SPD - anyone else joining me on the birthing ball?

[elgoldenflower]

Hello out there, was looking for a support thread for those of us unlucky enough to have developed SPD and couldn't find a current one.

I'm 19 weeks (EDD 26.10.11) and have been aware of pelvic pain since conception (v mild at first) but it's steadily getting worse. I now can't walk more than about 30 yds without being sofa/birthing ball - bound for the evening.

My physio is fitting me with crutches on Monday as I can't avoid a bit of walking for my work (I run drama workshops all over the place so have to travel to them and I don't drive).

So far cycling's wonderful but I'm not aloud to use my bike like a mobility scooter as far as I know so cycling usually involves a bit of walking too.

Grr just wanted to be able to rant without annoying my v supportive antenatal thread.

hi mattmama, and commiserations. Glad to hear your DH is trying - I don't think they do get it, or they just sometimes forget while us poor sods can't... Mine is usually a pet but he can be really arsey if he's had a stressful day at work and comes home to me having been sat on the sofa all day surrounded by mess and he has to clean it (well, he doesn't but he does it anyway with a general air of martyrdom!)... then other days, he'll chase me away from the dishwasher, saying no don't I'm worried about you hurting your poor hips. Bless.

Hope your osteo appointment goes well / helps things. Whether it does or not, knowing you're not alone on here definitely helps!

I've not been too bad last couple of days after last couple of weeks - prob cos I have just been sat on my bum on the sofa not really moving, as I had Madmen season 4 to watch (and did so in a 2 day binge). Physio wasn't much help last week, hmmph. Said pelvis not out of alignment as far as she could tell and to keep on doing my pelvic floor exercises and using my crutches. Ta love. Took it as reassuring on one levle tho... Got the phone no for a pilates teacher locally who wors with pregnant women and used to be a physio, emailed her - only to get a reply saying she's off for a hip replacement and my SPD/PGD will probably get better as the pregnancy goes on. GRRRRRRR. Yeah cos it has gotten so much better over the past 20 weeks

How is everyone else? Hope the sleeping issues have improved (on the nights when it's not so fecking muggy and hot!!!)

Just popping in to say baby button was born on July 16th (9lb6oz). Loooong labour but I had an epidural about 5cm as I needed constant monitoring. First time I've had an epidural and it was ace.

MWs were hyper cautious re spd (which was my fear with having an epi - that they wouldn't be careful). I ended up giving birth semi sitting with my legs being supported in the stirrups on lowest and narrowest setting but my feet were left unsupported which meant I couldn't push against them (which is a total no no). Tiny tear, very few stitches.

As last time, the spd was hugely improved almost immediately and here I am 18days post-birth with just a gentle groin strain feeling when I do too much. I've walked plenty and can carry ds no problems.

So take heart and know that it will be over soon. x

Oh, and he was induced at 38+1 due to the spd so if you're really struggling then do ask. It might be worth considering.

Welcome to the thread, mattsmama. You do sound like you have it very bad. Have you skimmed through the rest of the thread to read all the tips etc on how to cope with SPD? Hopefully you'll pick up something new. My two top tips are to get a serola belt, it works like magic for me, and doing the folded duvet under the sheet you lie on in bed thing, it really works for me. Oh....and painkillers. I'm at the stage now that paracetamol not really taking effect so on co-codamol.

missustulip your DH sounds like mine, happy to help one minute, then sighing and begrudgingly helping the next.

Congratulations, buttonmoon! Glad all is well for you, I had been getting worried about you! You can wave bye bye to SPD now. Hope you're enjoying all the cuddles with LO.

iWILLdothis and MissusTulip - thanks for the advice. I have taken note and will be putting it all into action. Strangely yesterday wasn't too bad for some reason - still a killer in bed though. I know "they" tell you to keep your knees together when turning etc but it seems to hurt me more? I have a "technique" now where I keep my left leg straight and sort of shuffle my body with my right foot (bet I look a right sight!) and although it still hurts it doesn't hurt as much as when I keep my knees together and lift my legs. When I do that it literally feels like my pubic bone is going to snap or something - bloody awful.

Moan over for today - hope your all okay and relatively mobile and pain free (ha chance would be a fine thing). Incidentally has anyone applied for a disabled badge at all - just wondered if you had any success at all in this area? I know some people seem to get hold of them relatively easily and others struggle. I had to wait outside my car 20 mins on crutches the other day because some pillock had parked that close and there was no way I could have got in the car with bump and throbbing pubic bone. A temporary badge like that would be a bit of a godsend at the moment.

Many councils don't offer a temporary badge but some do - ring your council and ask. Good luck!

Are you taking painkillers at all?

Congratulations button!! Hope the spd is now doing a vanishing act. I got caught out last time and ended up in agony again with back/pain/pelvis, so I really recommend a chiro/osteo if you can to get straightened up.

mattsmama welcome, it sounds horrendous.

I'm off for my first physio app in an hour or so, only 10 days after being referred! I'm very impressed. It's not too bad at the moment, but Wednesday's are busy so always painful in the evening. I'm hoping that by catching it so early and being careful etc I can minimise it and not end up in agony like last time .

I'm 20 weeks today! I had my scan on Tuesday and we're having a boy!! So just call me Victoria with my 3 boys and 1 girl . Dh is ecstatic as he has 2 dd's (one with ex and one with me), he was dying for a boy! Dd (aged 5) isn't impressed, boys are rubbish apparently . We're working on her......

mattsmama I had thought about applying for a blue badge, it would be handy, but never got round to it, so no advice I'm afraid. THe truth of the matter is I hardly go anywhere anyway because of the pain, so would only use it possibly a handful of times so don't think the hassle of applying for one at this stage will be worth it. Hope you get one easily if you do decide to apply.

harrassed...that was a quick referral....lucky you! Hope it goes/went well. Lovely news about your scan too, DD will come around to the idea of a boy.

10 wks to go today, the countdown is on! (I'm 29wks today, and elcs is at 39wks, so....) :) The end is in sight. Got a busy 3 weeks planned ahead, then will get stuck into baby preparation like getting nursery ready, baby clothes down from attic & washed etc. so I'm hoping the time will fly!

mattsmama - I've found the same as my symphisis pubis has gotten sorer - quite often need pillow between knees when rolling over or to keep a little distance between them rather than putting them together, iyswim? Did something peculiar when rolling over last night (sore both hips so was rolling about a lot last night) which made my right frontal groin go twang and made me pause for a moment... Dunno about disabled badge, have thought about it but think my local council is a bit stingy. Cheekily parked in a parent and child space yesterday - even tho child still inside cooking

button - congratulations on your wee boy! I was going to say wee 'boy button', then thought it sounded a bit wrong. Hope your SPD keeps on settling, and thanks for the positive birthing story too, am going to have to go through and start taking notes of good practice from this thread!

harrased - what lovely news from your scan! I suppose you could also call a boy Harper if you were so inclined - just drifted off thinking about feasibility of that! Finding deciding on a boy name much harder than girl names! Hope physio is helpful too.

Iwill - oh that gave me a little shock, am 28+3 so had still be daydreaming along thinking 3 months, to hear it as 10 weeks a bit of a reality check! Lots to do but it's all lovely isn't it, the preparing bit. DH gone mushy over a wee stripy cardie I got in the sale in Tesco and left hanging up. LOVE baby clothes! How did you decide on an ELCS if you don't mind me asking (ie for the SPD or other is the gist of it)? Seeing MW next week...

I've not been too bad this week apart from pants sleep at night and feeling knackered every day. Haven't had much driving or walking to do so I'm steadily fusing with my sofa! Managed to watch all of season 4 Madmen in 2 days, which I am going to say is one of the things that helped this week be less painful

Hello ladies, may I join you?
I had SPD very badly in my last pregnancy (banned from commuting at 22 weeks, wheelchair for the last couple months) and now I'm pregnant again - only 11 weeks but it hurts again. And can't take anything stronger than cocodamol yet.
On the plus side, just seen the obstetric physio who has given me a regime of exercises and plans to get me on an antenatal exercise class, and says there's a good chance (but no guarantee) that it won't get any worse.

Now if anyone has any ideas on how to stop a nearly-3yo from jumping on one's pubis...

Hi notcitrus, welcome and hope your SPD will stay relatively static... No ideas how to stop a toddler bouncing on one's pubis tho - let him or her have at the birthing ball surrounded by cushions for falling onto? (hee hee not safe at all, you can tell this is my first!)

Meant to say in earlier post, had a nice surprise today. SIL texted to ask if we were in this am as she had something to drop round... And she popped round with her ex-boyfriend's sister's nursing chair which they were going to give to a charity shop til SIL said, ooh I know who'd maybe like that! Result!

notcitrus welcome to the thread. I also have the prob of a 2yr old bouncing all over me...any time I go to lie on the sofa for a wee rest, she's clambering all over me....ouch.

missustulip lucky you getting a nursing chair!
To answer your question, ELCS is the only way for me due to a horrific previous birth experience....to cut a long story short, put it this way: I'm still sore "down there" 2 and a half year later. The consultant basically told me I'm having an elcs without me even having to ask, as she knows my history.

Button - Hi - yes I am taking painkillers sometimes paracetamol and sometimes co-codamol but I really am trying to keep them to a minimum - not easy though!

MissTulip I've had that same twanging sensation - not nice! Makes you stop dead in your tracks IYSWIM! In some countries they actually have pregnant parking spaces - wonder if we'll ever see anything like that here? Doubt it somehow!

I went for my second osteo appointment today. I think it might be helping my lower back every so slightly (pubic bone still as sore as ever) but she did say I probably need a good 5 or 6 sessions but would be surprised if I don't have at least a small improvement as most ladies in this situation do get some relief. I'll keep you posted - fingers crossed.

Notcitrus Hi and welcome. Looks like you started early like me - lucky us eh? Hope your physio is better than mine - found them pretty useless really hence me paying privately to see osteo.

Night ladies - sat in bed at moment with laptop. I shall now start my routine with my pillows and quilt and try and get some sleep - got hardly any last night!

I know it goes against the whole protect the baby instinct but really you shouldn't be keeping them to a minimum. You should be treating them like you would a course of antibiotics - take them according to the clock.

You could try 1xcocodamol and 1xparacetamol if you're not happy taking lots of cocodamol?

Seriously, it will make such a difference. I was on really heavy duty stuff with #3. I was just told that as long as I tried to come off them for 48 hrs before he was born it'd be fine (and as I knew I was being induced that was no problem for me).

Morning!

Well that was pretty much a waste of time..... She told me what I already knew, asked me if I still had my leaflets from 5 (yes FIVE) years ago and gave me some exercises that involve opening my legs as far as I can. It's to strengthen the muscles in my bum, but she said only to do it if it doesn't hurt. I'm so glad I didn't pay for that!!!

mattsmama I used a chiro last time and she was fab! Unfortunately she won't manipulate me yet as I had two mc's before I fell with this one. Hopefully in a few more weeks. And I agree with button, you need to look at it as pain prevention, not just taking it when you feel you absolutely have to.

Welcome citrus. I've had twinges for weeks, I'm 20 weeks, but hoping by being careful from so early on I can minimise it..... hoping anyway!

missustulip what a fab thing to be given! I don't think dh will go for Harper somehow, although I quite like it. His first suggestion was Rio!! I mean fgs...... between us we have a James, Ryan, Chloe and Libby so that matches very well!!

harassed I'm totally at the exercises to open your legs! I was given two to strengthen my bum - one was to clench my bumcheeks as hard as I could (as if I had a £50 between them) 20 reps lots of times a day. The other was to stand with my feet slightly apart and then try to turn out my feet sideways but to imagine my feet were glued to the ground.

Neither of which hurt to do but most def had an impact on my bum muscles. It makes me so angry to hear of women getting duff advice and treatment.

FWIW, those who weren't here earlier - I had it worst with dc3. With dc4 I did all the exercises and prevention things from the offset and managed to stave off the worst of it until 30wks+ whereas I'd been on strong painkillers 10ish wks before that with dc3.

So exercises and caution DO help and can put off the inevitable until much later.

Oh, and as for parking - park in the parent and child. You are, after all, a parent 'with' child. If it's a supermarket, make friends with the parking guys - they are invaluable support. With dc3, I had a nasty occasion where I parked in a P&C spot and someone had a go. I was really upset and my knights in shining armour told me to go shopping while they dealt with the 'scumbag'!

In fact, once one of them even told me to park in a disabled spot. All the P&C spaces were full but he knew that without extra width I'd never make it out of my car.

I took them a crate of beer once dc3 arrived. They still look out for me to this day! (dc3 is 4.5!)

Harrassed - I'm wtf-ing at the exercises your physio gave you! I agree with button - it goes against all the other advice I've heard so the advice on the pelvic partnership website might be much better than your physio... They're great for crutches tho, so if you're getting pain on walking or your mobility is getting worse, it's worth popping back to get fitted for some. Other people further up thread have had different, better physio experiences tho!

I did the trying not to take painkillers thing and sometimes I can manage on fewer, if I'm having a good week where I don't drive much or have much waling to do and I haven't been awake all night in discomfort - pain. But we don't get any sort of prizes for going without when we need painkillers, it just makes things worse and they're pretty safe up til the end , as button has described. I see an acupuncturist weekly, it really helped when I started this but seems less helpful as time has gone on . Like osteo, it's worth looking into if there's someone qualified in pregnancy acupuncture near you?

I did suggest Harper tongue in cheek but then thought it is quite a good boy's name. DH would never go for it tho!

button good work with the parking men!

I will - hope I wasn't crass in asking, glad to hear you have such a good consultant!! I'm still pretty ambivalent about the whole giving birth thing. WHen I was a medical student, I swore blind after obs&gynae placement that it would be ELCS all the way... Since getting pregnant, much more open to VB but do wobble back and forth. SO was just being a bit nosy (as usual!).

just dug this out for another thread, not sure if it has been posted upthread and too tired to look:

www.csp.org.uk/sites/files/csp/secure/acpwh_-_pregnancy-related_pelvic_girdle_pain.pdf

it's from the association of charted women's health physios and is quite useful as is the accompanying one for health care professionals:

www.csp.org.uk/sites/files/csp/secure/acpwh-pgp_hp.pdf

hope everyone is having a good weekend (at least pgd-wise)

I'm going to second all the recommendations for osteopathy to help with SPD. I got SPD with my first pregnancy (I think about 23 weeks, but can't remember that far back clearly!), this time around it kicked in at 15 weeks. I saw a physio pretty early this time, and have been given a belt and crutches, but nothing else. After hearing that other people have benefitted from osteopathy, I had a chat with my midwife, who personally recommended a local practioner who is involved in some of the local GP surgeries. I saw someone else at the practice, but it really helped. I got a couple of days of less pain and much easier movement, but am afraid that then real life kicked in, and I thought I might as well make the most of the opportunity to catch up on some things, so am more sore again at the moment, but roll on my next appointment.

Hello ladies. Hope you aren't all suffering too bad.

I need some advice on what to do when people aren't taking you seriously. I'm 17 weeks with DC2. With DC1 I had some hip pain around 25 weeks and wore a support. It never got too bad. I've been having pain in my coccyx for around two weeks. I'm now having pain in my hips, lower abdominal and even feeling some twinges in my fanjo. I keep hearing my hips crack and am struggling to walk. Getting out the car is hard, working is difficult even though it's a desk job sitting down all day is painful, walking up stairs hurts and anything involving bending down is hard.

I spoke to my midwife on Friday at an appointment but was dismissive, phoned a midwife yesterday and she said it can't be pregnancy relate as it's too early, went to the GP and he sent me away with paracetamol and wants to rule out a water infection. I've had water infection previously and it doesn't feel like that. What do I do? I don't know if I should be worrying or just trying to get on with things? Then I worry if I just carry on with work etc and push through then I'm going to get worse. When is someone going to take me seriously. I could cry with pain an frustration. Please can anyone help me?

LilBB I'm not sure on the best advice to get taken seriously but I just wanted to reassure you that you are probably right. For me twinges in my lower pelvis were the first indication that I had that I was pregnant even before missing my period. Also wanted to say that I don't think you ca push through and the less you do and the more you protect yourself the better. Can you take the lift, don't walk too much, keep you legs close together as much as possible, in my case don't sit on the floor etc.
Have you tried a footstool under your desk to make sitting more comfortable?

Also you may find it doesn't get worse or even improves later on so don't feel like it is all downhill from now on. I think further up the thread there is advice on getting referrals etc.

Thanks. I will have a read through the thread and see what people have said. I have a box under my desk to keep my feet up. My chair feels too hard though and my coccyx hurts a lot at work. I think I need some sort of cushion but I don't know if a regular couch cushion would be supportive enough. Luckily we are in a groundfloor office so no stairs at work however we live in a dormer bungalow so toilet is downstairs. Great in the day but not so great at 2am.

Hi lilBB - the second link I posted (the one that actually links ) is a leaflet specifically for healthcare professionals and might help?

I've been reasonably lucky - GP is good, midwife not sure about as I've only seen her once but seeing her tomorrow and gonna bend her ear about my SPD/PGD funtimes. It seems like if you're unlucky, you just have to keep banging on at them! 'it's too early' is frankly balls - I've had this since week 8 and some unlucky ladies seem to get symptoms right from sperm meets egg. Your GP might just be being cautious, but if paracetamol not helping go back and nag for cocodamol, seems to help most of us on here. You should get a physio referral, GP or midwife can do this, again NAG NAG NAG til they do it. May or may not help much, they tend to hand out pelvic floor exercises, support belts and crutches -but the latter two are invalauble. Some can and will check your pelvic alignment and manipulate it gently if out of whack. Some won't be prepared to do this eg not right training.

pelvic partnership.org (I think .org) has a lot of good practical advice. I can't get in/out of car comfortably unless I do it like a lady - knees together and swivel.

Lots of recommendations for osteo on here, I've found acupuncture helpful too.

COuld you get Occupational Health to come and assess you at work viz your needs during pregnancy. I think they have a statutory duty to do so and you may be able to get a cocyx support cushion from them? Or look on amazon for same search term, think they have a wee hole round the cocyx area and are wedge memory foam?

Don't push through. Rest is best for me. Makes me feel like a wuss at times, then I go and have a busy day and regret it for rest of week!

Come on here lots and let it out too!