SPD in 3rd trimester

[LunaDreams]

Hi all,

Am 36 weeks tomorrow with first baby who is measuring 2 weeks ahead on fundal height.

Have noticed back/hip pain creeping in for a week or so but it has really ramped up in past few days. Spoke to MW today who says it sounds like SPD/PGP. She told me some different ways to move around but said too late for NHS physio referral and limited pain relief options beyond paracetamol.

Am in an incredible amount of pain with it, particularly at night when trying to move around in bed and also when I'm walking.

Has anyone got any tips or advice on how to manage it? Am worried that still have at least 4 weeks of this and that if it continues to worsen then I will really struggle to walk. Unfortunately private physio not an option financially x

pelvicpartnership.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/PGP-ebook-Updated_April21_v8_ME.pdf#page51

Section 6 of this! Tips about how to reduce the pain. This is my third pregnancy with PGP/SPD and it started at 14 weeks this time, seems to get worse the lower baby is. The good news is that it tends to disappear soon after birth.

Best things for me that I learnt at physio

• if sitting on the floor don’t sit cross legged, sit with your knees under you and a pillow between your bum and legs

-don’t sit with your legs crossed

• a pillow for sleeping, needs to be long enough for between your knees to your heels to keep your hips an equal distance apart

-the tips in that ebook for getting in and out of bed/car -don’t bend over to get washing out of machine, sit down

You can get support belts which can help but at 36 weeks it might not be worth it by the time it arrives, unless you’re still working for a while.

This helped me loads with both of my pregnancies.

Buy a snoozle for tuning in bed!

Elevate slowly getting in and out of bed, physio recommended when you move engage your core, tense your bum and turn. Engage your core at all times when sitting up etc
Use a birthing ball to take pressure off of hips, use the stairs limited if you can, turn your body when getting in and out of car.

I have a severe case and had physio at 37 weeks and accupuncture, also use a tube grip if you can tolerate it

Thanks all- some very helpful practical things in there!

Totally had to Google what a snoozle is- looks great! Turning in bed is definitely the most painful thing currently

@Darklava09 forgive my ignorance but where do you put the tube grip- do you mean around bump?! Do you find acupuncture helpful? Wondering if it might be cheaper than physio...

@LunaDreams yes around the bump and around hips so it stabilises you. It can give you too much stabilising though which it does for me and it hurts my hips so she advised i role it up a little.

Accupunxture didn’t really work for long only the day. But I am a severe case and this started when I was 8 weeks so. It may work for you.

I found an amazing osteopath which really helped (not all are qualified to treat during pregnancy).

Rest rest rest rest - try not to do anything that aggregates it. Steps, I went up and down on my bum.