felt no discomfort at all during the run (having decided I should be OK if I listened to my body) - BUT after had that really painful pubic bone feeling at the front - yipes what have I done I thought??

Was camping in the lakes so was a bit exacerbated sleeeping on hard surface.

Got home and googled and found out about SPD - now often called PGP.

Looked at the other threads on mumsnets - and would like to reference again the very brilliant

www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk

What is particularly important to realize is that - it is not so much to do with too much relaxin, or how much your ligaments relax - but is more likely to be to do with an existing inbalance you have acting on your pelvis.

While your ligaments are nice and tight and you pelvis is acting like one solid block - these uneven forces don't really affect you.

When your ligaments relax and your pelvis starts acting like 2 separate halves - the uneven forces can push one half one way (while the other stays still or goes the other way) - causing the rub!

Because there is nearly always an inbalance factor - manual therapy (be it physio, osteo or chiro) can nearly always be of some benefit.

I am really lucky in that I could afford to go to a chiropractor - he found the sacroiliac joint on the right hand side much tighter than on the left and was able to mobilise this - this had some pretty amazing results.

It might be you have a tighter muscle on one side - that massage/ stretching could loosen off - it might be a combination of things - the sooner you get someone to look properly (rather than just giving you crutches and a belt the better) - this doesn't mean don't use/take crutches or belt obviously if they help of course - but DO try push for more hands on treatment.

I asked my midwife to refer me to obs physio (I haven't heard anything back yet).

So things that helped me:

1. Seeing a chiropractor

2. Stretching my bum muscles (glutes and piriformis) - this really helps me!!

3. Standing up at work - I know some people find standing exacerbates their SPD, but I found that although I didn't get pain sitting - when i stood up after sitting for a while i was in agony - so far i have put my laptop on a box on my desk and have been working standing up -am going to ask about a standing desk or ideally an adjustable one.

• it's really important whether you sit or stand to change position frequently and takes breaks from your usual position - ideally every half hour. For me I think standing I just shift around more (I'm 16 weeks so hope as I get bigger can still stand as this has had a major improving impact)

4. Kegels / Pelvic floors - not sure if theses are specifically helping - but htey are a good idea anyway

5. TVA / Tupler - Basically sucking in your tummy button/ bump towards your spine exercises - again not as obvious a link to improvement as bum stretching smile

These are on top of the other advice about keeping your knees together, getting in and out fo cars like a lady, sleeping with pillow between knees (and for me bringing my knees right up before turning over in bed)

Anyone else find anything a bit different that works for them?

Girl... I have had SPD since before 14 weeks and haven't ended up in a wheelchair. (I must confess I am on crutches). I had a long period between say 22-32 weeks when it didn't get any worse. I've been a bit unlucky that it started to get worse then too, as my baby's head has started to engage very early. So there is hope!

AJH2007, the hip pain/pins and needles in bed is the main thing the chiro has helped me with - it's nearly gone. Turning over still hurts a lot though! I have finished for maternity leave now, but I took an exercise ball in to sit on for part of the day and that helped me stay comfortable at work.