SPD and excercise

[Pandora2016]

Is there anything I can do?

I'm 21 weeks and I was really active; swimming, dancing, cycling, walking.... Now I'm stuck, even sex is off the menu. All I do is work and lie in bed wishing I could sleep.

I've tried to find antenatal excercise courses to no avail. It's a world of broken links, cancelled sessions and ignored emails...

Physio here is a half hour telephone appointment, Humpf.

I had this, it's bloody agony isn't it. Maybe swimming would be the best bet, not as much pressure on your joints

Nope, swimming makes it worse.

I thought about aquanatal classes but the council have cancelled all of theirs.

This does go away after birth???

I had SPD, it's horrid, I also found swimming made it worse. I just did gentle walking, not ideal. It did disappear literally after I gave birth, next day gone, it was amazing just being able to roll over in bed without being in pain!

Don't do anything! You've got ages to go and as someone who's had this from pretty much day one (plus I was pregnant last year too until 3 months), you'll end up making it worse.

Sadly it's not a condition that improves with exercise and is likely to deteriorate as the baby gets heavier. The physio exercise are simple and may help but it's more the instructions on keeping knees together, sitting down to dress, etc that will be most useful to you.

I've barely done anything since mid January and I can't begin to tell you how bored I am. I'm 39 weeks now and have been officially off work since 30 weeks (holiday and enforced maternity leave).

You really need to take it easy as you will feel it the next day if you overdo it. I've paid for chiropractic treatments (starting at 2 sessions a week for about 5 weeks). If I hadn't of done that, I know I'd be in a wheelchair now.

I'm having another flare up at the moment but I think it's down to the baby becoming engaged and a lot of pressure down below.

The only positive spin I can put on it is that the condition helps with the birth apparently. All that relaxin and stretchy pelvis helps on the day and can make the birth faster. Fingers crossed this is true as I think I really deserve it after all this pain!!

I'm 22 weeks and concerned about lack of exercise too. I'm worried that all the unburnt calories will get into my baby and she will be pumped full of fat and sugar.

Also don't want to have to shell out for a whole new wardrobe in a bigger size after the birth.

With physio, exercises and a support belt I am now able to walk to and from work again, but I am so slow compared to before, I got a full 15 mins cardiovascular vascular exercise twice a day.

Ironically, I was told that in cases where SPD comes on earlier in pregnancy the woman was 'always on the go'. I used to cram too much in my day and made up time by moving faster! A side benefit is that instead of my body racing to catch up with my brain, my brain has slowed down to match my body.

So has anyone had spd and not got fat??

Have you tried bouncing on a birthing ball? It's supposed to really help! I'd recommend trying it.

Also it should go away not long after birth, at least I've never known anyone where it didnt.

Swimming is the worst. Don't swim!

Do as little as possible. Get a referral for physio and get some crutches.

Mine went completely and immediately after birth. Like magic! Currently 31 weeks with number 3 and I was on crutches at 25 weeks. Then woke up one day around 27 weeks and it had gone. Still hasn't returned.

Don't know why, midwife says it can happen. So there is hope!

Oh and I didn't get fat. I did keep walking though, with dogs and then DC1

I did aqua natal and pregnancy yoga throughout my last pregnancy, even when I was on crutches! Physio recommended it. I loved being in the swimming pool, all the pain just relaxes. I'm only 15 weeks this time and it hasn't been as bad so far, but I have been doing some yoga.

It did make birth very easy, but it didn't go away straight after, though it did improve enormously.

Is front crawl swimming bad too? I was told it's just breast stoke? I haven't been swimming for a while but was considering to stay as fit as I can (currently not very...)!

Swimming can be excellent for exercise with SPD as long as you avoid breaststroke. Aquanatal is also good. In fact the women's health physios near me run aquanatal classes for women with SPD

Have you looked for a private physio who can treat SPD? There are quite a few near me who have women's health training. It's useful to get a physio to get you aligned and to fit you for a support belt if you can

Here's a good blog on yoga and spd which has lots of exercises.

Also acupuncture and osteopathy really helped me with SPD pain in the last couple of months of pregnancy. Again you need to find someone qualified to treat pregnant women but they do exist.

Chiro and they will recommend lots of hands and knees to relieve pressure but it's obv not exercise. Take it easy, accept exercise including yoga probably out for a while

The only aquanatal classes round here are ran by a very odd, private company with strange selling practices which I don't trust. I'd go into it but I'd rather not name and shame.

Quiet jealous that you've got physio already - I'm also 22 weeks and I'm still waiting.

Feeling the same. I've paid for private physio, had nhs physio. I'm swimming (no breaststroke- mainly just floating around) and trying to walk my dog. But if I do too much the next 3 days are agony. Been signed off work and finding it really hard to not get down.
Reassuring that it will go straight after birth with any luck.
I am also worried about weight gain but have learned the hard way if I do too much I can do even less so I am just taking everything at a snails pace, no lifting, no bending, no carrying shopping.
Has everybody found yoga helpful?

I'm doing pregnancy yoga but it sometimes makes me feel worse - think it's the poses with your legs open.

swimming apparently is bad for spd if you do breast stroke because you open your legs wide.

My appetite has lessened a lot now I'm not burning calories nearly as fast. Gutted - I'd only just got my taste back after 1st trimester.

Meant to be going on the annual local countryside pub crawl / walk tomorrow - can't drink and can barely walk but I'm determined not to miss it as it's such a big event for us.