Would it be unreasonable of me to throttle the next member of my family to tell me to "walk off" my SPD?

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

I come from a family that subscribes to the "Just walk it off" school of medicine. I know this, and am in agreement to a certain extent.

But...

Why, when I keep explaining just how painful it is to walk or do much of anything, do my parents insist that the reason my SPD is so bad is that I'm not getting enough exercise.

I can see the rationale - more muscle tone in the area means less strain on the ligaments and more support - which is why I do the physio exercises. Walking, however, makes it much worse and can leave me bedridden and in agony if I do too much.

And yet they still go on and on and on about how much better it would be if I'd get out more and rest less!

What can I say to them to make them listen to me?

Is anyone else getting this? Am I in the wrong? Perhaps I should be doing more?

Help.

[Lotster]

Hi Pink, just wrote you a MAMMOTH reply on the other thread...

Just quickly though, or as quick as I am able with all my waffle, if you need suport at this late stage just get a normal belt and strap it around your hips under your bump to hold you together when you need extra support. Also pregnancy support tight might help.

I know exactly how the crack sometimes "needs" to happen before you can move on, probably like cracking your knuckles, still horrid though! The other tip I picked up this time round was if you have/can get hold of a swiss/birth ball, transferring on to it from the chair or bed to have a quick gyrate around without weight bearing and loosen up before setting of walking really helps too.

[Pinkmarshmallow]

Lotster thanks for the tips on the cracking noises... mine have been getting worse and worse, I can barely move at all now without cracking, others are even commenting on it! I have been using the clench the buttocks method when turning over in bed, but never thought to do it while getting up off the bed/chair. Will try it too for that. Sooo fortunate we live in a bungalow so we don't have stairs. The thing is, though, that sometimes the hips etc feel soooo stiff that I feel like they need a good crack to loosen them up. Last night for a while I couldn't put any weight on my right side at all to walk and then this morning woke up, rolled out of bed with a loud crack and that fixed the right hand side, I could walk and put pressure on it again.... weird!!

About support belts.... my physio gave me tubi-grip which I found awful, tight, and even made things worse. So she recommended one to get off the internet (because of government cut-backs, they weren't giving them out anymore), I think it was the serola you mentioned, but that was at 20something wks and I then had a few weeks relief so didn't bother spending £30something on it. Now I'm almost 37wks and desperately need one but no point in splashing out on that kinda money for only a few weeks. But if I ever get pg egain and notice the first signs of PGP, it'll be the frist thing I do!

[Lotster]

I'm also getting in that bath whenever I can, really helps!

Forgot to say before, but it reminded me when you mentioned the nightly crrrack when turning over YNTOTC - in this pregnancy, as well as the lifesaving osteo treatment, I have been clenching my buttocks and tummy muscles before rolling in bed, getting up for the loo at night, getting up to walk from sitting in a chair for a while or going up the stairs. I feel letting those crunches and cracks happen caused me damage last time and it has helped to do the clenching this time.
Also haven't bothered with the turning "under" not over (some of you may have been recommended this by physio's, changing sides in bed by going on to your knees rather than rolling over on your back). To be perfectly honest I felt this hurt me more last time, and the clenching muscles then turning over very slowly, the normal way has been better for me.

Support belt wise, I was lent one by the osteo, it's called a Serola belt and they're meant to be among the best for spd.

[Pinkmarshmallow]

Forgot to mention the baths... I'm taking two a day now. I unashamedly spent an hour and a half in it this morning! (Never thought that would be possible.) Oh yes, and it's gotta be deep to cover the bump! Bliss, it melts away the pain.... until you have to get out (only because I'm starting to look and feel like a prune)... and then comes the effort of drying and getting dressed and bending down to put on socks etc... and then I'm so sore again that I need another bath to ease the pain.... and so the cycle goes...

[Pinkmarshmallow]

*Gemzooks" , what a good idea to look on the positives. Unfortunately, I can't think of any more to add to your two!

Sweetkitty , you're rigt about the first walk with baby in the pram.... I simply can't wait!

Gemzooks , your case sounds just like me... I had to laugh at the "eaten by marshmallows" bit... I too have so many cushions around me to get comfortable at night and it's such hassle to remove them all to get out of bed and then put them all back in the right spots when I get back into bed (needs to be done about 5-10 times every night at this stage!) And the loud CRACK and from my pelvis/hips with nearly every move you make, I can relate to that too.

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

Excellent - crutch it is

I haven't shown them the leaflet yet as they live far, far away. But they're coming to visit in a couple of weeks and this time I will be armed for the "come on, lets go for a long walk on the moors, it'll do you good!".

I do find that the only time I'm not in agony is my nightly bath. It is heaven. I am accepting no guilt for just how deep it is either.

So sick of the nightly CRACK as I roll over. I am so surrounded by pillows every night, that I look like I've been eaten by marshmallows

I think I'm going to start looking for an osteo. I normally avoid them during pregnancy but there are so many recommendations on here that I might have to give it a go.

[thumbwitch]

ah yes - re. my first suggestion, use your crutch, rather than your knee!!

[MuchLessTiredNow]

YABU.

Do not throttle.

Hit them with your crutches instead. Much more likely to make an impact....

[sweetkitty]

Agree Gemhooks the first time you go out for a walk with your new baby in a new pram and you can actually WALK is amazing.

When you look at that gorgeous little thing and realise all that pain was so worth it.

[Gemzooks]

actually I'm trying to see the positive side of spd, I can think of two main things:

1. it actually makes you appreciate what a gift it is to be able to walk normally, makes you empathise more with elderly or disabled people and feel more grateful for what you have (presuming it goes away after the pregnancy). I will never take walking for granted again!

1. I like to think that it forces you to learn good posture and habits that might just save you slipping a disc or getting other problems 5-10 years down the line.

it is a bit of an effort trying to be positive about it though!

[sweetkitty]

Sorry to hear you are all going through pregnancy with SPD as a "veteran" having suffered through 3 pregnancies with SPD/SI pain you have my utter sympathy.

The thing is few people have heard of SPD and think it's just normal pregnancy aches and pains if I had a pound for every time someone said "oh thats the extra weight giving ou backache" even a MW told me backache is common in pregnancy last time it started at 12 weeks when I had actually LOST weight. It's so hard especially if you have other DC to look after too, there were some days I used to get up and cry as I didn't know how I was going to get through the day.

It's a catch 22 situation too, don't walk for a while and you seize up, walk too much and your in agony.

Things that helped

• have a bath every night with some lavender oil in it, just helps you to relax
• see a specialist physio as soon as you can
• wear a support belt if you find it helps
• I got my DD2 into nursery early 3 mornings a week to give me a break
• sod the housework or get a cleaner
• rest, rest and rest as much as you can, walking is just going to make your ligaments worse
• I have had 3 straight forward deliveries SPD didn't affect my labours and I had fast labours too and the best bit the SPD went as soon as the baby was out

[gingersarah]

thanks gemzooks - have ordered it.

sorry to hear so many of you suffering so much. pinkmarshmallow, whaqat a kin "friend" to laugh at your crutches. I met my boss today (by chance - I haven't spent any time with him this year) while limping tragically along and he burst out laughing at the state of me. Yes, it is hilarious, isn't it.

[thumbwitch]

my osteo did give me an exercise to do but I wouldn't recommend it because I was post-birth, so don't know that it would be appropriate for pg ladies to do. BUT that Manchester physio might have some exercises that help - so it might be worth contacting her to see?

[Pinkmarshmallow]

Thanks, thumbwitch and musthaveaveryshortmemory ... don't think I could afford a chiropractor right now and I'm a long, long, long way from Manchester though. I wonder what her "new techniques" are?!

youknownothingofthecrunch , did you show the pelvic partnership's leaflet to your family yet? Any more sympathy/understanding from them?

[MustHaveaVeryShortMemory]

I know a physio whose specialist topic is spd. She has had some great results with some new techniques based on recent research. She will treat anyone after 20 weeks of pregnancy. No, I'm not on commission! Just thought about her when I saw this thread. She is based in South Manchester, will post her number if you're interested.

[Pinkmarshmallow]

Thanks, youknownothingofthecrunch, it's good to have a shoulder to cry on!

[thumbwitch]

I was worried I might get this because I have an unstable pelvis and see an osteopath regularly - but I didn't get it during pg. I got a minor version of it afterwards, mostly when lying down bf'ing (initially the only way I could feed DS). Getting up in the mornings was, to say the least, interesting - and I couldn't walk very far at all before it came on (15 mins, could get to the shops, but not round the shops). My osteo was brilliant and helped loads with it.

I am not comparing it to what you ladies are having to put up with (a friend of mine was threatened with a wheelchair with hers if she didn't take it easy, and was told to absolutely refuse to lay on her back during labour - she must have had a MW who had suffered from it herself) but I am suggesting that, if you don't get satsifaction from your MW/ physio etc., find a registered osteopath (or chiropractor) who has dealt with it before. They might be able to help you.

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

Thanks Pinkmarshmallow. Sorry to hear you're surrounded by idiots too

Anytime you need to complain about the rest of the world not understanding, then this is the place! A little haven of people who actually get it.

[Pinkmarshmallow]

Well I'm back to report on my physio appointment today, as promised.
About the "walking it off..." I told the physio what my midwife had said and she agreed that the recommendation is to keep as active and mobile as possible and that walking can actually help PGP/SPD. BUT listen to your body and if you feel it is too much or only making things worse, then try not to walk too far. I think that there are so many varying degrees of PGP/SPD that for some people, walking will help, but if you're worst case scenario like some of us poor unfortunates here seem to be, then walking, as we have proved, only makes things worse.

My bad news is that she says I need crutches so trying to get used to them now. They are helping ease the pain and pressure when I walk, but are such a nuisance and get in the way. Not sure how to look on all this... for some people, it may help them see that I haven't just been making this up. Others, I have already proved, think I'm even more pathetic. I was with friends for coffee this afternoon and one of them burst out laughing when he heard about the crutches, thought it was all a big joke. Most people, I guess, will think when they see me "who does she think she is using crutches, she's only pregnant, not cripple." They somehow expect you at least to have a bandage or plaster on your leg for you to be using crutches. Even pregnant women who had/have PGP but to a lesser degree than this will think I'm making a big fuss over nothing, ie. a preg woman I met yesterday was one of the ones who, when I mentioned it, said "oh yeah, I have that too." Yeah right she had.... she came rushing into the room, wearing high heels, sat slouched in the chair, with legs crossed. NO WAY has she got PGP, or you couldn't do any of those things. Grrrrr. Anyway, let's hope I have an early delivery so I don't have to put up with this much longer...

So, the message from physio is to listen to your body and you will know your own limits. Hope that helps some of you...

[Gemzooks]

gingersarah, I think there's only one... it's called lindsay jackson's pilates in pregnancy.

[gingersarah]

Thanks for all this great stuff, revelatory.

Does anyone have a link to the pregnancy and pilates DVD on amazon, or is there only one?

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

Pinkmarshmallow I hope your physio is better than your MW. So far my MW has been quite blase about it - just said, well you've had it before and you know your own body. So not very helpful, but at least not unhelpful. Looking forward to hearing what your physio says.

I have a tubi-support thingy as well as a support belt I've bought. Sometimes they help, sometimes they get in the way.

I've got a MW appointment next week, I have a terrible habit of talking everything down, so describing agonising pain as a twinge and saying it's all fine when I can't move. Which is not helped by my determination to stride in there despite the pain, so I don't look feeble. Which is ridiculous. I think I'm going to ask for crutches, I've been using walking sticks, but they put a lot of strain on my arms.

[conkertree]

thanks for all the labour info - mostly sounds positive so will try and not worry and just look forward to the end result.

[MinnieMummy]

I found a support belt really helpful in second pregnancy - I got mine from the physio dept at the hospital, I guess it depends on the local area.

I didn't find it a problem during labour - managed to get into the birthing pool no problems (other than, well, being in labour!).

Definitely write it on your notes in big red pen so midwives are aware as some labour positions are easier than others.

Also get in and out of the car like a film star - knees together and pivot, if it helps sit on a plastic bag for reduced friction. If you make it down to the floor, get up by keeping ankles and knees together and push with your hands in a yoga stylie. Absolutely no shopping trolleys (good reason to get it delivered!).

Good luck to all, despite it being really quite common I nor anyone else I knew had heard of it before I got it. And my MW told me to 'go for a long walk' when I was 40 weeks... could have slapped her...!

[domesticslattern]

You guys have all looked into support belts haven't you? I know not everyone finds their's useful but mine really helped me, and for £25 it was worth trying.