Effing SPD! Help me to cope!

[intergalacticwalrus]

Have developed SPD, and still have 18 weeks to go Have spent much of the last fortnight hobbling like an old woman in agony. I work as a music teacher, which involes lots of getting up and down, and also playing the cello, which involves spending much of the day with my legs open. (lucky me!!) I can't copw ith this for another 4 months!!!!!!!! I wish I could give up work, but unfortunatley, needs must and all that.

I have an appointment to see the MW in 2 weeks ( earliest I could get) and I'm not going to see the GP, as all the ones in our practice are scared by pg women, so I'll have to grin and bear it until then, when hopefully, I'll get some physio. In the meantime, I wonder if anyone could give me some tips on how to cope. I know keeping my knees together is one (maybe I should have done that 5 months ago!!) but otherwise, I haven't a clue!

get a bin liner in your car as it makes getting in and out easier as you slide.

when you sit, ( not with cello) then sit with your knees together and your feet in lines with your shoulders, helps stregnthen muscles.

have massages. i had them weekly and found they really helped.

after a cello lesson have a bath with 2 spoons of sugar in it. it helps naturally recover the muscles. ( as a dance teacher we advise this after any large class)

i dont know the age you teach, but if young perhaps choose a special helper for each class, and that person can get things for you etc to save you geting up and down, and then reward them with a choclate etc.

also if you can try sitting on a table. take a little step ( childs potty step or such like) and then you just step up and turn. i found this easier then getting up and down out of a chair.

ok too early, cant think of any more but will come back when i do.

Some resources \link{http://www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk/index2.html\here} too.

I really feel for you, i've got it too. Mine started at about 18 weeks, i'm now 30 weeks and i finally saw a physio yesterday! I got given a belt, but she also gave me a pair of crutches (DH LHAO at this!). Worse case of spd she has seen for months, apparently!! Lucky me!!
I don't think i will get much use out of the belt, as you can't sit down in it, and it really needs two of you to put it on, to get it tight enough, and i'm on my own during the week. But i used the crutches for the school run yesterday afternoon, and i could feel the difference straight away - no grating of bones and moving about!

No other practical help, amyjo has said it all, I find that a warm bath really helps, for a while, you just need to be careful getting in and out.

I got this with second pregnancy from 26wks I found getting out of bed, turning over in bed and going up and down the stairs impossible, especially with a toddler to deal with. My midwife told me that for some strange reason, pregnant women can self-refer to physio at our hospital. If you go through GP referral, by the time you get an appointment, you won't be pregnant any more (!) so you are allowed to walk in (or ring up I assume) and request an appointment ASAP.
Try it at your hospital - if you have to wait 2 weeks to see MW and then wait on while you are referred, you'll be in agony for ages and as my MW said, you may have had your baby before you even get to see anyone.
Good luck!

Thank you v much all. I'll bear it all in mind. I will bet to the mw, and if she says it'll take an age to get physio, I'll see if you can self refer.

I'll try not to sit with my cello poised when teaching, as that's a habit of mine. Grr, it's a bloody nightmare. The special helper thing won't really work, as the kids I teach are really little (I teach Jo Jingles classes) I'm just in the wrong job for SPD, I think!!!!!!!!!

hi. keep knees together when getting out of car and out of bed. walk upstairs sideways, one step at a time! don't give birth on your back if you can help it, or let them put you in stirrups unless absolutely necessary. could your doc not sign you off sick? the cello job sounds like a nightmare for an spd sufferer! sorry!!. ask your mw what pain killers you can take. ps. definately go for a water birth if you can, it really helped me with my spd. also, afterwards, if you are in hospital, ask them to lower your bed, it makes it easier to get in and out to pick up the baby.

Try swimming with a float between your legs to keep them together, you end up doing a sort doggy paddle or forward only breast stroke. WAter & swimming really really helped me in the final stages. Do not do breaststroke as obviously forces the legs apart and you will be agony afterwards.

Also, this might be blasphemy, BUT relaxin makes it worse so if it continues post-natally consider cutting down on the b-feeding. No-one told me this but when I finally weaned DS1 (at 11 months) things got a WHOLE lot better.