Can you tell me your post birth experiences of SPD?

[HumphreyCobbler]

I am terribly relieved to have been booked in for my section in about ten days time. But it occurred to me last night that if my spd does not get substantially better as soon as the baby is born, breastfeeding is going to be a nightmare. I only have two positions I can get into in bed and getting there is an exercise in excruciating pain. Sitting up in bed is not an option, I just can't do it. Or turning over. I have to get out of bed and back in, it takes me several minutes. I have been told no painkillers at this stage except for paracetamol and this is not really helping. The only thing that has helped was Thumbwitch's brilliant osteopathic tip but sadly this has stopped working too now. Physio useless.

Even if it didn't go away immediately, did it get better?

The hospital have confirmed that they no longer give codeine to breastfeeding mothers post section, so pain relief is still an unknown factor.

I do whinge on and on, I am sorry

I had spd but not as bad as yours. I gave birth naturally and I think it's a good job you are having a section.

In all honesty in the first few days after the birth I thought my pelvis was broken but it did get better over time. I think giving birth made things much worse. Within a month it was fine. I didn't take too many pain killers and breastfeeding wasn't a problem (I was just sat on my arse so that didn't hurt).

With ds2 it was still bad 2 years after so I couldn't even ride a bike, I then somehow fractured my hip and it wasn't too bad whilst pregnant with ds3 but still a bit achey when I'm tired or have pushed the pushchair a lot.

Mine got worse and I had to crawl upstairs for a couple of weeks. But I breastfed lying down, luckily boobs were big enough I didn't have to change sides to feed with the other one, just laid differently.

It improved quite a bit after those two weeks though, enough to be without pain. But it felt endless in those early days and I seriously thought I would be permanently damaged.

But for some people it does go afterwards doesn't it.

Mine got better straight away both times, natural first birth, emergency c-sec 2nd birth. I then couldn't move because of the c-sec though! Had to feed lying down anyway though as the afterpains were too bad otherwise.

Good luck with everything.

I had SPD with all three of my pregnancies. It was particularly bad with DC3 last year and I have to say breastfeeding was a nightmare. For the first few months I could not lie on my side or sit up in bed to feed, I had to get up and go downstairs each time to sit in the sofa with a particular arrangement of cushions in order to be comfortable, and had to ask my husband to carry the baby down the stairs as my pelvic stability was so weak. DC3 had a tongue tie so maintaining latch was particularly difficult, I had to sit in the most uncomfortable position to feed him. The most frustrating thing was that the Physio I saw, though providing excellent support for my SPD, had no advice to give with regards to feeding. The HV I saw about the tongue-tie could only suggest a very uncomfortable position of slouching down in a chair in order to maintain latch which was obviously extremely uncomfortable with lower back/pelvis problems. There was no connection made between the two services IYKWIM. The good news is that with perseverance I was able to overcome initial hurdles and BF for 12 months. Sorry for the long post.

Just to add that the hospital Physio team offered hydrotherapy, group Pilates sessions and one to one Physio. Logistically it was challenging as couldn't take baby with me to these things but ultimately they made a huge difference to my pain and mobility. I would encourage you to take up any offer of post-natal Physio support or even, if funds allow, find a private Physio/Pilates instructor as it will make things better.

I have had it with all three. Immediately post birth there is a LOT of relief, and there are significant improvements over the following days.

Then the speed of the improvement slows down. Around six months out I still feel it if I overdo it.

By a year it is mostly gone, only showing up if I am doing something excessive like run for ten miles and then it's just more of a mild discomfort. The stress incontinence is a far bigger concern

Not everybody is that lucky though.

I have it bad in pregnancy also, perhaps not quite as bad as you as I could sit up. I cannot walk more than a hundred yards without being in lots of pain in the third trimester (it starts at the beginning of the second) so I use a wheelchair for trips to malls, supermarkets etc. I also can't roll over in bed very easily. I had osteopathic treatment with my last pregnancy which made it a little better, but ultimately it is just horrendous.

Never had any issues breastfeeding.. I haven't stopped breastfeeding children since I had my first 7 years ago now. I do have a very comfy reclining (electric) chair which I think probably helps a little, plus the pain being a lot better as well.

So sorry you are dealing with this. I am dreading that stage, I am nearly 14 weeks and already the pain has started again.

I've had 2 ELCS due to severe SPD and breast fed both babies. You sound similar to me - it's a bit of a logistical nightmare but you will be fine. Here's what helped me: straight after the c- section I felt an improvement. Before my section, I couldn't walk but 2 days after I managed a few steps. I had to buzz the MW to pick baby out of cot in hospital when I wanted to breast feed or change a nappy as I couldn't lean over. I had several thousand pillows supporting me. I couldn't lie on my side for about 6 months aftter the birth as my hips felt like they were broken In that position, but in bed at home I still used a thousand pillows, but got my husband to pull me up into the right position and pass the baby to me. Later I put a chair in our room which I was comfortable sitting in and used to feed baby in the night in it-again with an army of pillows.

The main thing to say is that baby not sitting on my hips anymore did make a difference to the excruciating pain, although it was three months before I could walk more normally and my pubic joint felt as though it was stable. I'm pleased to report that my SPD cleared completely in between pregnancies (physio really helped) and am now 20 weeks with DC3 so I wasn't put off the whole experience. I am just starting to feel the hideous pain again but am just focussing on January, baby coming out by ELCS and hips returning to normal!

Good luck and hope all goes well for you.xx

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.

I AM still able to walk, although in a lot of pain, it is shifting about in bed that is impossible. My previous experiences of early breastfeeding have been of lying down feeding constantly, propped up on pillows feeding constantly etc. I suppose I just have to plan for things being different this time. Maybe I will be one of the lucky ones who notice a real difference afterwards!

I really feel for those of you who suffered so much for so long, this is my first pregnancy I have had it severely and it will be my last pregnancy (I already have two children). I honestly could not face doing this again.

Mine got better wrt moving around in bed almost straight away both times, but even 8-9 months later my pelvis would feel out of place if I walked too much. It gradually got better, but would flare up out of the blue some days.

I had an EMCS and felt an immediate improvement, used crutches first day because I thought I would still need to but once the 'I've been beaten up' feeling wore off (on day 2 - possibly when they started remembering to give me regular painkillers and I got more clued up and starting asking for them) I was walking around the ward without crutches and didn't need them after that. I did find as someone else has said that it came and went for a bit - when DD was 4 wks my hip clicked out completely and I couldn't put any weight on it, but it kind of clicked back the next day, and then I remember when I got my first period post partum the SPD was as agonising as it had been at the end - think the hormones flared it up but only for a couple of days. I was walking and pushing the pram short distances 1 week after delivery, walking longer distances 6 wks after, and cycling 9 wks later :) my hips and pelvis didn't feel quite right for about a year though and I would still get pain if I did a long walk. I wish I had made the effort to continue seeing the NHS physio after delivery, in the blur of the first weeks I left it too long and then had to go through GP re-referral so didn't bother as GP was so unsupportive. I saw a chiropractor after about 9 months and that helped to re-align me I think. Regarding breastfeeding, because the SPD was gone so quickly afterwards it didn't affect things, although I found it hard to get comfy/lift baby due to CS wound. Good luck!

Most people do get a lot better (and most heal completely eventually) - it is quite unlucky to still be suffering a lot afterwards but sadly not completely unheard of. Hopefully things will go well for you - it seems impossible to believe when you're currently in that much pain though!

Yes, as Pixielady says it's definitely worse at certain times of the month and more likely to flare up again. Usually just before a period is due because there's the surge of progesterone which is one of the hormones that causes the ligaments to relax.

I suffered badly with DS2 - physio, support belt, crutches etc. I had a natural birth (breech actually abut that's a different story). It went the moment I had him, which I still find utterly baffling.

Mine improved immediately after birth - vaginal delivery but with much shouting at the midwives to be careful with my pelvis when they had to put my legs in stirrups to stitch me up afterwards.

Within 12 hours or so, I was sitting cross legged on the bed and could get up and down easily. I did have some low level pain until I stopped BFing when it pretty much went away totally. Now (15 months on) I can feel (and hear!) it move occasionally when I turn over in bed in a particular way but there's no pain at all.

Mine got better pretty quickly all three times. Slowest with the first- I had MY chair and it was really the only place I was comfortable.

My number one post-birth tip is not to have a big pram. Your pelvic girdle will be slack for a good few months and pushing a pram will strain it. I had some huge monstrosity on loan with my first and really really hurt my lower back. It took over a year to recover from it, though my pelvis was ok at the front.

With second baby I used a sling until he was big enough to go in a buggy and my back was fine. With this one I am not really using the pram and I've started strengthening exercises three months in.

I had a lot of cocodamol post birth, not sure what they are talking about! I am breastfeeding and nobody said a word against it.

Thank you all very much. There is still hope for me!

Hawkmoth, the no codeine thing is very new. It is a new protocol that women who are breastfeeding are not to be given it in case they are rapid metabolisers of codeine and it would get into their breastmilk. I am not sure how this is going to pan out for me yet, as I plan on arguing that I am NOT a rapid metaboliser and I know this from previous pregnancies.

I had it badly during pregnancy couldn't sit, stand or lie without severe pain for longer 30 mins. It went instantly I have birth. Despite being out in stirrups for delivery and stitches.

At 13 months out I have a twinge now and then.