Groan......SPD and life after the birth.....

[SHHHHsantahasbeen]

Another spd thread..Well I suffered with it with dd, I could hardly get into a car or walk up stairs etc..basically it affected me all day.

Now I am 35 weeks and its back. Not affected as much during the day (usually comes and goes) BUT I find it hard to cope with at night. As soon as I lie down it starts up again and to get up out of bed or to even turn over is excruciating and a mamoth task. I sleep on my side with a pillow under my bump and one between my legs (at the top) but still I walk like an 80 year old when I get up. .
I have tried sleeping on my back but ouuucccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. The same. I have tried a pillow between my knees or one under my feet but no relief. Like I said one I am up and about I usually can cope but its just the initial part of getting out of bed and about. Takes me around 20 mins to get going.(Not ideal with a 19 mth toddler..!)BTW I also feel like my pubic bone needs to be cracked back into place . Sometimes this does happen and gives me a little relief. Its just I hate waking dh to help me to the toilet or to turn over, feel like a whale.

Any advice..? Also my main question is: Will I be affected aftre the birth..? With dd it disappeared once she was born but I am concerned that as its different thins time I will continue to suffer.

Hi Shhh, sorry you're suffering like this, it sounds awful

I've never had SPD so don't know what to suggest, just thought I'd bump this for you.

It should go at some point after the birth but I'm afraid it may well not go immediately. I would go and make a BIG FUSS at your GP if it is still causing you pain at your first checkup, and try like mad for some sort of informed - preferably obstetric - physiotherapy, which may help. As may a pilates class, if you can find a decent one and have the time to do it!

Massive sympathies. I've had SPD in two pregnancies, and got so angry about it I ranted about it on Woman's Hour!

Hi maddison hope you are well...tends to be other conversations when we bump into each other..!!! Hows your lo..?? This christmas was defo better for them given their ages, 19 months allowed us to see her open the gifts and actually get excited. lol!!

MIFF, thanks for the advice. I agree it is one of the nasty things of pregnancies and tbh I don't think others totally sympathise with us. Sure, women who have been through the same as 100% behind us BUT those that haven't and esp men (dh) don't always get it. I am sure dh thinks I want the sympathy vote although he does help where possible. I think it finally registered with him how in pain I was when I woke him at 3am to help me to the toilet. I honestly felt like his nan .He watched me in horror, muttering something along the lines of: This is not good, surely this isn't normal....I think he now realises what impact this pregnancy esp has had on me, given the fact that im 4ft 11in and at 35 weeks all the comments I get from strangers is..Oh you must be ready now...LOL their faces when I tell them I have 5 weeks left!!!! Yup im huge..!!!!!!!

SSShhhh, I sympathise a lot, I'm 32 and a half weeks and have just developed what seems (reading others' experiences) mild (but f*ing painful enough!) SPD. although this is my first time with SPD, I had joint problems in knees and ankles with late pregnancy/after birth with DS, probably caused, like SPD, by hormones and weight gain. I was referred to a physio for exercises which helped enormously. Now I'm looking at Prof Regan's book (pregnancy week by week) and she recommends some exercises which have helped me already - lie on back, knees together and slightly raised, squeeze tin of baked beans between knees for count of ten, repeat 10 times twice a day. the other one. Lie on back w knees bent, pull in lower abdo muscles, squeeze buttock muscles and press lower back into floor. Hold for 10 secs while continuing to breathe, release slowly. repeat 5 times, build up to 10. second move is pilates-type thing, which I also found really helpful after DS was born.

appreciate though that if things are really tough for you right now, getting down on floor for exercise might be beyond you.

sympathise entirely (esp on the bigness front - at 32 weeks I feel big enough to go!)

thanks time4tea....other thing is that ds2b apparently is back to back so its been suggested that I get on all 4's to help move him...LOL....believe me if I tried this I would need the local fire brigade to get me up aftrewards..!!

Please go and ask to see a physio. In my experience they can work wonders, even with suggestions of positions and exercises that you wouldn't think of.

Also, on a positive note, it can go quite quickly after birth. Mine did, twice.

I am 10 months postnatal with spd that keeps me awake at night. Planning on getting pg soon and dreading it as i am in pain now!
They told me it would gp away - its no where near as bad but i still have it....
sorry cannot be of more help

I had this when I was pregnant for the fourth time. The bad news is, it does not necessarily go after birth. I still have bouts of it and my youngest is nearly 4! The good news (such as it is!) is that I have another thing for you to try when in bed: wear silky nightwear and see if you can find something silky to slip between your mattress and sheet. I used an eiderdown with a silky (nylon) side. It obviously won't take away the pain, but it does make it easier to turn over at night as you slide on the silky material. I still woke up every time I had to turn over, but at least I did not feel quite so much like a beached whale!

ddg thanks for the tip...I will give it a go.

Emma, I saw physio with dd and found them to be of no use. Sure they advised me how to walk up stairs and how to get in and out of the car etc but even the physio said tbh its a waste of time as you need to grin and bare it iykiwm.
I was given a support belt but found it uncomfortable and restricting esp around my bump.

Thing is you then feel bad wishing the last few weeks away esp when people commment and say: oh you shouldn't wish this time away..I'm sure its because they have forgotten the feeling of pain and lack of sleep due to it. .

I had SPD with dd. Found NHS physios fairly useless. During the birth I couldn't move properly - I think the midwife thought I was just being pathetic but a week after birth my back completely "went" whilst bending over and changing her on floor, same happened another couple of times over the next couple of years. Doctor gave me diclofenac and co-codeine (I think) that helped the pain and was okay when bf, and told me not to do any lifting!! My hips are still out of alignment. Have been to osteopath, which helped too, but it's still not right, although it doesn't limit me massively. I was told to do Pilates to improve core strength I also make sure that I do a lot of stretching to try to straighten my spine and spine twists seem to help. I notice it's worse when I don't exercise. My main advice is to be careful about lifting properly by bending legs instead of back, and I also wish I'd got useful professional help before the birth.

It is hormone related it's because the ligaments are becoming stretchier than normal so you can give birth but there is too much movement in your pelvic cage and that is why it hurts.

I would really recommend going to an osteopath, depending on why you particular are inflicted with it depends on how much they can help you. For me it made an absolute huge difference in preg 3 I had crtuches and was completely immobile and the osteopathy got me to the point of needing crutches with the next preg it occurred much earlier but it never got as bad cos I knew what not to do.

My deepest sympathies it is so very painful!

like I said before physio did nothing for me with dd so I don't see much use in having it now....
Luckily with dd it did disappear BUT I am just concerned this time around as its different than with dd and its affecting me more at night. Last night I told dh to make sure the mw's are aware when I am in labour esp if I don't get a water birth as like others lying down is excurciating. . Have visions of me lying down to birth and never getting up again. Its plastered all over my birth notes BTW, just in case .!!!

Ostepath has been recommened a few times..how much are the sessions and how many are usually required..?? DH today suggested acupuncture..? Not sure if the idea of having pins stuck in me is appealing..?

Thanks again everyone.xx

I seem to remember that they suggest giving birth on all fours is the least damaging when you have spd. Despite having it plastered all over my notes they still asked my to lie back to deliver - of course I duly refused!

In Surrey (ie expensive) its about £30 per session you would probably benefit going once per week until a few weeks after the birth. I would speak to the osteopaths and see if any of them have much experience in treating pregnant Mums some will have more than others. Mine does acupuncture treatment too but my spd treatment concentrated on stretching all the ligaments/muscles etc that are attached to the pelvic cage as they are too tight and were pulling on it causing the pain.

I good osteopath will be able to tell you after your first appt whether they will be able to help you or not as it will depend completely on why you are suffering from spd.

Mine disappeared after the birth both times but very occasionally I do some odd movement and I get a twinge but I only stopped b/f about 5 months ago. I think not aggravating it further is your best line of defence unfortunately yes turning over in bed etc was the most painful thing. I think I only turned over 3 times per night max!

HTH

oh SHITE
I assumed it would go away after the birth (32 weeks with second). I obvsiously didn't read about it properly. Can't pick up toddler properly without crippling myself and feel about 400.
will ask for some physio or something when I go to the midwife this week then. It had stopped getting worse, but is now worsening over the last week or so.
I'm huge too. DH really helped yesterday by saying 'well, you look due don't you really'. Huh
So - sympathies! and I'm glad I read this...

Mrsjc, lol at your dh comments (in the nicest possible ways!!) In the chemist a few days ago the woman commented : oh you look done...I didn't realise she meant me (forgot the huge bump in my way!) she soon changed from a smile when she realised I have 5 weeks left!! Insisted on saying : No...theres no way you have that long left..Yeah thanks lady, I now feel even more of a freak than I did before..!!!

I have the same problem with dd being 19 months, she knows it as well and nappy times and dress times are a battle. I am sure that over the next 5 weeks she will be venturing outside in nothing but a nappy..I don't have the patience, strength or energy to fight her..!

oh god YES nappy changing is a complete nightmare at the moment (DD just 2) and she is totally taking advantage!
I have had so many comments now in the supermarket etc. along the lines of 'really - 8 weeks left' etc. that I've just given up caring. I am planning to do an audition (clarinet) 3 days before the due date (providing I'm not in labour of course!) and I think they will be Very Scared Indeed. should be fun...

You have my utter sympathy I had SI pain and mild SPD with both pregnancies from week 15. Second time around it was worse (and the pregnancy was almost 4 weeks longer) luckily for me it goes as soon as I deliver. It really is no joke with a 18 mo to look after like I had too.

I saw a physio too but TBH she wasn't much help. Fingers crossed yours will go soon after birth too.

Just wanted to reassure you it was massively better straight after the birth!

First time I had it was with a non-walking 98th centile year old (14 months when had the next). Things I found that really helped - I got a £20 changing unit downstairs for changing them on, no more doing the stairs, the fact we only needed it for 6 months really didn't matter for £20! I didn't carry/lift my toddler unless absolutely necessary - added benefit she was not jealous of new baby as she had had so little attention fro me whilst pregnant! Frozen value peas as ice pack on pubic bone. I used to put toddler in pushchair to get her to the car to avoid carrying her - it really was that bad.

notanotter - I would really advise you to get your spd sorted before another pregnancy it shouldn't really still be that painful now - or are you still b/f?

Painkillers - you can take them once you've given birth - ibuprofen here you come!

this week has finally seen me have a supply of nappies downstairs..!! DD has had a bad tummy so after going upstairs to change her 9 times in one day I soon put a plan into action lol..!!

Told dh and dd that just they wait till ds2b arrives...No more paddies for dd on the floor because I can't pick her up...or no more letting her run off at home alone because I am to large and unable to run after her...she won't know whats come over mum..!!!

Thanks for everyones input so far.

i stopped b/f ing 2 months ago ,,,could that have kept the spd buffy?

I have been scared into planning a trip to the docs tomorrow (or after new year) i was plannning on trying for number 6 this month so better get it sorted