SPD and miserable - help

[eliza1]

I am 34 weeks and it looks like I have SPD, waiting for a physiotherapy referral. I have gone from a bit sore to hardly being able to wait in a few days. Family rallying round to look after DD who is 2. Would love to talk to someone else who is suffering with this.

Join the club, 30 weeks and really bad, run a B&B and luckily DH is doing most of the work.

hi I'm going through this for the first time, although I do have some pain at the front most of mine is at the back and down my hips. I know what you mean about not being able to walk though. I start off the day quite well but am in agony by the end.

Things I have found which help

• well I'm sitting on a gym ball instead of a hard chair to start with
• getting up every 15 minutes even if sore to stop seizing up
• warm baths

I do sympathise I have a 3yo and 2yo and no family help too so know what it's like. At 34 weeks you don't have too long to suffer.

I'll join your club

Have alook at the pelvic partnership website - loads of help and advice.

The only thing that helps is doing nothing. Everything else will hurt!

I"m 38 weeks now and have it for the second time - it was much worse whenI was expecting dd - only kicked in at 24/25 weeks this time and only really badly from 30 weeks.

Watch your delivery and labouring positions though - your m/ws must be aware of your SPD or you could do some long term damage - I was in a l ot of pain fro 18 mths after dd's birth because I had to deliver on the bed (was a VBAC).

Good luck

Oh, I so sympathise with you. I had it quite mildly from about 24 weeks but at around 34 weeks it kicked in big time and I couldn't walk without a crutch (and even then with difficulty). It was nightmarish. To be honest, I didn't find the physio helped at all and it was only after I gave birth that the symptoms eased. i know that's not what you want to hear, is it?! Sorry! Just try to keep your feet up and rest as much as possible. Support your back and all your sore bits with lots of pillows and cushions. Agree with bobsmum - it's important to let the MWs know about your SPD. The physio will give you advice on birth positions.

I agree too physio and support belts do nothing for me.

Only thing that cures it is getting the baby out.

Thanks so much for all the messages, this is the first time I've posted anything. I know I am lucky that it has only started this late on.

The thing I'm most scared about is what bobsmum mentioned for the labour and delivery. I've never seen the same mw throughout this pregnancy and so haven't built up any trust/confidence. I've read some people consider a C-section if it gets really bad.

Thanks for the advice and good luck to everyone. I am trying to focus on meeting the baby, but also feeling a bit resentful.

It's nice to know I'm not alone

I am having an elective section this time as had an emergency one first time and having read Bobsmum's post seems like a wise move

I agree about phsio and support belts, which really did nothing to help, except to get a note on my file saying that I absolutely could not give birth on my back. Walking with a stick helps and mw made me see GP about pain relief...to be honest the drugs hardly make difference either.

I sat and cried with pain and frustration last night- DH is away with work. I have an obstetrician appointment next week to talk about early delivery (I'm 33 weeks).

I can only send sympathy and support. In my more positive moments, I know that it will all be worth it when I have my daughter in my arms.

I sympathise - it's a horrible thing. Worse for me this time around - started earlier - but managed to see the physios twice, which has actually been pretty helpful. Leaflets, exercises - the usual - but I have actually found the support belt pretty good, and really feel it when I haven't worn it for a while. (going for a wee with it on is a different matter, and I'm loving the glamorous marks it leaves) Other things which help sometimes (that's one of the annoying things - for me, it seems quite unpredictable):

Regular paracetamol
Swimming (well, more like floating really)
Sitting on gym ball not sofa
Plastic bag on car seat to make ladylike legs-together-exit easier
Sleeping with pillow between legs
Always sit down to put trousers/shoes on
Short walk every day to stop seizing up
Trying to walk as if not pregnant(IYKWIM - tummy in, back straight etc. - although I never manage it for more than a few steps!)

It's different for everyone so good luck with the physio. For labour, you need to have a 'pain-free gap' clearly documented in your notes, and write that you have SPD at the top of your birth plan - most MW's will be very supportive and try and keep you in good birth positions. If you have an epidural, maybe your birth partner could be given the job of making sure your legs don't get splayed! - as you (fortunately) won't be able to feel any pain, but don't want to do any damage....

And of course it's all worth it in the end,so hang in there

Eliza - having now had a section and a normal delivery - I have to say the recovery after a section was much harder than after my Vbac, even with the SPD.

It was only because I was trying for a VBAC that I had to labour and deliver on the bed to allow for constant monitoring.

If I was otherwise a low risk pg, then the best thing would have been to be in the water, on a ball, on all fours or on my side. I wasn't allowed any of these because of the monitoring

If you deliver in the "right" position then all being well the pain should disappear after birth, because it's hormonal.

Agree with smellyeli - be very careful if you have an epidural - the pain relief will be sooooo fab that you'll forget to be careful with opening your legs! Especially if you need examined and the m/w says "just flop them open and relax" - noooooooo!

With baby no3 I'm going to be stroppy about the monitoring as long as baby's fine. There's no way I'm going to be stuck on my back again with SPD - it's just not worth it. And I really don't think I could cope with another section - especially the not driving thing - there's no public transport where I live. I also found feeding hard after a section becuase I struggled to lift my big boy - we cracked it in the end and breastfed for 18 months, but it was a long hard slog after the section - definitely don't decide on it lightly - it's not an easy option!

I am now 40 wks tomorrow and I've suffered with this since being 16 weeks.
For the past 4 months I have been visiting a lady chiropractor who has helped enormously. I usually go when it gets bad which has been about every 3/4 weeks. She manipulates my groin area, lower back and sometimes gives acupunture in my bum if i'm really stiff!
She charges 32£ a sess but it has been worth every penny. I also went this week as she recommended seeing me to ensure the baby is in a good position for labour, where again she manipulated me. I do trust her and she has successfully worked with lots of pregnant ladies!
bobsmum great advice about the epidural I'm hoping for a vbac and I'm totally with you on the breastfeeding after a section. The same happened to me. my dd is only 16 mths.

Forgot to mention different advice obviously helps different people but the worse thing I did was went swimming!! So be careful. I agree the most helpful relief is doing nothing and sleeping with a pillow between the knees!!