SPD!

[pinkhalf]

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and have had SPD since about 22 weeks in. First child and never had any problems with health before but this is terrible.

Last week went back to work and had to take more and more time off for back ache and the SPD. For three days last week I was completely incapicitated and couldn't get out of bed. This week my boss approached me and said basically that she didn't think I was fit to work in the office anymore. I know she is right. My husband agrees. I can't even bear to walk to the bus stop in the morning but I thought I would push through it by going slowly. In truth I'm going nowhere and I can't even sit in an office chair without pain. It is getting much worse and basically I am lying down every day and now doing nothing. That is okay but its not much of a life. I can't walk. I have seen a physio but its not doing much for me.

The only issue is my actual birth. This really hurts. I can't imagine having to give birth naturally with this pain already there.

My midwife is lovely and is very enthusiastic about natural birth. I was too, until this pain started to occur and I have hypermobility in my joints (double jointedness) which is making the SPD worse and now I am told that this may mean it would persist afterwards. I am now getting very scared that if I do this naturally I may really do some damage to myself which will be permanent after the birth and the SPD may not go away.

I have done a 360 from wanting a natural birth at home to wanting a caesarian section. Can I insist on one? I am just doing the whole NCT thing and now feel like a failure before I've even started. Yet I don't want to be crippled by SPD for years.

If you can possibly afford it, see a chiropractor with experience in pregnancy. I was in your position and got an appointment the day after I stopped work, I was absolutely fine in 2 weeks.
You might also want to look at the Pelvic Partnership website for tips for birth. Generally epidurals are a concern, as it is easy for people to move your legs into positions that overextend your pelvis, and you can't feel it hurting to stop it. A c-sec will damage the muscles in your lower abs that support the pelvis, and is not likely to improve your speed of recovery. The good news is your pelvis should open up really well for VB.
If you are set on csection, talk to your midwife about it. There is no shame on going down that route. You haven't failed, you have made a whole new person, getting them out is just a small part of the story, you have years ahead with them after that.

Pinkhalf,

You have my sympathies as I had bad SPD/PGP in both my previous pregnancies which continued after the birth. Not as badly but yes I felt a bit "crippled" for some time after, perhaps not years though. I also had two sections the first partly as I was in such pain. However I then had the pain of the SPD and the section pain so if it might carry on afterwards its worth bearing in mind. Of course there are a lot more painkillers you can take post birth which make a huge difference.

It made both my pregnancies very unpleasant experiences and I am now unexpectedly pregnant with my 3rd! I am only 6 weeks but know the symptoms are coming on already so have lined up all the things I had wished I had known before.

As FutureNannyOgg says the pelvic partnership is a mine of information.

If you would like to PM me I'd be happy to pass on the info I've gathered over the years.

pinkhalf, I can tell you are really anxious I remember having exactly the same worries about the birth.

Obviously every experience will be different but maybe the following will help a bit...I suffered quite badly in my first pregnancy. I also have some hyper-mobility. I was not bed bound but every movement hurt, even just pressing the gas pedal in the car. I was also on crutches. I had some relief from an osteo for whom this was their specialist area, he REALLY helped. Then, true enough after the birth my SPD lingered (worse for a bit even) but I had help PP from a physio for whom this was his specialist area, I wish I had seen him in my pregnancy (I had been seeing the hospital obstetric physio but they were so busy it was few and far between). If I got preg again I would do all of the above, I would also use acupuncture. My body was very unstable, but now I believe misalignment made the pain all the worse, osteo's/some phsyio's can adjust your pelvis. Later in the pregnancy my baby must have dropped down and filled my pelvis wedging it altogether because at the end it didn't hurt so bad and my mobility was better, I had a normal delivery with only G&A.

I'm guessing you have a suitable pelvic belt from the hospital?

I feared having SPD for life, but at 10 months totally gone, I'm pretty sure this coincided with weaning and BF had perpetuated the pregnancy hormones that were in part the cause, something that I've only seen mentioned once or twice, but I'm certain in my case. I know this is miserable but try the help out there in the hope something will work for you, and try if you can to be positive it may not be so bad as you fear, certainly things were better than I had feared.

I am writing a birth plan and yesterday I realised I can't plan! So I got rather distressed and my sleep is ruined at the moment. I can't sleep normally (though I have the support pillows which help a bit). I think I was just upset that work told me that I should not do anymore - I suppose I must have been really bad for that to happen...

It is reassuring to just read this does happen to other people and that it goes away! I will look at the Pelvic Partnership, try and find an oestopath and go back to my doctor tomorrow. It was bad at 22 weeks, then again at about 28 weeks and at 32 it just arrived back and will not go away. I feel like I have been kicked in the groin and kicked in the back, all the time.

I have not got an official belt will ask my doctor. I used to be so active and now I am house bound, makes me sad. I just want someone to discuss the rammifications of this with me as I don't want to assume it will be okay. It looks like I have a lot of people telling me it is NOT.

pinkhalf, your words really take me back, it is miserable to have problems with mobility in your pregnancy. I remember it well! But be positive, barely anyone is able to follow their birth plan, its' just something to aim for. I poured over mine, wanted all naturel etc then got induced and had a highly managed birth which saw me give birth in stirrups on my back!! Baaaaaaaaaaad for SPD but I didn't want assisted delivery and that was what was coming next.

One of my PP midwives was from another European country (germany??) and said they don't have birth plans their and she felt it was the best way, it is only something to aim for. I'm trying to bolster you here!! Be positive, take heart, very very very few women have lifelong issues PP with SPD. A friend who was in a wheel chair for most of her pregnancy was pain free after two weeks of giving birth (normal delivery again) this is the case for most. Find an good osteo (make sure they are experienced treating this, I saw one who was obviously petrified of manipulated a preg woman's body) and try a belt, and also have in mind that lots say SPD makes the pelvis open up more easily for birth and may even work in your favor, don't let this worry spoil your pregnancy, in all likelihood it will all be find and pass quickly with the delivery of your dc. All the best.