welcome to the new SPD sofa, have a [biscuit] and a [brew]!

[sillywmama]

Hello all... just thought I'd start a new SPD support thread for anyone dealing with the whole achy fanjo/painful back/ridiculous inner thigh pain. I'm 9weeks pregnant and am settling in for the long haul.

I have to confess I'm feeling a tad emotional that the pain is ALREADY here again but at least I'm better prepared this time! Last preg was spent flipping between teeth-gritted stoicism and hysterical wailing tears. No fun for anyone!

Taking enormous doses of codeine and hobbling around on crutches is something I'd like to avoid this time round so I'm going in all guns blazing for a consultant led care plan, pain clinic appointments and physio ASAP.

Anyone is welcome to join me!

hiviolet - I think I probably had problems too, consistently sore SI joint on one side and problems with the outside of my left leg which would get v tight. I wanted to get it sorted after my mc last year but it proved too emotional explaining the situation and I have up. I went to see someone on the Pelvic Partnership list of therapists. They'll email it to you if you contact them. It's a list of people whom other women have found helpful with PGP. I've only had the one session, which did seem to help, but will go back again I think.

em phone MW or GP for Physio referral

hiviolet had an Osteo post birth last time v good.

Sorry too knackered to post properly

NAR4 - I feel a bit freaked out by the physio saying placenta previa was a problem for manipulation. I haven't got it but do worry a lot about whether the osteopathy is safe. It seemed very gentle - just moving the joints around but I am a bit paranoid I think.

I haven't found anyone who will do manipulation while I'm pregnant.

I agree, chocolate, you are doing the right thing. I felt mega guilty going off sick, but getting to work then fighting pain all day is not good for you or the baby and will only make things worse for you. X

Hi procrastinating, I got my first symptoms at 12 weeks and this is my first and ONLY!

Has anyone else had SPD come and go? Because mine is weird - it gets worse and worse for days, then eases off, then gets worse again. Today I walked to the polling station, slowly and feeling sore but not too bad, but last week walking to the end of the drive (about 10m) left me feeling like wild horses were ripping my legs off in different directions. I mean, I'm glad it's not always awful, but it's strange, and it doesn't seem to be related to how much activity I do, it's kind of random.

rosamarina I have that. Mine seemed to be getting worse for weeks and then over the last fortnight has eased up a lot. I don't think I've been doing anything differently, although I have been walking (slowly) more and maybe have been a bit more active and less tired. I think tiredness and hunger make it a lot worse for me.

Mine seems to depend on baby's position. Started the day almost pain free after being in agony last night. Didn't last long but have had a much better day. Baby was all over last night and my bump
Is smaller today so think its got in a better position.

Baby position - oh, I hadn't thought of that, but yeah, that would make sense.

Of course, today has got off to a WONDERFUL start when DS1 left some plastic on the kitchen floor and I skidded on it and practically did the splits. Oh my God did that hurt. And since I was feeling okay yesterday I decided that I wouldn't do online supermarket shopping, and now it's too late to order stuff for today, so going to have to trudge round Sainsburys anyhow.

roamarina my heart goes out to you. Just the thought of trudging around Sainsburys doing the food shopping, makes me want to cry. Can you do a really mini shop, to tide you over and then do the rest on-line?

How did our grandparents manage SPD, with no cars and having to walk to and from the shops (not even supermarkets) probably several times a week? Thank goodness for internet shopping I say.

Definitely comes and goes but definitely related to how far I've walked (or tried to). At 25 weeks I thought I was going to have to start mat leave early, but over 2 days something must have moved cause I have been mostly fine since then apart from twinges. But I am walking way less in general :(

Oh yes, too many stairs causes problems Four story house was a really bad decision am stuck on ground floor at work and can't really do any visits.
I got the bus instead of the 5 min walk the other day too :( its so frustrating.

I think the intensity of pain varies because some pain is result of inflamed joints. As the swelling goes down, you feel a bit better.

bling I find that. And also that my muscles get very tight all around there. If I can stop and stretch for a while often the pain improves, and the joint pain seems a bit relieved too. The other times I didn't stretch as I was so worried about doing 'the wrong thing' but this time I noticed it made a difference and so it seems more manageable.

Have finally been diagnosed with spd at 34 weeks. Have seen a chiropractor a couple of times, and there was an improvement, but this weekend is back to as bad as ever, and I'm so constantly sore. Sacrum is achey, my pelvis is killing me, and I have pain down the fronts and insides of my thighs :( I can barely walk, and getting up to do so from sitting is awful.

Luckily I have private healthcare through work so I can have up to 10 sessions with the chiropractor, which should take me to birth, but even though I'm in a desk job, I don't know how I'll manage another 4 weeks at work.

I was told yesterday that there's a Physio specialising in women at my local hospital and they see you after you've given birth. She's been doing this for years. I had dd3 2 years ago. Had Physio before and after with a general Physio. So almost 2 years worth then one visit a month ago with this pregnancy. No one has mentioned a specialist before.

Hi all am sufferer horrifically. finally managed to get some codiene off the Dr which has at least helped me sleep a bit sore

crutches don't seem to help me so i spoke to my physio and am now being referred to an anethetist for pain relief injections.

Feeling pretty sorry for myself, have officially been diagnosed with pgp and sciatica.

Bloody phone adding words in, sorry if i make no sense!!

Has anyone got painfully sore ribs, I'm actually in agony, my whole rib cage front and back, not able to sleep? It hurts everywhere (feel like a bit of a wimp but it does).

Wish I had helpful advice but am just dropping in to say sympathies to everyone suffering and hope you've had relatively pain-free weekends.

Second the thing about it coming and going - I did nothing all day y'day and have woken up this morning in pain with soreness all down the hip I barely slept on.

philbee I like you have been v cautious of stretching and things but on balance do you find it really does help? I have an ante-natal yoga dvd that I have found helpful (and v gentle) prior to getting the PGP problem but do you think it is a good/bad idea to try it? I remember things in it like lunges that I am not sure would be a good idea. But maybe the gentle stretches...?

REALLY bad day today. Barely shuffling with the crutches. Came home from work early. Trying to get cases sorted for handover/closure in case I go off now. Can't get GP appt until Thursday though. V rate for our GPs that so they must have something on or a mass outbreak of something!

Supposed to be going to Ikea on Friday while I still could manage enough with crutches, dh is now looking up wheelchairs

Hoping it's a bad day rather than sudden deterioration,

Have you tried icing your spine right at the very bottom? 15 minutes at a time, 3 times a day? It can't hurt and it might help with any swelling.

I dread being pregnant again. I saw a chiro weekly at least. Cost A fortune but I think it kept me out of a wheelchair.

emeraldgirl - I haven't tried a yoga DVD. I've been to a few pregnancy yoga classes which were quite gentle but always found by the evening that it had been a bit much. So not sure about the DVD, and lunges would definitely be out for me. I do some v gentle yoga at home, really careful poses, and I also have just experimented with stretching my back, legs etc. very gently and found that those things help. I can still sit cross legged and do that on the floor which I find helps too, but I know that's not comfortable for everyone. Not v helpful, sorry. Could you experiment with very gentle stretches and see if it helps? I think because I'd been doing it before I got pg it was less nerve wracking than starting anew.

Re yesterday-Woke up today with v little pain. Bit achy now I'm moving but I can stand without crutches. Must have been another blip.
V relieved!