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!

can you not be induced & have a water birth? That might be my grand plan scuppered then!

no idea about induction other than I don't want one! Unless I get to 14 days overdue when I might change my mind!
Suspect it depends on whether the induction works and you start having a nice boring labour (so water fine) or if they want closer consultant involvement - no pools in the consultant unit at my hospital or others I know.

I'd have a chat with your MW about options where you are.

i was induced last time round, the pain & lack of sleep was too much. I found the worst bit was lying still after the gel was 'put in' after that the labour was fairly quick & simple so hopfully I'll be ok.
As predicted the physio has given me crutches & a belt but she was actually quite helpful. The best advice was a pillow 1/2 under your bum to tilt you forward & a rolled up towel in the small of your back. Really helps when sitting. She's also getting me a perching stool & monkey bar from OT. So things are looking up here.

Hello....thought I'd add my 2 penn'orth!
First baby, VERY planned (almost regimentally so!) and really not enjoying the whole experience so far. Had mega dizziness, breathlessness and fainting expisodes from week 5-12. Then got told I was anaemic and got put on ferrous sulphate tablets which made me feel horrific so came off them again. Then was ok apart from being tired until about 18 weeks when walking suddenly got more difficult and stairs became a nightmare. Rang a midwife and the GP who said it was 'stretching.' A week later I went to triage as was so sore and waddling like a duck, to be told I had SPD which I had never heard of. By week 21 I had been signed off work (by a very unsympathetic GP who had to have a letter from the consultant obstetrician to actually write the sick note!) as couldn't even do the walk to the station, never mind my nursing job. Referred to a specialist physio who was USELESS, and basically said that once I had to use crutches there was nothing she could do. Started using the crutches around 25 weeks for anything out of the house, and also seeing a private osteopath who has a specialist interest in SPD....who has been BRILLIANT. Pain by no means goes, but I do get some relief for a few days after seeing her. £44 once a week isn't cheap but desperate times and all that!

Am now 33 weeks and wishing the time away. Am allergic to codeine and paracetamol does nothing, so my pain relief options have pretty much been ice packs and a TENS machine...both of which take the edge off but thats really all. Due to a BMI of 36 and a previous gastric bypass, my hospital and consultant will not allow a water birth (doubt I'd manage to get in the pool anyway with the SPD!) but have said they will consider sweeps from 37 weeks and possible induction from 39.

SO miserable with this balsted pain, and SO bored from being stuck indoors. Feel like a lot of friends have deserted me as I can't get out of the house to meet them, and haven;t heard from so called 'closest friends' for months.

Husband is being incredible, so supportive and understanding despite the constant moaning and non stop 'pyjama days!'

Also have a hacking, honking cough at the mo which is not helping the mood or the sleep deprivation but husband will not hear of me sleeping in spare room.

Sorry...Rant over :)

Happy New Year all!
Does anyone else find that their SPD/ PGP can fluctuate? A week or so ago I was at my worst- my parents arrived to visit me in NZ and were greeted with sight of me hobbling around. Walking and getting up/ out of cars etc- the usual- were all really quite hard. Mainly the ol' kicked in undercarriage/ band of pressure along pubic bone area along with one sided groin pain that gave me the hobble/ waddle. But a couple of days ago this groin/ leg pain just, er, went.. The other stuff remains but with walking being easier again it doesn't feel so bad.
I guess I'm just asking if other people find things can come and go a bit? I read someone saying that SPD doesn't tend to do that but I don't think that's quite true is it?
Obv am not complaining.. But just a bit curious.
Back to Blighty soon! And gather it's a bit windy..

Hello SPD sufferers.

Thought you might want to hear from an SPD survivor. I was induced at 39 weeks because of severe SPD pain (I was more or less housebound). Labour wasn't great, but the SPD pain stopped as soon as the baby was out. It's been a long haul, but I'm more or less back to normal two years on, with only the odd twinge of pain and only when I've either done a lot of walking or have worn heels.

Good luck to you all. I've been there, it's bloody painful and nobody seems to know about it. So fight for your right to see a physio and have an early delivery if that's what you need.

Hello Ladies!

I'm new 2 Mumsnet and joined really because of SPD.

I am 21 weeks pregnant, and it constant pain, like contractions. This is my 4th pregnancy, I have had SPD in all after a a vaginal delivery of a 9lb 13 ounce baby in 2006. I am a size 6-8 and my pelvis has suffered incredibly.

I had a little girl who I carried to 29 week and then she passed away, I had SPD with her and I did carry more weight than my boys not sure if that contributed. Got pregnant again with a boy and carried to term, on crutches, gritting my teeth, legs, and poor privates that were killing all the way, had SPD from about 16 weeks with him and was immobile from 28 weeks.

Had a very unsympathetic MD was induced and that was agony, they left me for 2 days in labour when I could not even walk, or sit straight because of SPD pain, so all round a bad experience (again) but a healthy 8lb 13once boy at 39 weeks by c-section, I was pleased the SPD vanished and after 6 weeks I was up abut and healthy!

SO, I am 2 and half years on and decided to try for one more baby, I always had that brooding feeling and I didn't want to regret.

WELL! I am pregnant with another gorgeous boy I am SO happy, but my body has failed, I was at the gym, fit, active, eating right, I don't smoke so I never imagined it would come on at 5 weeks and cripple me...I am depressed, I have 2 kids to care for, codine is not touching the pain, and I feel lost. I don't want to regret this baby but I do feel silly now my body has packed up I am struggling to keep a lid on things.

I didn't want to write SO much lol, but I feel like this time, after so many SPD episodes that the pubic bone has separated, I have a whole host of new symptoms, my knees feeling they are falling off, my wrists, ankles and back are cracking and popping, and the pelvis itself and every little joint, muscle, and tendon is hurting, 100% of the time. I am also hyper-flexable, so I think this and larger babies adds to the mix. I have NO help, I have applied for DLA but am dubious although it will last for longer than 6 months so I pray for a miracle as I need to put my youngest in full time nursery.

I wonder if this time, I have damaged myself, and I feel selfish for having another child, because I cannot cope with my own kids, shopping, nothing normal x I really, appreciate the other stories shared and send some positive vibes 2 you all, I wish you all the best and for most of us, the pain has a timescale and end in sight. For those that the SPD had continued get an X-ray, your pelvis may have come completely apart and it ca only been seen my X-ray, this is certainly possible in long term issues with childbearing Women xx

Welcome newbies!

I had my appointment with the physio yesterday. She seemed very knowledgable about the problem. Mentioned the possibility of a support belt but as a last resort.

She told me to sit on a birthing ball a lot as this is better for your pelvis than sitting on the sofa (new thread title anyone?!) and gave me some exercises - pelvic tilts and lumbar rolls - to do to help relieve the symptoms and realign the pelvic ligaments. Also to do as little weight bearing exercise as possible for a couple of weeks to allow the inflammation to go down. She recommended swimming but preferably not on front and certainly not breast stroke. She also advised me not to cross my legs but to keep my knees together.

So today, my back has been fine (most of my pain has been in SIJ's so far) but suddenly my pubic / crotch area is much more painful! Maybe I'm taking her advice to keep my knees together a bit too literally and I'm squeezing too hard. I'll try keeping my knees at shoulder width distance I think - it feels more natural.

Pillow at night - I've found a normal head pillow the most comfortable for between my legs.

I'm hoping for a home birth and want to hire a birthing pool.

Hope you're all having a good week with as little pain as possible.

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and am currently pregnant with my second child. Had SPD with 1st pregnancy, ended up on crutches and the hospital and doctors still let me go 2 weeks overdue! Gave birth naturally to my daughter. I'm experiencing all the usual SPD pains aswell as new ones that I never had last time. This time I'm having issues with sitting on hard surfaces (the toilet being the worst) and dead legs. I have my group physio session on friday and I'm hoping for some answers in relation to this new pain. Does anyone else have it? I'm 18 weeks along.

Hope you are all well and not having to much pain

Is there room for one more on the sofa???

I'm 30 weeks along and at my recent MW appointment explained the pain I was having - she says she thinks it's SPD. I've had back and hip pain from the start, once that settled down I was diagnosed with a hernia behind my belly button which has meant I've been housebound on and off since around 10 weeks in. Foolishly I thought my health was turning a corner and could I actually enjoy the last 10 weeks.......apparently not!!!!

I'm currently still mobile most of the time and I finish work soon (thank god) the pain is like someone sticking a hot poker into my groin/pubic bone.......which I'm sure you ladies know can make you feel sick at times. I have every sympathy for all of you who can barely leave the home and can't get around. I will have to ring in and sort out a referral as I will not be able to cope with this for another 10 weeks.

Hi to all the newbies, sorry you're having a rough time.

bushymcbush it's interesting she said a support belt was a last resort, it's the first thing they do in my neck of the woods. Mine makes a huge differance.

Nursee007 you sound like a woman after my own heart, I love a bit of planning

For all of you getting siatic, leg & bum pain it's all realated! There are so many muscles & ligaments in the groin area you can end up with the weirdest pains. Most common are groin, inside of thighs, bum right down leg & hip pain. Not to mention backs. It's really worth finding a private practisioner who can treat you during pregnancy ( I didn't 1st time, it's making a world of differance) Good luck.

I had OT round yesterday, they're going to get me some equipment to help me around the house. She was so helpful I could of cried, why I wasn't refered last time is a mystery. I was refered by my physio, it's worth doing for those of you struggling.

Any babies yet???

Saw physio again yesterday - she concluded that as I'm 35 weeks most of my problems are now down to bump+SPD rather than just SPD, so all she could suggest was keep up with the exercises, sit on a exercise ball as much as possible rather than any hard chair, and hold onto something if I need to bend to the floor (training ds to pick things up for me isn't working well!)

Will try support belt for the walk to nursery tonight. At least it's OK weather so the fact that a under-10-min-walk now takes half an hour isn't such a problem.

bushy - keeping your knees together means act like a celeb getting into a car etc, don't separate them more than 6 in max, but don't hold them together. Walking from the knees downwards helps hugely, but it's avoiding turning on the spot and separating your legs that really helps.

Is it too late to join? Am 38 weeks (having planned c section next week due to breach) with really bad pgp . Am basically bed/house bound as have such bad hip/bum pain on one side . Cant sit or walk/Stand for long.

This is second pregnancy and didn't have it in first pregnancy except for some niggles after birth which exercise/osteopath sorted. Pain in hip/thigh slowly got worse over this pregnancy -support belt and physio managed it til got to 34 weeks then pain and swelling (of hip/bum muscle - so bad hospital even checked there was no blood clot) kicked in.
Am feeling lonely sore and isolated (all Xmas plans curtailed as house bound) and really worried about how I will cope with newborn if this Doesnt ease up.

Hi Gigondas,

Sorry to hear you're suffering, when I had it first time it did clear up to the point that I didn't really notice it anymore. It still came and went but no where near as bad. I did have problems with my back and my hip disaligned a few times - make sure you are referred to a physio as soon as you get out of hospital, they told me I had to see one but I never got referred!

I hope that you are not in too much pain.

Thanks Wendy- have already spoken to hospital about referral (I am under consultant care and he is quite sympathetic). I am just worried about magic mix of c section recovery , pgp and newborn.
Although last time was milder Pilates /osteopath did seem to sort it out as has no issues for 3 years basically before I fell pregnant .

Hi everyone, i am really in need of some advice, had DC1 4 yrs ago, had really awful spd with that pregnancy from 20 wks, had depression because of the pain, and it never went away completely, have had physio on and off, been on tramadol, codeine, amitriptylne (sp) because of the pain.

Im now 12 weeks, and am currently signed off for 2 weeks for back pain, and am currently taking codeine 3x a day, doctor doesn't want me to take too much as she is worried about the limit not being enough when i really need it later on.
But i have just walked 15 mins to the shops and back and am in complete agony, i was semi waddling, limping, my gait is all wrong and am really stiff if i lay or sit down for more than 30 mins a time.

Sleeping is awful, i basically sleep downstairs propped up but still am really uncomfortable, i have a body pillow that helps in bed sometimes, but not a lot.
I've got pubis pain, hip pain, back and nerve pain in my bum cheek, and now inner thigh pain, sometimes when i move i can feel crunching/popping etc and im so sore, im getting down again especially after this trip to the shops.

I just wanted to ask how many of you ladies have been signed off until maternity kicks in etc, and when you started it.
I am considering asking for my hours to be cut quite a lot so i can cope physicaly, as i really think i need crutches already tbh.

Hi OTT, just a quick one - I've been off work almost all the time since start of July, but not all SPD. I'm 35wks now. Are you seeing an obstetric physio?

Hi, can I join? I saw this thread a while ago, but it's taken me ages to read it all.

One thing I'm wondering is I've seen advice about walking & exercise, and I wonder, um, how? I'm now 29+6 (first pregnancy), and I've had SPD since around 16 weeks. Until about 24 weeks it was mild, but even then I found I was in a great deal more pain if I walked a lot, and especially if I did things like take long strides (which I've seen recommended). I'm convinced it was over-walking that lead to my current state, as the day after trying to keep up with two tall, male colleagues in a walk across a wind-blown town, I woke up with severe pubic pain. And since then it's only gotten worse, and the more I walk, the worse it seems to be. Also, I can't even walk unaided--I'm using a walking stick now, and barely move faster than a crawl (actually, having seen some friends' crawling babies, I'd say I'm moving way slower than a crawl...). I did a test-walk to the bus stop last weekend, and a trip that used to take me 5 mins took 30. I turned around to come back, but after another 10 mins just couldn't walk any further and had to send DH home to get the car and drive me the remaining blocks!

I'm really terrified of making things worseI'm kicking myself now for not mentioning that windy day that I'm pregnant and could they please slow down. I'm currently planning to work through 37+2, and I don't really have the option of signing off early. I'm the wage-earner in our household, so I'm only taking the 16 weeks full pay leave they offerand I'm now within the 11 week window where any pregnancy-related health issues needing time off will trigger the start of maternity leave, which would be a disaster (and lose me the 2.5 weeks holiday I'm planning to take at the start--I'm actually starting ML on the due date and preceding it with accumulated annual leave, which I'd lose otherwise, as ML 'resets' that). The good thing is my colleagues have all been really helpful, doing things like carrying my bag to my office for me, and someone is even coming in today to be my 'legs', and on a Saturday, too! DH has also been wonderful, but he's now going to have to ask for an extension or leave of absence from his studies as he has to spend so much time taking care of me, which means it will be even longer before he has hope of bringing in an income and making sure I can keep working is that much more important.

Wow, I didn't mean to go on for so long, but the one other thing I was wondering is does anyone else feel so helpless? I just hate not being able to do things. I'm so used to being physically capable, and when I need help with little things like closing the car door (just can't do it, the twisting motion hurts way too much), I feel so dependent on others and scared about what happens if I get stuck somewhere on my own. Then the maternity belt, which helps a lot, but it makes me feel like I'm 'tied up' and that combined with difficulty moving, especially getting off a sofa or a bed, makes me feel constrained and trapped, and sometimes I feel like panicking like I'm being held down by someone, but it's just my own body. Does anyone else feel like this?

Ladies, help, firstly this is my first post!! Secondly, i think i may have SPD, at least a touch of it, i cant decide if I have or not, from the posts above it sounds like its screaming obviously when you do, i have the following...difficultly turning in the night, stabbing pain in one butt cheek and i feel like ive been doing the splits, its not death defying pain i just ache alot in my pelvic bones.

We have been walking a fair amount so i get some excersise, but I sit down at my job all day and its aching alot!

Have i just got regular aches or could it be the beginnings of SPD? i am currently 26 weeks- first baby!

Thanks

x

Sounds like could be beginning. My started as a bit of an ache in hips , then was uncomfy to sit on hard chairs as Hurt my bum and build up to full on swollen/spasm muscle on my buttock/hip and round into my groin so trouble moving, walking etc and in a lot of pain.
I would get physio referral as exercise/support belt did keep things manageable til about 34 weeks.

This is my first time on mumsnet and I am so happy to find so much information on SPD! I am 30 weeks pregnant and have had it since approximately 20 weeks. At first, it was diagnosed as sciatica but after speaking to a midwife friend and persisting when I went to my appointments, was told that it was SPD. This is my first child and have never had any problems with pelvis / back before so has been a real shock. Was signed off for a week of total bed rest last week as now can't even stand or sit by myself and pain is so bad. I have a job that is very demanding and find out tomorrow if I can go back or will need to start maternity early. Have found some of the above advice really helpful so thank you all. Sending you all lots of love x

Hello all, I would like to join your sofa please (the one I have is bloody uncomfortable in present situation)?

I am 25 weeks today and my suspected (by me) SPD has been getting slowly worse to the extent that last night I was almost in tears in bed. It pretty much manifests itself as a pain 'down there' right in the middle, I've been waddling when I walk for a few weeks now too. I notice it is worse on days when I have walked a lot, a 10 minute walk each way to the bus stop and a wander round the shops is enough to make me very uncomfortable come evening.

I asked the GP about it pre-Christmas and she referred me to an obstetric physio. I got my appointment yesterday, it is for the 24th January and it's a group appt - WTF?

The letter says it will be "A small informal group of 6-8 ladies who have similar problems to yourself and led by a female physiotherapist experienced in Women's Health.

In the group we will discuss the causes of pelvic pain and back pain in pregnancy including activities which may be worsening your symptoms.

You will also be taught some simple exercises to help the pain and advice to help yourself."

Is it me or does this sounds more like a sodding focus group than a proper medical appointment? (Sorry, pain making me angry today)

I've phoned a local osteopath that I saw a year ago for some neck pain and he is going to see me on Thursday, I'm hoping that something literally more 'hands on' might help! I don't know how often I'll be able to afford to go though...

DH has ordered me a birthing ball, so I'll be joining the gang there too!

Any more helpful advice would be much appreciated. I'm dreading the day when I seize up entirely...

I am 7 weeks pregnant with my 4th. Already I have some pubic bone and groin pain.

So frickin unbelievable!

First two babies no SPD at all. My third it started at about 20 weeks. Didn't know what it was and didn't want to seem like some moaning woman so just kept it to myself. Had to give birth standing up with my legs together. Unreal. Could not sit on a birth ball for anything, so painful to open my hips even that tiny bit to do so. Could not drive (using foot pedals, agony). Getting up the stairs made me cry.

After birth, literally it vanished within a couple of days.

Now, nearly four years on, I have to admit I forgot about the SPD when considering whether or not to have another baby.

Feel sort of sick thinking about it, and anxious. My dh is out of the house about 12 hours a day, I have a bouncy lab pup to walk and three other children to care for. Really worried.

Will be trying to have treatment, massage, cranial and anything else I can, even if I have to spend a fortune every week. Anything not to have this again!!! Shit. So annoying.

Hi everyone, room for a little (ha, who am I trying to kid?!) one on the sofa?
PG #4, 25 wks and SORE :( haven't had SPD before, although I found it hard when DS2 was 11 days late 18months ago
Miko - I have to say I'd come to your group support thing with you, sounds more use than my physio last week - gave me an elastic belt and told me it would clear up when baby arrives - glad my friend has had severe SPD cos she's been far more help than the NHS! Seeing a chirporactor in Feb (after payday :()