Is this SPD? In agony and alone with 3 DCs...

[Stuckforthefourthtime]

I'm 35 weeks pregnant with DC4, alone at home with 3 DCs age 7 and under, and really struggling to manage my pelvic pain.

Its been coming on for weeks but I thought it was because I was doing to much exercise... but now i feel like I've been kicked very hard in the crotch and it's awful!

Last week I saw the obstetrician (due to a complication with my last baby I'm consultant led), and when I asked for help as rolling in bed brings tears to my eyes, and driving, hoovering or taking the kids to the park are all getting hard to manage, she suggested I restart pregnancy yoga and keep an eye on weight gain . I'm size 10, have only gained a stone and was exercising 4 times a week until the pelvic pain stopped me at 29 weeks, so this does not feel hugely helpful.

The biggest issue is that it's school holidays, my DH is away with work, and I'm alone with 3 very active DSs aged 7 and under. Our families are overseas, and I won't have family here until closer to the birth.

Is there anything that can be done? I don't want to bother going back and making a fuss if the only advice is going to be resting, which isn't really possible.

Yes there is more.
It is about pain management which means pacing yourself etc. It is also about how you move around (ie keeping the pelvis as stable as possible - there is loads of internet advice about it). However a support belt can also help, as can a prescription for cocodamol. Phone your midwives who will help, and liaise to get you a prescription. Do not suffer.

Thank you! I have called midwives and am getting new referral to the physio.

Sounds like it could be spd i had it on dd3 and boy it left me in tears some days mine was more like someone scraping against my bone with a sharp object when I moved sometimes than like I'd been punched though, I have no tips on how to manage it as I found very little helped apart from laying on my side instead of sitting down i had dd1 & dd2 too but have family close by who helped a lot with the daily chores thankfully it went two three days after dd was born

No luck here. The midwife here said there are no physio appointments until after my baby is born, but I could always go private if I want (not cheap and also still a 3 week wait in our area).

Would a support band bought online be useful or does it need to be fitted?

Midwives gave me mine, but I think you can buy one online fine. Mine just does up with Velcro so as long as you buy the right size, it doesn't need fitting. Just make sure you wear it round your pelvis not your waist - you need to readjust after sitting usually.

Have you been to GP about painkillers? They make a big difference to me.

Advice from my physio:

Sorry, that is page 3... here is page 1:

And page 2:

I had the physio and it wasn't that helpful anyway. One helpful tip was to keel your knees together when moving in bed, sitting or standing up etc. Try to have something between your legs like a good pillow, as this will keep your pelvis and legs in a good position. When you sit on a chair, have a rolled up towel support your lower back. Support belt does help a bit. Mine got so bad the hospital gave me crutches. They made such a difference cause they take all the weight and pressure off your pelvis. By the end (by end I mean month 8 when I was induced early for pre-eclampsia...thank God!!) I couldn't sit for long, standing was agony and moving was often impossible. I sat on the floor once to change a plug and couldn't get up for hours cause of the pain and just sat there and cried lol. Definitely get pain killers, co-codimal is fine in pregnancy, I was eventually given it. For night time I had a 12ft u-shaped pillow which supported me anyway I needed (front, back under my knees).
Aww I know it's hard but it will get better once baby comes. I had the rare case where it got much worse after my daughter was born, but physio did say it is rare. Felt like my whole pelvis was going to come apart!! 8 weeks later it's almost all healed, only sometimes I still feel like I've been kicked in the pubic bone. Good luck, baby will be here soon and it'll all be worth it 😏 x