SPD and Exercise

[itsmyfirsteek]

I have SPD which is very ouchy! Its in the front which is very uinpleasant! Any tips in what exercise I could be doing? I'm 21 weeks. Thanks

I'm 23 weeks and have the same pain at the front. I have a physio appointment on Friday and will let you know afterwards what they suggest. I have been doing pregnancy yoga and my teacher said that in her experience yoga makes it better for some people and worse for others-it depends what kind of movement triggers it. She said she could modify the postures so if you are trying anything out I'd definitely recommend chosing a teacher who knows about SPD and can suggest what you should/shouldn't do. Sorry this isn't much help just now but just wanted to say I'm in the same boat (and sympathise!) and I'll update after physio.

Still have the SPD although haven't been pregnant for a very long time. My physio recommended sitting on an exercise ball and doing the cat posture in yoga. I now find that Pilates helps hugely, although I didn't start it until DTs were about six.

I walk a lot, and my GP gave me a support belt, which is a huge help during my walks (go about 4 miles 2x a week). I don't wear it otherwise, but it has helped me stay exercising!

I haven't found anything else that eases it. I'm 39 weeks.

cycling - seriously! i had spd from 14 weeks with my last pregnancy - i had planned to do a lot more walking than i did (and i did keep moving and doing some walking) but cycling was a god send for me.

also swimming (but NOT breaststroke), i.e. crawl, or breastroke arms with pullboy.

I'm still trying to work out what makes my spd better/worse. I think it's all about what triggers it for you, which may very well be different to someone else. Mine hurts my hip/buttock/back of pelvis.

I'm a previously v active person, so doing less is really getting me down. For me, it seems as bad on days when I'm completely sedentary as days when I'm out and about a lot. I think the trick for me is regular, moderate activity interspersed with rest.

Here's what works for me, or at least what doesn't hurt too much either during or after:

• Cycling (slowly, and not up hill)
• walking (again slowly, not up hill and not too much)
• swimming (front crawl, with one of those pull buoy floats between my legs, only bit that hurts a bit is pushing off wall after a tumble turn, less so from an open turn)

And what does hurt:

• sitting in a slumped or twisted position
• yoga (my osteopath advised being careful of this anyway)
• walking up stairs
• any weight-bearing on one leg

I had been doing Pilates regularly before and during pregnancy, but haven't tried it since my spd flared up - planning to try it later this week.

Good luck! It totally sucks and for me it's about finding a way of being active and mobile without making it worse. I've found osteo is helping - not totally curing it, but making it manageable.

Personally I find walking is not the cure-all everyone recommends in pregnancy. I am generally active but if I go for a reasonable length walk it really aggravates the pelvic pain. In my last pregnancy I walked a lot and got very bad sciatica and pelvic pain. I walked when I was in labour on the advice of the midwives, and completely exhausted myself. I found that in the delivery room what I really would have benefitted from was upper body strength and a better awareness of posture and breathing.
This time I go to pregnancy pilates and the teacher is very good at giving variations to avoid aggravating the pelvic pain - if you can find a good teacher I would recommend it. Her advice to minimise pain is always sit down to get dressed etc, avoid letting either leg cross over the mid-line of the body (eg crossing legs), and she says that gentle exercise will strengthen the supporting muscles to prevent pain so don't just stop doing anything, just don't continue to exercise if the pain increases.