SPD... again!

[muminmanchester]

Hi everyone

I had SPD in my first pregnancy, it started at around 6 months and got progressively worse until birth. By the end I was struggling to be mobile and sleep was practically impossible.

I'm now 13 weeks with baby 2 and SPD has started again already. I'm scared that it will again get progressively worse, and because I've got 6 months for it to worsen, that I could end up in a lot more pain, potentially even on crutches, while trying to manage a toddler, a job and a house move.

Has anyone had SPD in second pregnancy and found it was better/worse than first time?

Any tips for managing it?

Sounds very similar to me. 14 weeks now and already feeling it.

I got no help last time and found the midwives very unsympathetic, but mentioned it at my booking appointment this time and they’ve referred me for physio and mentioned a support belt. Just waiting on the appointment.

Thanks lambdroid and sorry you are experiencing it too. I ended up paying for physio last week while I wait for my NHS appointment to come through. I'll make sure I ask about a support belt.

I'd forgotten just how painful it is

Sadly, SPD tends to get worse with each pregnancy. Having said that, my third was better than my second because I'd done some physio and ballet in between. The things that helped:

• Stand with equal weight on each foot. No shifting weight to one side and popping your hip

• Good posture when standing and walking. Stand straight, sucking belly button towards spine and pelvic floor engaged slightly. Try not to let your hips sway when you walk.

• Avoid standing on one leg. So sit on the side of the bed to put pants on, swing both legs out of the car before standing, etc.

• Support band around your hips (Personally I found them too uncomfortable so only used mine if I was walking a fair distance)

• It looks silly, but climb stairs by putting both feet on each step

• If you exercise avoid anything where you land with a lot of impact on one leg, or you have your legs further apart than you would to walk (such as warrior poses in yoga)

• Pregnancy pillow between your knees or propping up your top leg when you sleep.

If you can get to a good physio, preferably in women's health it can really help. All the best for the pregnancy!

Yes. I had it from 10 weeks in first pregnancy and was pretty much housebound in the final trimester.

Second pregnancy, it flared up the day my period was due, hence doing the test. I'm hobbling round and struggling and only 9 weeks so far.

I think they expect it to be worse in subsequent pregnancies don’t they? I remember being told that anyway, but that was my last pregnancy.

Thanks Eggplant those are really useful tips, I'm pretty sure I did those last time but had forgotten this time around.

The shit our bodies go through!!!!!

Every person and every pregnancy is different obviously, so I can only tell you my story and see if any of it helps.

I had SPD for the last few weeks in my first pregnancy which was a bit of a downer but nothing horrendous.

This time round I had it from about 12 weeks and it was just unbearable for a good 3 months until one day it just went away. I was absolutely fine then until 34 weeks when suddenly out of nowhere it was like I could no longer move. I took alot of time off of work and was quite miserable, but it has kind of come and gone the further into the pregnancy I've gotten from that point.

At 38 weeks (after labour starting a week before and suddenly stopping) it was deemed most likely that due to the pain of SPD I was sitting/standing/walking in positions that made it difficult for baby to engage properly, and therefore labour stalled. As a result I have been in on/off labour for the last 2 weeks, while doing everything possible to try and correct my posture so baby can come. I was told baby would likely have come at 37 weeks when I first went into labour if baby had been able to engage properly during contractions.

Not meaning to make SPD sound even worse but please be aware of your positioning. Get yourself an exercise ball and spend as much time on it as you can, gently bouncing, doing hip rotations etc. Even aquanatal classes can be amazing for this sort of thing. I just don't want you to have to suffer through the pregnancy with SPD, only to find that it then hinders your labour too.

Sorry if this wasn't as helpful as some other posts have been, but just watch out for this x

Thank you Snap, I really appreciate your advice. So sorry to hear about your rough few weeks, really hope things start moving for you