Is it spd???

[rachel170]

Hi. I'm new here but have been reading the spd threads with great interest. I'm 31 weeks with my 4th child. Had a few niggles etc with my first three but nothing like what I am getting with this one. I started off just feeling really ill and drained in the first few months, luckily was only sick a few times, just felt really rough.
At around 20 weeks, I started to get alot of pelvis and back discomfort. It kind of crept up on me over the following weeks, slowly getting worse, but only at certain times. At the begining I could clean the house but a five minute walk to the school had me doubled up in pain.
At around 25 weeks (the weeks have all become a bit of a blur now lol), I phoned my doctors and spoke to a midwife I've never met and was told I had SPD and that I just had to get on with it, normal in pregnancy, would probably get worse, but I didn't need to be seen by anyone, and pretty much tough luck!
So I took her at her word and tried to get on with it but it started getting worse, i couldn't sleep and going to bed had become a complete nightmare as even if I wasn't in pain I was so restless I couldn't get comfortable. so eventually I phoned my maternity department and was told to go to the docs and speak to a different midwife and get a referal for physio.
The doctor gave me codeine, then called me to say I had a different prescription (as codeine wasn't safe) for dihydracodeine. Confusing... they both contain codeine lol! I got a referal within a week for physio, which was useless really.
Now at 31 weeks, I still can't sleep, although the pain seems to be under control and not getting any worse. In fact I would say the pain has probably eased off. However, I can't sit or stand for more than a few minutes without needing to move, it's almost like little electric shocks going through my body so that I can't keep still. A very hard feeling to describe as it's not painful, just very uncomfortable. I have gone weeks without sleeping properly, but this week I did 3 days with probably only about 5 hours in total. So last night I was very, very bad. I took 1000mg of paracetamol. 60g of codeine and 30g of dihydracodeine at midnight before going to bed. Unsurprisingly I was asleep in no time. I woke at 3am for the loo and went back to sleep fairly easily, although I woke every hour or so I was able to doze off again and stayed in bed till 9!
I know it was not a good a thing to do but I was so desperate for sleep.

Although I have been told I'm suffering with SPD, I'm not completely convinced and was wondering if anyone has suffered similar to me? And if anyone has any advice to offer.

Apologies for the lengthy post but was trying to get everything in x

Poor you, it sounds awful. I have suffered from SPD in this pregnancy (now 26 weeks) and in my previous one and have been putting off going to the physio as last time the assessment made it worse. My symptoms include toothache feeling in groin, right at the front, which can be grumbling or flare up, especially if I spend a lot of time sitting leaning forward (eg writing at a table or typing at work); shooting pains running down my buttocks and thigh, sometimes seeming to settle in my knee, which can cause me to limp and stumble; occasional lower back ache; clicking sensation/sound in my pelvis - had to give up heels very quickly, by about 10 weeks this time around. Does that sound like you?

My best advice for sleeping is to get a pregnancy pillow. DH got me one - it's a 6 foot body pillow and it is sheer bliss. You sort of cuddle into it on your side, it supports bump and top leg. My sleeping has really improved after getting it. It's fatter than a normal pillow so it gives you better leg support - I had been trying with two pillows stacked up, but they just slid apart in the night. I also found that having my own duvet helped, weirdly - still sharing the bed with DH but being able to wrap myself up and regulate my own body temperature. I seem to overheat rapidly when sharing a duvet at the moment. Also, the pillow takes up quite a bit of space, so you need extra duvet to stop draughts getting in.

Other advice I've been given is to maintain ladylike posture (ie, legs together) at all times, particularly when getting out of the car, rolling over in bed, etc etc. Swimming breaststroke is a no-no - may not hurt at the time but will be agony later on. Pelvic floor exercises are supposed to help but I'm a bit crap at remembering to do them. You are also supposed to sit with your bum higher than your knees if possible - sit on a pillow or something if need be, or on a yoga ball.

Hope this helps a bit.

SPD is miserable(33wks and it gets a bit worse everyday!)
Careful on the codeine, It is an addictive opiate based medication and should only really be used for unbearable pain
Ditto all of turtledoves advice really, also make sure its on your birth notes/plan as some birth positions can make it much worse/cause you damage that you may not feel at the time. As far as I know I does go away after you've had LO but when can be different for everyone.

34 weeks pg here and I can relate to a lot of what you're describing especially the restlessness at night and bone pain (to me feels like i have a thorne stuck in my vulva) which make for a bad combination when you're trying to sleep. Midwife says it's SPD but I've declined the physio because if i have a spare hour I would rather rest than travel back and forth to the hospital for what may not even work. I fine it gets better if I wear a support band under the bump and gets worse depending on baby's position as well as how much I walk or strain myself. So miserable, I know

Thanks for all the advice. Luckily this will be my last pregnancy as I don't think I could go through this again. Nothing seems to work. However my OH gave me a massage last night as my back was bad, and not sure what he did but there was a crack and I felt loads better. He is refusing to massage my back again now lol!