Bad hip/back/pelvic pain

[Secondsop]

Hello all. I'm 27 weeks tomorrow and have, in the past 2 days, got excruciatingly bad pain in my hips, lower back and sometimes pelvis. Before this I had a bit of what I suspect was SPD on the front of my pelvis on the left side, but now the pain is different and all round me.

The doctor is doing an urgent referral to a physio and checking there's no urine infection, and has signed me off work and told me to rest, and to take paracetamol and use deep heat and hot water bottles. I'm doing all of this. But the pain is still so severe and constant that I've been rendered virtually immobile; it's all I can do to walk a few steps from bed to loo. it is unbearably painful to stand, to sit, to walk and to lie down! Although lying down is the least-worst position, it's a trial to move around or to get myself up for the loo. I've ordered one of those big curved pillows to try to make sleep more comfy.

Has anyone else had this, and do you have any tips at all for managing the pain, and for getting myself mobile again? I am desperate not to be bedridden for the rest of the pregnancy!

You poor thing! I'm in a similar situation - 27 weeks and I've just been diagnosed and signed off with SPD. It's absolutely agonising, but fortunately is for me is just coming and going at the moment, so I do get breaks from the pain. I've found a chiropractor has helped, in addition to the physio. I've just got a support belt which also helps a bit, and I use a stick to move around - I try to do this even when the pain is not severe.

The best position for me in terms of pain relief seems to be on all fours - not ideal for long-term relief, but a welcome break from the agony as it takes the pressure off my pelvis.

The physio has also recommended to me that my husband very lightly massages my thighs to loosen some of the tension in my legs and pelvis - I think the pain makes you tense, which ultimately adds to the feelings of discomfort.

Also, my GP has said I can take co-codamol. Makes me feel a bit sick and woozy, but better than the pain. Might be worth checking with your GP if you can do this, too.

Hope it gets better and your physio referral comes through soon. :)

Thank you skellig - sorry to hear that you are going through it too! Will ask my husband to try the massaging. The doctor said that the physio may recommend a belt for me. I've got an appointment with the obstetrician next week so will ask them then about any other pain relief.

Thanks for the tip about all fours - strikes me that would also be a useful intermediate position for getting in/out of bed without straining the bits that hurt.