Spd/pgp and work???

[dollytutu]

Hi
I'm new here! Hope o do this correct :) I'm 23 weeks pregnant and have been diagnosed with pgp after been admitted to hospital at the weekend have been signed off work for two weeks and referred to the physio fo a support belt and excercises, I work 13 hour shifts at the hospital as a nurse on a very busy A andE dep, my pain is worse at night when trying to sleep and also when walking , although day to day my activities haven't really stopped I can carry on these as when I feel pain etc I can sit down/rest where as at work there is no possibility to rest, I rang occupational health which were no help what so ever And said basically there's nothing they can do although I've asked my manager to refer me which he has, however I can't see it improving and doctor said it's possible I won't be going back! Now I will be made to start maternity at 36 week however I have to have my babies early so don't expect to be pregnant at this point anyway so I don't mind this, but I feel like a fake because I look like having 12 weeks off full pay sick then maternity leave to start!
Any experience of similar??
Thanks
Emma xx

I haven't experienced the same.......yet. I am suffering with suspected SPD and also work long shifts. I believe any pregnancy related illness/issue falls outside normal sick and you can't be penalised. They also have to make reasonable adjustments for you.

If you have the babies early your maternity will start then but otherwise try and rest and just let it start at 36 weeks.

I hope it improves.

I was signed off sick at 24 weeks for spd in this pregnancy (dc5) i am now 37 weeks and work seems a lifetime ago

Thanks so much for reply!
I have nearly 3 weeks to wait for physio could you tell me any tips as I am still walking currently walking dog while typing!! As I want to keep fit and keep stopping when a need to but am I making things worse by doing this?
Also did you just get signed off indefinitely or keep going back
Thanks

Get the band and other recommended aids. But you will need to reduce what you are doing as you can't stop the ligaments being affected by the hormone and if you overdo it you can do longer term harm. Keep your fingers crossed it goes away after pg

Yes I'm hoping physio will provide these for me and if work can't accommodate me which a doubt they will! Then I will have to be off! Just feels like ages till I will see my workmates etc! Well will be over a year! But a suppose nothing I can do and I need to just look after myself this baby and two kiddies xx

Pelvic partnership has all sorts of tips. I highly recommend.

I was signed off at 28 weeks and started my maternity leave at 36. I’m a teacher and couldn’t walk without crutches.

I was signed off at 27 weeks because of rib pain. I'm a nurse too and stuck it out as long as I could but definitely could not have worked after that even if I tried.

I know it's such hard wirk isn't it!! So did you maternity start at 36 weeks automatically?

Can sympathise - nursing is no fun while pregnant 😩 might be worth checking your organisations policies with your HR dept. With mine if you were off sick with a pregnancy related condition you could start maternity leave early. Can your ward manager delegate some office time to you? Maybe do some rostering or other bits and pieces?

Hope you get some physio soon and the pain eases a bit for you

Thankyou!
No I can't see her giving me these tasks and as far as occupational health I asked if they could look at what they could do we regards to less hours? Etc something to help so I could actually work something rather than nothing and she said no just get a sick note!! Unbelievable really x

Been suffering this for 17 months. I would advise: avoid doing anything that hurts- treat it like you would a broken bone. Try and get manual therapy privately while you wait for NHS physio, however it's unlikely NHS will do much to help. Put your feet up. Cook/ wash up etc while on a stool. Don't push yourself! Water helps, TENs machine (depending on how far pregnant you are). Train your other children to be as helpful as possible. Ask for help (I found this the hardest!). Pelvic Partnership have some good website with lots of advice.

I was about to make a thread and found this one! I'm 28 weeks and have pgp, been advised to go off sick (I'm a care assistant) I really don't want to though :( I have other health conditions too which make the pgp worse, I'm just being stubborn. :(

I know I have been off in early pregnancy with stomach pains/bleeding for a week then had 2 weeks off at 15 weeks with severe morning sickness (all day sickness) however it can't be helped and I just think I need to do what's best for me and baby as do you!
I'm lucky as o don't have to think about pay as I get full pay so that's not a worry or issue it's just how I feel about letting people down and what they will say/think but after talking to family etc I have decided I am going to make most out of a bad situation rest up enjoy been home for my two kids (which feels like a never normally am) get ourselves all prepared for the new arrival and make sure I'm in the best condition for his arrival xx

Hi - I've been diagnosed with SPD yesterday after spending 2 weeks waking up every time I turn in bed and being in pain while walking or getting up. I've never even heard about it before (first child). They gave me just some advice (keep knees together as much as possible, get a support belt, avoid stairs - difficult if you have them in your home, etc) and mentioned, off-hand, that I may need crutches down the line. Now, I have a sedentary job but I do commute for about an hour (about 20min walk) x2 every day. I don't want to stop working as I think I'd go nuts, but am wondering if work from home would be a solution (my company allows it). I just don't want to ask for that too soon. Any such experiences?

I got diagnosed with SPD around 13 weeks and at 5 Months I was told I needed crutches, which in my stubborness I refused! By 6 months the pain had gotten so bad I could barely walk or sit for more than 5 mins at a time. I got the crutches, a body tubagrip (however you spell it) and wore the belt and took pain relief. I pushed on until 35 weeks stupidly and was bed bound until I had my baby at 38 weeks. My son is now 7 months and I still have severe tail bone pain and I’m positive it’s because I didn’t take the advice to listen to my body and rest. It’s actually embarrassing seeing me go from sitting to standing as the pain shoots right up my backside. I know you feel like it’s too early but if you can afford to go off now, especially if it’s sick pay and not maternity (I know that feeling of losing out on days with the baba) then do it. Until people go through SPD they don’t realise how sore it was. I went into hospital to be induced at 38 weeks and it turns out I was already 5cm gone and having contractions without realising cause I was just so used to the pain. Good luck OP!

Thanks for reply's I agree to go off and it won't effect the time with baby which is most important! Just seen boss and they thinking I'll be back in 2 weeks a really so t think it's understood!!

Update!
Just had telephone consultation with occy health as manager referred me after me asking as had no luck myself! Lady was lovely and had suggested if physio works etc then o need to go back on short shifts not long days and would need to float rather than have my own patients (can't see that working) but a nice thought , however of physio suggests crutch's then I will have to be signed off till mat leave! I do t feel I need them to walk however she said with my knee giving way they may help any experience with this?

My knees got bad because of how loose my hips got. Put a lot more pressure on them. The physio I saw was specifically for pelvic pain in pregnancy and she was pretty straight with me. She told me SPD wouldn’t get better during pregnancy because it’s caused by the release of too much of a pregnancy hormone. It’s all about pain management rather than fixing it. If she suggests crutches I’d definitely take them. As I said before I ignored all the advice, pushed on and I’m still struggling 7 months PP. I think your work are being a little optimistic thinking you’ll be back in 2 weeks. Could you be put on desk duty maybe?

SPD/PGP can be really debilitating. I had probably mild to moderate pgp during my second pregnancy and there is no way I could have done an active on my feet kind of job. General tips to manage the pain are things like keeping your knees together when bending/rolling over/getting up, and basically just resting and avoiding painful movements. Physio should help, although may not completely. Prenatal Pilates should also help if you are able to participate. I had to have several months of physio postnatally too, and even now, 3 years later I still sometimes get a twinge if I move too suddenly or in the wrong way

I had this and was also working for NHS at the time as a support worker, very high risk while pregnant anyway due to risk of assault (medium secure hospital) but the 13 hr days were impossible. I had it in two seperate pregnancies and physio said it will only get worse as you get nearer due date, and actually doesn't magically disappear after delivery for everyone! I honestly felt like I had been battered between my legs it was horrifically painful, the second time especially, and I couldn't even turn over in bed, or sit down. I was given crutches and walking stick but as I had other little children that I would be holding hands with it was impossible to use them apart from around the house. I slept with a pillow between my legs it did help a little. You are still entitled to annual leave while on maternity and sick so if I were you I'd book whatever leave you have left for the last few weeks before you ideally want to finish for maternity leave.

Also will add when I am due on my period now 2 years pp, I still get twinges of the pain!

Spd is so hard to deal with. Mine started around week 18, I dis physio (absolutely pointless in my case other than providing me with a bump strap, the exercises I was given I physically couldn't do!) the bump strap helped in 2nd trimester but as I got to 3rd trimester my bump was so large, the strap was digging in more than supporting and I stopped using it. From about week 24 my employer kindly moved me to a post with light duties (a lot of sitting down and customer support etc rather than my usual on my feet, running around organising) if they hadn't have done that I would have had to sign off at week 24. I managed to make it to 34wks, had a 2 week sickline and then started maternity. I just walked slowly alllllll the effing time, it was ridiculous. But getting out of bed was the absolute worst, I used to cry with the pain of getting out of bed.

@Nogodsnomasters getting out of bed was the absolute worst, huh? I need to pee every 2 seconds and it felt like torture. Out of curiosity did anyone else get told they may have to have a section cause they couldn’t open their legs wide enough? I was told this early on by the GP and I brought it up with the consultant later on who looked at me like I had 2 heads. I did end up having a section but not cause of that. I could barely open my legs to be examined so I do wonder how i would’ve managed getting him out 😂

67oonkin absolutely torture! Once I was in bed I completely refused to leave again unless to pee, if I needed a drink or snack my dh would have to go for me and towards the end he would have to heave me out of bed in the mornings the pain was that bad.

If its worth anything I was never told it would affect me giving birth and I did naturally in stirrups but by the time I needed to open my legs for the pushing stage I'd had an epidural and was completely numb so there was no issue for me. I imagine the pain of the contractions and the ring of fire would make anyone forget about spd pain anyway lol.