SPD becoming unbearable!

[Olivia199]

Hello lovely people! I'm a first time poster here.
I'm 27+3 with my first baby. Early on in the pregnancy, around week 13, I got some twinges in my lower back/pelvis. I saw the GP for something unrelated and she had a good feel around and suggested I had some SPD/PGP (something I'd never even heard of)
She advised a few days off work as I've got a really physical job at the hospital which allows exactly zero time to sit down in a 12.5 hour shift.
I did so but didn't really see what the fuss was about at the time. She said that short term time off may help longer term problems.
After three days of lounging around I went back to work. Didn't really think much of it stupidly and carried on full steam ahead.
Around week 25, things started getting worse than a twinge and I spoke to the GP to request a physio referral which they agreed to.
My mobility started getting worse and worse and by last week I was in tears just shuffling from the car park up to the front entrance!
I realised then that I was highly unlikely to be able to safely respond to any sort of emergency situation and therefore called the GP to get a week signed off while I awaited my physio referral, hoping that this would fix it.
When I asked for the week off I also asked how long physio referral would take. They'd referred me to the physio based at the GP practice which serves the whole village only on Friday afternoons and that it was going to be a very long wait. So they've now referred me urgently down to the hospital but I've yet to hear (it's only been 3 days but my god does it feel longer!)
They suggested I don't use a brace or support band until the physio can realign things as I'm all off balance.
So I'm off work now and kicking myself for letting it get this bad. I can't sleep with the pain and even shuffling around the house is agony.
I'm completely terrified that I've still got about 12 weeks of this pain left and that it could get worse.
Does anyone have any tips at all of how to get even a tiny bit of comfort? I feel like I'm losing the will a bit here!
Thank you!

It's horrendous isn't it!

I'm only 18+4 but started with it early due to already having arthritis and weak pelvis.

I had a physio appt at 12 weeks over the phone and she confirmed spd but said she didn't need to see me.

She gave me advice which included

Keeping my knees together whenever I turn over in bed or get in or out of car

Sleep with a pillow between knees

Use crutches (which I already have but she said they'd provide if I didn't) if needed

I also bought a commode, it took me a few weeks to get my head around using it but it's there if I'm desperate for a wee and in agony

Luckily I work from home so I keep myself propped up with pillows

I have made a GP appt for this week to discuss pain relief as I am massively struggling now

I feel you, when I was in the depths of pain I wondered how on earth I was going to give birth! I went and saw a chiropractor in the end, and a couple of sessions later the pain was still there but I could move more freely. Might be worth seeking a pregnancy specialist chiro

Knees together at all times, sideways on the stairs, no pushing heavy things like trolleys slows it down.
NHS physio was useless, unfortunately, after a long and hopeful wait.
Ultimately private chiropractor was the only thing that worked. Blew my mind how much of a difference it made.

Sorry you are going through it.

Pillow between legs and knees together. I found a bath helped ease the pain a bit temporarily. I was given a support belt by the pregnancy physio, which did help a little.

Best of luck mine disappeared instantly after giving birth but then somewhere around 8-12 weeks flared up again.

I really feel for OP.

I suffered badly with both of my pregnancies it was truly miserable. I became an expert in the subject as it totally consumed me every day.

Go read up on the website the pelvic partnership. There is lots of support on there. But the most important thing look up their list of approved specialists in the area. Physiotherapists etc. Then book in for an appointment. My closest was luckily only about 15 miles away and oh my gosh she was incredible. So knowledgeable and proper hands on therapy which helped almost instantly.

Feel free to ask me anything I know how debilitating this is. Please get some help you will be so glad you did. Feel free to ask me anything too

Oh and also most GP's are not very clued up on the subject and will send you away with little support or an NHS referral which is also not that useful mostly. It's no good being told to use crutches or a band until the end of your pregnancy it's simply not doable when you're that uncomfortable

One of the best things I’ve found is a “snoozle”, it’s a tube of silky fabric you sleep on that makes it so easy to turn over in bed. Highly recommended

Could you see a private physio faster rather than waiting for the referral?

Agree that you should look at pelvic partnership website and try to see one of their recommended practitioners. Many NHS trusts don't really treat PGP, hopefully you are in a good one as your GP has talked about you getting realigned. Also speak to your work so that when you are ready to go back they can put you on desk jobs so you arent aggravating it.

Ah that's awful. To be honest with you there is only so much the physio will be able to do - they won't be able to cure the SPD, they just help to limit the impact of it and can give you equipment to help. You might be looking at not going back to work this side of your maternity leave

Ring your midwife and ask for an urgent referral to a women’s health physio. I had horrid SPD in my first pregnancy (didn’t affect me at all in my second one though!) and she was an absolute lifesaver.
Seriously, ring your midwife first thing in the morning!

Another to recommend a private physio. Worth every penny. Get it sorted now, get it looked at after the birth and don't just leave it hoping it will go away. I still suffer now and DS is 13.

A pillow between my knees as others have suggested, but also a pillow under my hips and another under/between my feet.
Hope it improves soon!

I had it with both dc but worse with the first

I ended up being pushed around in a wheelchair because I couldn’t walk!

Definitely get a support band. It will help lots

Keep your legs together as much as you can when you get in and out of the car or trying to stand up or going up and down the stairs

Have a pillow between your legs whilst sleeping. It will help support the bump which takes the strain off your hips

Have a bath as much as possible. The warm water will help the pain and the water takes the strain off your bump.

After years of just lurking, I've rejoined to reply to your post.
Child 1, SPD started at around 18w and I ended up bedridden at around 32w. Had to buy a wheelchair.
Child 2, knew what it was this time, so was more prepared. Went to see an osteopath, which made a difference.
I was badly affected after the pregnancies too, and still have symptoms 9/7 years later. However, it turns out I'm hypermobile.
I like the idea of the slinky bed thing mentioned by a pp. I remember having to execute 32 different moves just to turn over in bed.
You can also get gadgets to turn on a car seat (always knees together and still do!). If going in someone else's car, use a carrier bag to sit on, as that makes it easier to get out.
I had the disadvantage of being self-employed, but if you have a decent employer, that should make a world of difference. Good luck!

My youngest is 24yrs old and I’ve still got SPD. I’m an absolute expert on the subject because it consumes my life. I was in a wheelchair and cannot walk unaided, even now.

You have to rest. The chances of you returning to work, and walking around for 12.5hrs a day, are very slim.

Get a pregnancy pillow for night times. I go to Dunelm and buy their booster pillows because they’re cheaper. As soon as the word pregnancy is added it puts about £10 on the price.

Don’t Hoover or mop floors. Don’t push shopping trolleys either.

If you drive, I couldn’t, make sure you can do an emergency stop.

Look in your local area for private physios or chiropractors. The pelvic partnership is a good place to start for that.

Get a snoozle. Mine is a lifesaver for turning over in bed.

You can have painkillers. As your GP about that.

I find ice helps me better than heat, so I’ve often got ice packs down my knickers.

Keep your legs together as much as you possibly can.

There’s lots of support groups on Facebook too. It’s really, really horrible so you have my utmost sympathy. Good luck 💐

Daughter had this at the height of lockdown so no physio available. She bought a huge u shaped pillow which helped tremendously in bed. Heat/ice packs helped too. Agree with poster about plastic bag on car seat. Sounds very simplistic but really works!
Have to say there was no support from midwife or GP but maybe it was because of the pandemic as most anti natal care was shocking.
It disappeared after she gave birth.

I feel for you, OP. I could barely walk due to the pain from SPD, and getting out of bed was excruciating and not helpful when you're up three times a night to wee. Afterwards, I found out about a possible link to a previous coccyx injury, maybe via a thread on here. Just in case that resonates for you. I did find that a cheap support belt I think from amazon gave support during the day, and made things a tiny bit better. Once baby was out there was no more SPD pain for me. X

Like ListentoChickens, I had an awful time with SPD for first pregnancy, but have been a bit more clued up for second pregnancy. As with the first, my midwife doesn't bat an eyelid when I mention how bad it is, so I won't bother going through the physio referral business this time as it was such an unhelpful waste of time last time.

What has worked:

• I book regular pregnancy massages from 'Urban massage' - they come to my house, I pay for 90 minutes and they work really hard into my glutes and thighs. It is expensive, but enables me to stay mobile when the pain and tightness is getting very bad.
• I have a Swiss ball that I sit on. I wiggle my pelvis into it and do figures of eight. Swiss balls are quite handy for early labour and postpartum, so I would recommend investing in one.
• I have a weekly 1:1 Pilates session on Zoom with an instructor who really understands SPD. She warned me that if I didn't take the pain seriously at 20 weeks, I was going to end up bedbound - she has given me a list of exercises to do each day (all, basically, versions of lifting the pelvic floor when you breathe out).
• I have a long foam roller that I lie my back along and just stretch. That is a glorious feeling.
• I have a small pilates ball that I put under my bum and then wiggle my hips from left to right. This also offers relief.

For the first pregnancy, I was nearly at my due date (and barely able to walk), and an osteopath did something miraculous (he put his hands on my bum and the pain disappeared). This time, I have tried to go for stretching and strengthening throughout the pregnancy- I am at 32 weeks now, still doing quite a physical job + a long commute, and am just about managing the SPD.

I really hope that you can find something that works, as it is so debilitating. Good luck!

Thank you all so so much for getting in touch with all this advice. Honestly I'm willing to try absolutely anything just for a bit of restbite!

Elmtreemama - I'm so so sorry to hear you're struggling and really hope that they get some relief for you too! It is absolutely awful and definitely not the glowing pregnancy I expected...!

Emmaluggs - That has crossed my mind once or twice along with 'how on earth do I manage this for the next 12 weeks?!' I am going to look for a private chrio/osteo this evening. I called my local chiro the other day as thought they could help but they said they weren't comfortable working in pregnancy so stupidly assumed this would apply to them all which apparently is absolutely not the case (huzzah!)

Adviceneeded - Thank you, I really appreciate it! Will look into private treatment. Any relief would be worth every penny!

DeathMetalMum - Oh I am so sorry to hear yours flared up again, you poor thing! Baths have definitely been a huge help - though getting out of them is definitely getting harder and harder!

Cookiesandcream - So sorry to hear you've suffered so much too, that sounds awful. Your advice was hugely helpful! I'd already called my local chiro on the off chance they could help and he said he wasn't comfortable working in pregnancy so wouldn't go ahead (fair enough!) but I never considered that others might be. Let alone that there is a website with approved people listed!! This is so so helpful and I'll be making an appointment asap so thank you so much!!

Nightmanagerfan - Thank you! I had a look and have now ordered something similar. Turning over in bed requires a 24 step process, some expletives and a few tears so this looks like it'll help tons!

Garman - I've sent a few emails today to try and book some in! I'll start calling first thing tomorrow!

HotPenguin - I'm definitely going to do that first thing tomorrow. The physio I spoke to was based at my local hospital and is a Womans health physio and discussed manipulating my pelvis back into place and then binding it so hopefully they'll be good but will be nice to have something in the meantime!
Sadly there is no space for a desk job at work. I inquired about it a couple of weeks back but my job is clinical and I can't do any aspect of it unless I'm up and about with patients. (They're also not being the most helpful bunch at the moment which is a touch infuriating!)

BastardMonkfish - Sadly I think this may be the case. My GP saw me shuffle into her office and sad straight away that she thought the best course was to sign me off until my maternity leave started. I'm a bit desperate to get back in any capacity because I hate being off sick. Equally I know that I'm not the safest practitioner when I'm unable to mobilise. She has, however, agreed to placate me and sign me off week by week so that if I wake up cured, I can return. That could totally happen... right!?

MonkeyPuddle - That's the one I'm waiting to hear back from. It is SO good to hear that it helped so much!! Gives me a bit of hope that this might ease a bit!!

delilahbucket - Oh you poor thing. I am so sorry to hear you're still suffering. I will absolutely be doing this!!

Daffodil21 - Thank you!!

Soubriquet - Oh you poor thing, that sounds awful! I must admit the bath is the only place I get some mild relief. (Definitely nearly got stuck in there the other day though...!) I will make sure I do those things! Thank you.

ListenToChickens - Thank you so so much for coming on to reply to my post! I'm so sorry you are still suffering too!
Oh my goodness yes, turning over in bed is a bloody military operation with ever increasing pain. Then by the time I've made it to the other side normally I need a wee...!
I've got a plastic bag on my car seat which definitely helped. I find getting out easier than in. Although sadly my mangers have been totally useless thus far, I am NHS and I have 11 years service so I do get full sick pay. So although I absolutely HATE using it, I'm lucky enough that I don't have to worry about that side of things and can focus on just trying to survive the next 12ish weeks without going totally insane...! Thank you again for your post!

TheFairyCaravan - I am so so sorry to hear how much of a struggle you have had with this. I feel like I'm falling apart and mine has been a matter of weeks!
I fear you may be right on the work front. Their view was that unless I can go back full steam (which includes running to emergencies etc) then I'm not fit to be there. Today I took a trip to tesco because I ran out of cat food. I parked right outside the store and only got the cat food - nothing else. By the time I got home I was in so much pain I honestly had no idea what to do with myself. I'm a solo mother by choice following an IVF pregnancy so finding it a touch tricky around the house on my own but thankful that my family are close by and popping in intermittently to help with housework etc. Thank god for online shops too eh! (When I actually remember everything!)
Strangely I didn't consider ice - I will try that now!
Thank you so much for your message and tips. Wishing you all the very best and I hope you get some relief.

baggies - So sorry to hear your daughter had this, especially with so little help available! Glad she is doing so much better now. Thank you for your reply and the tips!

bsquared - Thank you for those ideas! I'm going to order the ball and the roller now and give them a go! I've also got a pregnancy massage booked for later on and hadn't thought to bring that forward!
I'll also look up some pilates and send some emails out this evening about it all!
So glad to hear it is easier to manage in your current pregnancy! Hope all goes well with little one!

blitzen - It is definitely very cruel that moving around in bed and getting up are so painful and yet we have to wee so often! (And it hardly seems worth the effort half the time!)
Oh that is interesting. I shattered my coccyx a few years ago and it never properly healed which was picked up on a CT scan last year. Then at 12 weeks pregnancy I slipped down the stairs and went from top to bottom. My one injury was that my coccyx suffered some further damage and it was already pretty bad in there so I wonder if that could have something to do with it!
Thank you so much for the reassurance that it went away too!

Honestly thank you all so much for your replies. I felt totally and completely overwhelmed the last couple of days. I think the trouble sleeping isn't helping me handle the fact it is so painful and I felt a bit daunted by the fact this is likely here to stay to a degree for a while yet. Having read all your posts I don't feel so alone and have lots of things to try and feel much more in control!

Thank you all so much.

For those still suffering I really hope you get some relief soon. x

Bless you, OP. It's awful. I just hope you're one of the lucky ones who are fine straight after birth.

I've had more thoughts... I know someone recommended a birthing ball. Worst thing for me, as I could feel my pelvic bones grinding when I used it. Seek advice before going down that route maybe.

For those long-termers, I have found a cushion with the coccyx area cut out has been very useful. Especially for hard chairs/benches.

Also, expensive but brilliant - a Tempur mattress. Harder to move on though, when 'in the thick of it' SPD-wise. Less need to move though also, as it woulda to your body. I did have the mattress during my second pregnancy though, and my SPD was not as bad for that one (partly because I knew what was going on, as I said above, but maybe because of the mattress too?).

I can only hope that this is a bit better understood now, than it was even 7/9 years ago.

Although I still struggle, it's all worth it. Promise.

Oh, and to those in the early stages, do not even think about trying to put underwear and trousers on when standing up!

Lots and lots of pillows for sleep.

It's tough OP, you have my sympathy.