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.

100years - it sounds like elgolden's GP is being a bit stingy ;) I'd imagine the GP is suggesting she tries OTC cocodamol, which is lower strength than prescription only cocodamol (8mg codeine in 1 OTC tablet vs 30mg in a prescription one) . Worth a try but if it doesn't work, I'd suggest nagging ur GP for prescription strength. I have a nice GP (thank God),who is v supportive and does prescribe prescribe prescription cocodamol. I don't find it helps except when I am in complete agony and need bed rest, so I haven't really been using it. But everyone is different and I know some people are completely knocked out by one OTC cocodamol!

If it is any reassurance, I've taken one prescription cocodamol this morning (for wisdom tooth infection bleugh) and baby is still dancing the cancan. So while it can sedate the baby again it does seem to be an individual response. The medical concern about baby sedation is in the third trimester in the run-up to EDD, so my GP has said to take it as needed for now and was v reassuring about using pain relief to try to cope with PGP/SPD.

I sound like a complete drug pusher but I just get a bit cross at the expectation that we pregnant ladies should bear every imaginable pain without medication and the amount of scaremongering or guilt-inducing half-truths that are used to make us tough it out! Eg if you have a headache, drink a lot of water but heaven forbid you take a paracetamol! Humph. We are responsible adults...

The crutches thing - I feel like a complete doofus on them. Tho since being on them, I've noticed how nice random people are :) One little bright point!

My OB was recommending OTC co-codamol as he particularly said that that strength wouldn't do any harm - also it was a brief appt after 20 wk scan so no surprise if he was also being a little rushed/stingy.

Went swimming today and felt lovely to be in the water but despite keeping my legs together for all of my 5 lengths I've been struggling with the pain afterwards and have obviously aggravated it. Boo - no to swimming then.

Been sobbing at DP again today (found the swimming thing really disappointing) wish I would stop feeling so sorry for myself and get on with it but hey ho - the hormones won't seem to let me. Feel better after a nap. Gonna have to try to enjoy putting my feet up and doing v little, get into some good books and DVDs.

Elgolden - can you hold a float between your legs - or is that what you did?

Has anyone else been offered hydrotherapy. I've been having it since about 24 weeks (am currently 39+2) and I think it's really helped. We do really really gentle exercises in the water (which is lovely and warm) and then spend about 10 mins floating in the pool with floats to support you. This is bliss as you lie back and there's no pressure on any of your joints. I had to nag the physio to refer me (my MW's suggestion) but it's been a god send. I am lucky to have a nearby hospital with a hydro pool. The session I attend is so pregnant women only, so we can compare notes!

I've also bought a glider nursing chair as getting in and out of the sofa is agony, the chair is nice and upright and really supportive and has helped a lot (baby seems to like it too as s/he always wiggles a lot when i'm in the chair!!)

Woodifer Didn't hold float between legs but only did side stroke with a kind of sideways dolphin kick if that makes any sense.

Love the thought of hydrotherapy but not sure I'd manage a referral here as physios haven't even examined me, just listened to my symptoms and taken a look at me walking and gone, "yep your hips are obviously unstable" no attempts at manipulation or assessing what's misaligned etc. Just exercise suggestions etc and handing over crutches when I became unable to walk any distance.

Have agreed with DP to splash out on Osteopath so making an appt next week.

I'm in a bind, to help the hip pain physio gave me a velcro white belt thingy with 3 straps, one for over the bump and two under and amongst other things told me not to slouch when sitting so weight wasn't being put on my tilted pelvis.

I now have heartburn so bad it made me vomit the other night despite using Gaviscon. The band over my stomach is making it worse so I stopped wearing the support belt; propping myself up in bed is putting weight on my pelvis and I was sore again this morning after several days of reduced pain. Aaargh!

I would like some time during this pregnancy when I am not in a state of discomfort, really is that so much to ask for??? I have started muttering "get it out" to my DH but it is only 30 weeks. Two more months?! Sigh.

Would have and but would make heartburn worse. Ha.

LaMoo - was a "bump" support helping your pelvis pain?

I thought the belts for SPD/PGP were for round your hips mainly - ie holding your pelvis together (like your ligaments would be doing if they weren't soft).

Could you try your belt without the top strap??

Ask the physio for a serola. If her professional opinion is that the one you have is better (unlikely IMO but I'm not a physio so am happy to be proved wrong - prob the only reason she's given you that rather than a serola is cost) then you can get ranititidine on px from gp for heartburn.

Mine's bad enough without belts cutting into the top of my bump! But with this you take 1 tablet each morning and evening. Works a treat!

MLM - sounds like the one I got given too! Stopped wearing it as it seemed like it was hurting more than it was helping tbh. Just couldn't get comfortable with it on and swear my back pain got worse with it! Wish I could offer an alternative, but unable to I'm afraid - just gone back to my crutches and been leaning over birth ball for some relief at the moment.

I'm 33 weeks and feel like I've done nothing but complain all pregnancy too - fed up being miserable! Also willing this little one out - but not for a couple more weeks at least to give it the best chance!

Just had a miserable weekend with incredible back pain which started in waves around the base of my shoulder blades and gradually worked it's way down to the base of my spine and would leave my legs like jelly and made me feel sick. I've felt like I've got an upset stomach all weekend and barely wanting to eat. Last night the baby must have been moving around as every few minutes I would get an excruciating stabbing pain in my cervix coupled with the lower back pain. At one point I was clock-watching in case I'd gone into early labour it was so painful. Stopped after about half an hour, but still feel dreadful and in lots of pain - back on the crutches today, but wincing with pain every time the train jolted!

Thank goodness for my last week at work!

For people struggling with belts, have you been offered a tubular bandage instead? I have found this much better for me, especially as I get closer to my due date!

Hi all, I have been given a belt to be worn low around my hips - it is very tight and I don't feel it offers much beyond digging in velcro straps, which is a least a distraction from the SPD.

I am really beginning to get very stressed think about labour now, as due in 9 days time. Can anyone offer any words of wisdom, who has laboured before with SPD (this is dc2 but I didn't suffer last time). I had planned an active 1st stage and to give birth in a pool - will this be possible or am I going to end up with an epidural due to the combined pain? my spd manifests as mainly pain in my sacro-illiac (sp) joint. Thanks, hope no one suffering too badly today.

elgoldenflower sorry the swimming didn't work out for you. I'm going to try and go swimming again this week as I really think it helped me. But I know last time towards the last few weeks, I would never have been able to swim, it was too much pain....never mind the swim itself but even packing a bag and getting to the pool and getting undressed and afterwards the hassle of getting dried and dressed again when it's even painful to bend over and put a sock on. So sympathies to you, I know how you feel. But I'm only 21wks now so will go while I can.

EITYF, regarding birth...make sure your physio has written in bold and highlighted on your notes/birth plan that you have SPD. Lucky you have facilities for a pool birth, we don't have that here. I was advised last time that down on all 4s was the best way to go. BUT with a very quick and panicked 2nd stage (cord around DD's neck, heartbeat dropping etc) the midwives who delivered my baby didn't even have time to read my birth plan so didn't know I had PGP, so I ended up with legs in stirrups for assisted delivery etc etc. I believe that this contributed to the fact that my PGP returned several months post-natal, hence never really settled before becoming pregnant this time round :( Sorry if this scares you, I didn't mean to do that, but what I'm trying to say is make sure the midwives in labour ward know about your SPD and try and avoid at all costs being in stirrups. HTH.

Haven't been offered hydrotherapy here either, but I know there is a hydro pool in the hospital nearby...will ask physio next time I see her. I love the sound of it!

I'm feeling a lot brighter this morning. Pain after physio starting to settle down now and I've planned a few things to do this week. Gives me reason to get up in the morning and not lie around feeling sorry for myself. A friend came this morning with her DC for a coffee/playdate. Keeps DD occupied and therefore easier to manage for me. Fingers crossed I'll not be too sore for a few trips out with DD later in the week too....

I didn't realise there were different sorts of support belts for PGP. I will talk to my care team (sounds pretentious but I get a midwife, obstetrician and medical doc package at the local high risk pregnancy unit) when I see them tomorrow. I think tackling the heartburn is the way forward. Ranitidine and a serola belt - I will make a note.

Tubigrip roll up bandage is too loose for my skinny ass, it was a one size fits all hand out from the physio.

Thanks for your tips ladies.

elseIlltellyourfather, I'm due in 13 days! I'm also planning an active first stage and then a water birth. I've talked it through with the physio and she agrees that this is the best plan. The worst is epidural/high-intervention/lying on your back, she says that is the sort of labour where they end up treating the women afterwards too. I don't think I will have any problems in the pool, I've kept up aqua natal and have tried out various comfortable positions in the pool. For the first stage, I am planning to sit on my ball for a lot of it with some limited walking and kneeling on all fours on a bed as alternatives. The physio has also showed me positions for if I need to give birth out of the water - on knees on a bed lying forward onto a pile of cushions seems to be the best one. My midwife is fine with my plans and agrees with the physio that SPD needn't be a problem for labour. I am feeling very confident about it all! No guarantee that's how it will all work out , obviously, but I'm optimistic.

EITYF I spoke to my physio friend this morning and he pointed me towards the info on wikipedia. It's got some very good stuff on there about birth planning, positions which are good, and what to avoid (basically flat on your back with your knees or legs up.)
It's also made me realise that my problems now are probably linked to the fact that that is how I gave birth last time, in stirrups, but they got one the wrong height and I was in agony. They sorted it eventually but it was excruciating until they worked out what I was shouting about... I also had a bad back at the time from falling off a chair 2 days earlier.

I've been trying to get hold of my midwife today to get an appointment for physio.

I am so pleased to find this thread. Due in 12 days and struggling to enjoy mat leave at all this time as having to plan everything around how far I can't walk...... Also live in a 3 storey house with bed on top floor and last night took me 10 minutes to crawl up on my hands and knees. It's so frustrating isn't it especially if you are use to being a control freak like me! Hoping I can go in the pool for labour- just been downgraded to low risk today! Thanks for all the useful tips particularly on sleeping and moving in bed

Thanks bilblio, will look at that link.

Welcome smellyeli, due close to me (22/06). Puts a whole new spin on the thought of labour doesn't it?

I am so miserable today, keep crying and just can't shake it. Seen the chiro earlier, it feels worse but hopefully that is a good thing in the long run

And I have just discovered my ice pack by the pc where I left it earlier, so not been in freezer. Bah!

smellyyelli - i know you have probably tried everything, and this may sound crazy - but have you tried sitting on the steps facing down the stairs and moving your bum up one step at a time, and your feet up together?

SPD/PGP usually goes away as soon as the baby is born. It's fairly miserable while you have it though. I had crutches for the last 2 1/2 months with DC2. Physio was helpful. DH was taught how to realign my hips to ease symptoms for a few hours. The most helpful thing for ease of movement in bed was to wear slippery silky/polyester pyjamas. Good luck to all of you. It will pass!!!

Actually woodifer I haven't tried that - will attempt it this evening - thanks! Sometimes I'm fine but if I've been sitting I tend to seize up and last night was particularly bad (and DH was in the shower so couldn't hear me shouting!)

Watching MiC at the moment to take my mind off it all!

It's getting worse. Last night in bed, lying on my side didn't just cause the deep dull ache in the hip joint but made my pubic bone feel like it was rubbing (burning and stinging) and just couldn't get into a good position to make it comfortable for any length of time. Had to turn lots and each time felt like my hips were completely shifting out of line.

Then whilst feeling sorry for myself and trying to get comfy I think I got my first braxton hicks contraction so that was interesting.

This week's a busy one and I can't really slow it down if I'm to get to work every day and being self-employed I get no sick pay and I'm the main breadwinner. All this and I'm only 20+4 with another 4.5 weeks of FT work. I hope I can make it through.

Must make osteopath appt today and maybe speak to physios to see if I could get a hydrotherapy referral.

Sorry for the whinge, been a tough night, however our little boy is know kicking away reminding me why it's all so worth it.

I'm too lazy to go back through all the posts but have you got a mattress topper elgoldenflower? A duvet under the sheet works just as well. And do you put a pillow between your knees to sleep? IME both of these are essentials.

I had a whinge last night too. Sometimes it all just seems a bit unfair

Thanks buttonmoon but I've got a 10 tog double duvet folded in half on top of my mattress and a theraline pillow which goes between my thighs, knees and calves. Can just about get mega-aligned when awake but then I shift a bit when i'm asleep.

Thanks for your thoughts. I think it helps to whinge a bit so long as we can have happy times too.

Rats. I hate it when there's nothing we can offer each other except understanding. Do you have something under your bump too? I recently discovered that if I don't I slump forward and pull the top hip out of alignment. With it there (as long as it stays put!) I stay better aligned for longer.

I must admit, I'm really proud that I've got this far (33+4) and I'm not in the state I was last time, but the next few weeks cannot pass quick enough!

elgoldenflower you poor thing, it sounds awful for you. If you weren't SE you could just get signed off to rest. All we can chant is 'This too will pass' and as you say, it will be so worth it. A friend has just confirmed her SPD went within hours of her baby being born on Saturday, so hang onto that. new baby and no pain! And do use ice, every hour, 15 minutes on the pain.

On a different note, a good friend (who has suffered with SPD badly twice) has paid for her cleaner to come to me for 3 hours as a 'new baby' present - cleaner is here now and I feel better already having my house slightly more in order! Though fighting the embarrassed feeling of what a state it was in