SPD - how to ease the pain? I could cry!

[ShuffleCase]

Hi, I’m in the 2nd trimester and have developed SPD. It started around week 14 and is steadily getting worse, has it for a month now. I’m waiting on seeing a physiotherapist. Can anyone that has been through this offer any advice to help with the pain? Or how to avoid the pain? Interested to hear the outcome for others too as v scared of ending up signed off work or on crutches. I do a desk job.

Number 1 thing: whatever makes it worse, do as little of it as possible. Sounds obvious but a lot of women push themselves too much. Personally standing and walking caused me pain so I did very very little. DH did a lot of physical things around the house (standing to wash up wasn't really possible, I had to get a chair to take rest breaks when hanging out laundry, vacuuming out of the question). I just didn't go for walks and parked as close as I could to places I had to go to. Depressing but needs must.

If you can afford it, a private osteopath or physiotherapist who has experience of treating pregnant women will be worth every penny. I don't know how I would have got through my pregnancies (second in particular, which was worse) without it.

Swimming helps - not swimming as such and certainly not breaststroke (don't spread your knees too wide! Front crawl is better) but just being completely submerged in a pool is a blessed relief. Getting out and back to reality is not fun though!

The pelvic partnership website has lots of helpful advice, do check it out.

PS Forgot to mention, pregnancy Pilates and/or pregnancy yoga should help too.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I had it very badly with my first from around 18 weeks. I was on crutches from 20 weeks and a wheelchair from 32weeks. I had a c section at 36 weeks and honestly, the pain went immediately and I could walk fine (despite my section).

I put a folded duvet under my bed sheet and a pillow between my knees to sleep - heaven!!

Keep your knees together as much as possible, when getting in/out the car swivel round (if you have a material seat put a plastic bag underneath you).

Reduce stair use, walking for long periods and a supportive bellyband that keeps your pelvis from moving all really helped me too. But seriously, the duvet under the bedsheet was a god send.

You'll find things that help and it will get better, if you have a bad day of it think through what you did and look at what needs to be avoided in future. Mine was pretty bad but with all this it became really manageable.

Omg I didn’t realise a wheelchair was a possible outcome, that sounds absolutely horrendous. It’s getting worse quickly so I will be surprised if I get to 25 wells without crutches.

did they do your section early due to the SPD? It would really help my mental health if I didn’t need to go to 40 weeks.

thanks for the tip re pelvic partnership I’ll have a look.

were any of you signed off work? If so was it a desk job or a more active job. I’m struggling at work but scared of being signed off as it’s so busy and will be leaving my colleagues really short staffed (ie one of them will will need to work 7 days a week) if I go off.

it’s easier if I’m lying down in bed but working on a laptop in bed for extended periods of time isn’t good for the neck or back.

I’ll try the folded duvet. My bed is v comfy but it’s still walking me at night. Finding it hard to concentrate in work due to disturbed sleep as well.

I was signed off work from 30 weeks due to SPD. I am a teacher and was on crutches and working just wasn’t possible, it’s too demanding a job to make it work.

I can understand that teaching would be impossible, too much standing/walking etc and getting up/down all day. Would be grim :(

is it true that after a certain number of weeks if you are sick they start maternity pay rather than give sick leave? I heard someone say this but not sure if it’s all employers or just the rules for their particular workplace.

Do less. Keep your knees no wider than your hips at all time. It cost a fortune, but weekly osteo is what kept me walking at all. My midwife did refer me to local physio/acupuncture - it didn't help me, but we more useful to others.

I found some osteopath sessions really reduced the pain

For rights at work, sick leave, etc, Maternity Action website is very informative.

Also pelvicpartnership.org.uk/working-with-pgp/

I have had this for what feels like months. I’m now 38+3 and it’s still really bad. Sleeping is horrendous, I’ve not yet found a way to sleep comfortably. Walking is awful as I feel like I’ve been kicked between my legs.

I also had a desk job and found sitting for long periods made it worse. My midwife gave me a tubigrip for my hips but didn’t find this much help. I also borrowed a bump support from a family member.

I was due to start maternity leave at 37 weeks but I ended up leaving 10 days earlier due to the pain using annual leave. In my work, if you get signed off sick, maternity leave automatically starts at 36 weeks.

Good luck and I hope it eases for you one way or another trying the above, it really is shit!

I had it in my second pregnancy, had to stop working because it got too painful. Never thought to ask for crutches, used Nordic walking poles as walking sticks. They really helped, as did using a pregnancy pillow in bed, being very careful getting in and out of the car and generally taking it as easy as possible.

I don't know if it was related to the sdp but i ended up with long term pain issues after the pregnancy that needed physiotherapy. Should have asked for physio while I was still pregnant I think.

can’t wait to see the physio to try to get some relief. Not even been able to be intimate with DH in weeks as I’m worried it will make it worse. I’m honestly so sore at the front I don’t think I could cope with foreplay let alone sex 😱and another 20 weeks of this to go!

Definitely see an osteopath if you can.

OP I really feel for you, this happened to me. By 28 weeks I was on crutches and had to work from home. I never realised what was happening until I just couldn't move for the pain at about week 26 so I didn't get any physio until then and it was just too late to help.

I think since you know now at 14 weeks physio may help you but my advice to you is to do as little as possible, dont try and walk far, dont pick up anything heavy or carry shopping, dont push yourself to do anything strenuous because you will end up hurting yourself. I would ask for the crutches now, and use them, dont put weight on your hips and legs if you can avoid it. I managed the pain with paracetamol and codeine, they told me it would not hurt the baby and it didn't.

Just FYI - I ended up having to get down the stairs at home on my bum at 26 weeks as my legs could not support me. I was confined to the bottom floor of the house I could not get up the stairs.I had a C-section at 37 weeks, as soon as the baby was born the pain subsided a lot, it took about 2 weeks to be back up and walking around after the birth. I still used 1 crutch for about 3 weeks after I got home and I finally gave up the crutches completely at 6 weeks post birth.

On a positive note, I had a second child after this and although I still got SPD it was not half as bad because I followed the advise I have just given you above, I did not push myself to do anything strenuous at all and I worked from home from 24 weeks. I never needed the crutches for the second one and the pain was bearable. Best of luck OP, please be careful and look after yourself

Yes that’s true, but only sick leave after 36 weeks can be forced to become Mat leave.

I had planned to go on leave at 37 weeks anyway so so only really lost out on a week.

Do as little as possible. I’m on my third pregnancy, and have had it all three times. First one I almost acted like I had something to prove, ended up in a terrible state. Second one much better. This one a bit worse so far, just because running around after two children is harder… sleeping on a duvet is an excellent recommendation. I’m doing it now. Also, I avoid sleeping on my sides. Prefer sleeping slightly propped up instead. Take care with every movement… one quick move can really set me back. Baths seem to help, although dh has to help me get out lol!! My sympathies… it’s awful.

I feel for you OP. No advice to add really as others have said it already. You have my sympathy, mine started at 10 weeks, by about 20 weeks I had crutches and by the time DS was born I was in a wheelchair. I hated every minute of it and it's the reason DS is an only child. I won't put myself through that again.

Oh OP you poor thing, it is utterly miserable.

I saw a private physio for it quite early on, and she gave me a hip width tubigrip! My goodness it was a squeeze but it really helped. Also kept me toasty in the winter!

Yes too to plastic bag on the car seat for swivelling. Get out of bed slowly, using all the strength in your arms only to push you up. Never roll or swing your legs - keep them together! Neither sit or stand for too long. Nightmare!

Good luck, it can be awful but you’ll get there and it does improve greatly after the birth (I had c section). I only get a very occasional twinge now (when I dare have my legs more than a certain distance apart and at a particular angle!)

The only thing that gave me brief relief was DP physically pushing my hips together. Probably not recommended but when you're in agony 24/7 and have months to go, even a few seconds of it not hurting was amazing. Everything else was about minimising the pain and trying to not make it worse. One thing that was a very bad idea was pushing trolleys (and probably things like prams if you have an older child). I simply couldn't from about 18wks (could barely walk around the shop tbf) so don't push yourself to do things that hurt, even if it feels ridiculous to not be able to manage.

Also think about your birth plan and discuss with your midwife. There are certain positions that can cause long-term damage and while you may not be able to avoid them if circumstances dictate, you can at least try to and make sure all HCPs are aware of the issue so they can try to help mitigate things (e.g. I couldn't get both my legs in stirrups so had one held by someone so it wasn't such a wide position).

I've had it in two pregnancies and the second one was horrendous. I had it for about 5 months post partum both times.
I pushed myself too much with walking which is what aggrevated it. Problem is sitting too much did my back in.
Sleep with pillow between your legs that helped me. Don't over do anything that sets it off. Hot water bottle or ice packs! Then not sitting on soft chairs or sofas. Basically lying down was the only thing that eased it.
So sorry you've got it I hope it doesn't get worse x

I forgot to add I also got a pelvic girdle belt thing from the physio, you wrap it round your hips and it supports your bump it’s like an enormous Velcro strip. That also helped a bit.

I was on crutches. Went to see a pregnancy osteopath - they were amazing. After just 2 sessions, I started feeling the improvement. They were expensive but worth it.