SPD - Did anyone see a Consultant for prolonged pain after the birth? HELP NEEDED!

[Harry2007]

Hi everyone!

I suffered severely with spd from 30 weeks of pregnancy which left me in a wheelchair for the rest of my pregnancy and with nearly weekly trips into hospital for pethidine and morphine to deal with the pain. 5 months after the birth (elective CS), I'm still in pain, even though I'm taking strong painkillers, and am still unable to drive most days.

After a few months of physio, my physiotherapist has said that it is not benefitting me and I have been referred to a Consultant. But now I'm worried-tbh, i'm hoping that the scans/x-rays will show that my pelvis has moved considerably and that they will do an operation to insert a plate. But what if the scans don't show anything? I've spoken to one lady whyo had this happen to her. I'm scared that no-one will believe me IYKWIM.

After dealing with this pain for such a long time, I'm desperate for some kind of resolution. Has anybody been in a similar position?

Please help me - I'm really worried now!

XXX

I had SPD last pregnancy, but it was much better after delivery (although it was about 8 months before I felt totally back to normal)

So I can sympathise with you, although can't offer any advice.

Might be worth contacting the pelvic partnership for support & advice? I found them very helpful last time.

Sorry you are still suffering so much, it can't be nice....

I was in a very similar position but my x-ray showed that the gap had closed. What saved me was a trip (or six) to a chiropractor. He put everything back in the right place as my pelvis was tilted and twisted.

Are you still breastfeeding?

Your level of pain sounds very high, you poor thing.

My SPD continued way after birth - years in fact but my activity wasn't as limited as yours.

Friend across the round was in a similar position to you and they did an op to wire her pelvis and she improved dramatically after that.

I'm sure they will believe you, don't worry!

round = road

Harry, I think it's very positive that you've been referred to a consultant to help you: I have suffered with coccyx problems since pg with ds (he's nearly 5), and had spd with him, and now have it again ...

I have had to fight tooth and nail to get anybody to take me seriously about the coccyx pain: it's only now that I've ended up on crutches due to a combination of that and spd in this pg (now 25 weeks) that I've been taken seriously about the coccyx problem.

Contact the pelvic partnership - their info is great - and don't be afraid to get bolshy ... you know how muh pain you are in, and it is severely restricting your everyday life.

I'd also suggest acupuncture for the pain ... and chiropractic for the actual problem - but make sure you see someone who has dealt with spd before.

Thanks for your help everyone

I do sometimes think that I'm going mad betwen the pain and dealing with a 5 month old baby. It literally has me in tears some days.

It seems as though I've come up against such massive obstacles during and after my prgenancy with regards to the SPD that I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

I'll never forget the the day that I realised that I couldn't cope with the pain anymore. It was early December last year and I'd gone into work as usual on a Wednesday morning (I'd only been having the pain since Monday) and by the afternoon, the pain was so intense that I called the hospital. I then had to drive myself 50 miles from my place of work to the hospital. I did get seen by a very sympathetic midwife at first, but later on, an older midwife told me that I was in so much pain because my pelvis was being to loosen normally as it soed in all pregnancies and that I wasn't coping with it as well as other women!

I then had to fight tooth and nail for an electivs CS as the physio had measured the painfree distance between my knees as 9cms! Trying to explain this to my Consultant was unbelievably hard.

And on one occasion when I was admitted to hospital for pain relief a few weeks before the birth, I'd hobbled my way to the loo on my zimmer frame and as soon as I'd got to the loo, I realised that I'd left the pot to collect a urine sample on the bed. There was no way that I was going back to get it! But a battleaxe of a midwife had noticed and she came to the loo to find me and instead of knocking, she burst open the door whilst I was sitting on the loo with my knickers around my ankles - to make it worse, there were 2 men standing opposite the open door, waiting for their wives to come out of the loo.

Sorry about the rant, but I feel so depressed, it is quite a comfort to tell someone about it IYKWIM. I hope you can understand now why I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle and am dreading facing yet another with this Consultant.

Sorry about the length of the last post - and now here's another question!

You may think I'm completely mad for even considering another baby, but it was always my dream to have two children.

What are your thoughts/experiences of having another soonish versus waiting a while? I have a feeling that waiting is just prolonging the inevitability of the SPD returning.

Also, I'm terrified that if I was to have another, whether they would push for me to give birth vaginally rather than have another CS?

Any thoughts would be great

XXXX

Harry - you poor poor thing - nobody who hasn't suffered with spd can fathom the absolute agony many sufferers spend their time in.

After I had spd in my 1st pg, (not as badly as you, I have to admit), I was advised to wait at least 2 years before considering getting pregnant again. This was because the hormones that cause the problem take about 2 years to settle down to normal levels.

As things turned out, I'm now pg with my second, and ds is nearly 5. The fear of the debilitating pain was one reason that we waited so long - and I'm now a classic case: the spd has retyrned - it returned by 16 weeks, and I'm now on crutches (at 25 weeks - have been for last 3 weeks).

The difference this time is that although the pain is more severe, and turned up earlier, I know that I have to bang on tables to get help - I asked for a physio referral at 12 weeks for exemple as I was starting to feel 'twinges' - I then followed it up - and have continued to generally make a nuisance of myself until I've been granted the help I need - I'm now on the waiting list for hydrotherapy.

I was desperate for a normal delivery last time - and ended up with a C section - this time I'm also desperate to go for a vbac, but have discussed with my consultant and have agreed that epidural (and induction) are completely out of the question - I need to know how my pain levels are.

Good luck with seeing the consultant - arm yourself with the facts if how it is for you now - look at the info from the pelvic partnership website, write down questions to put to the consultant - write down their answers, and don't be afraid to be bolshy if necessary. Something you may consider is to ask for a referral to the pain team.

Sorry I've waffled on - if I can be of any help at all, let me know.

Thanks ejt - i'll let you know how i get on

xxx

Hi Harry, I have had spd for over 2 years, mine became worse after I had the baby, and was in a wheelchair for some time, it wasn't until baby was 10 months old I got referred back to the pain clinic, he took an xray to find the gap was quiet large and wear and tear had developed - he referred to it as chronic changes to my pelvis. I had emergency pain injections, which helped. I was sent to a regular physio before this happened and was in total agony doingthe exercises, I told her this and she said I shouldn't be and I need to pick up the pace!!!! I am now 20 weeks pregnant and finding things difficult again, resting seems to help me alot. I am not working at the moment because of my pelvis and that seems to have made a huge difference this time.
More after care needs to be provided and an xray should become standard practice after baby is born. As the damage is so severe I have to have a c-section again (not looking forward to that - who ever said it's easier must be mad)