Horrendous SPD - need advice from fellow sympathetic sufferers!!

[heavenlylily]

I'm 38 weeks pg with dc2, had SPD symptoms, all in the front of my pelvis, for most of 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Fairly manageable to start with but getting worse by the day now, as I suppose is expected at this stage. Made 10 times worse by seriously overdoing it in last 4 days due to dd's 2nd birthday - lots of days out and family over, no chance to grab usual nap in day etc.

I'm concerned as I've opted for a home birth this time but am now dreading not the labour pains but the probable pelvic agony! Does anyone have advice about what it's like when you are in labour with SPD? What helps to take the pressure off - birthing ball/all fours/not being on back?? Am expecting a 9lb+ baby again apparantly.

Can't help you with the birth side of things (sorry) and the suggestion may be a bit late but have you seen an osteopath? I had very bad SPD during my pregnancy and had a few sessions with an osteopath and it was much much better (even after one session it was better). You need to find someone who specialises in osteopathy during pregnancy - click here to find an osteopath .

Wishing you all the best.

I had SPD too in second pregnancy and had acupuncture which worked really well!

I also had a homebirth and a 9.5lb baby and all was fine. Delivered her in our own bath tub and the MW lifted my leg up (vertical if you like) to see what was going on.

Hope all goes well for you!

Thanks for that, have considered osteopathy and have had acupuncture before so will look into both!

I had awful spd with my 2nd too - was on crutches from 34 weeks.

I delivered in hospital, but was advised to use any gravity assisted position that I found comfortable to deliver in. I found that kneeling up leaning over the head end of the bed was amazingly comfortable. I managed only with my TENS machine aswell.

Basically you need to avoid any position where your legs are far apart. Before you go into labour, measure out what is comfortabe for you (distance between your knees). Cut a piece of string that long and make sure (or ask your birthing partner to make sure on your behalf) that no-body at all takes you legs any further apart than that.

Try your absolute hardest from now on to take it as easy as you can.

Good luck

Hello

I have raging SPD at the moment (on crutches) and I am only 19 weeks with DC2!!

As far as birthing went with DD I was in the worst possible position - on my back, legs in the air. The best position is, if possible, in water, kneeling or on all fours, keeping the legs together as long (and as practically!) possible.

If for any reason you have to have stitches or to go on your back - do not let them put you in stirrups if possible as it will kill your hips. Believe me!
If they need to move your legs make sure they are moved at the same time and with as little distance between your knees as possible.

Number one rule - make sure your DP/Birth partner knows about the SPD and the above info. I was too far out of it to realise the damage I was doing in the position they had me in in hospital and regretted it for a long time after with the extended healing / recovery time. Your DP/Birth Partner can advocate for you and remind the mw (forcefully if needed!!) not to over stretch the legs and to help you change position as you need.

One thing with this pregnancy is that I am planning a home waterbirth and the mw's only concern is that I can actually make it in and out of the pool!!

In the previous labour the SPD limited how much I was able to walk around but the birthing ball was fab - just don't open your legs too wide! Also the pain of the SPD was definitely cancelled out by the contractions once they were established!!!

Sorry it's been a rambling post, it's been a long day and I have baby brain!

Oh, and yes - REST WOMAN!!!

HTH xxx

Thanks so much for your replies!! It helps so much to have advice from others who have been there and done that! I will be making sure dh and mw are monitoring my labour positions as am sure I will be preoccupied! As for rest - easier said than done with an active 2 year old but will try my best!!

c beebies = rest

Poor you. There are lots of threads on this already- so recommend you do a search on SPD in 'childbirth' topic. In a nutshell- REST WOMAN!!!! and consideirng birthing on your hands and knees so you don't spread your legs too wide. If it is any reassurance, after SPD my experience of birth was entirely manageable- at least I knew it was going to end, whereas SPD for months and months just ground me down totally.

I too am concerned about the logistics of getting in and out of a birthing pool!

I ended up in the 'stirrup' position last time, but they were VERY good about putting my legs up at the same time, and setting it so I could keep my legs within the er... 'pain free gap' is it?

Get on your birthing ball now I think!

Up until I HAD to get on bed for ventouse (cord round neck, heart rate of baby dropping - you know the drill) I was going great guns squatting by the bed and kneeling facing the head of the bed. Try to visualise that all the hard work of opening the pelvis has been done already... it's some small consolation!

Qn - did you get at all better during the second trimester? I'm trying to be hopeful after starting at 8 weeks this time.

lily, I really sympathise. I am 35 weeks with 2nd DC and also have it. Planning home water birth. I also have a 2 year old DS. My cousin is a surgeon and had very bad spd, and she gave me a strict talking to when I first got it at 28 weeks, and said 'look, there is now only one important thing and that is your health and that of the baby, and your future health, including pelvis, hips etc.' She really insisted that I should rest, stop work (I managed to work at home most days), and rearrange stuff round the house to cut out lifting, twisting, pulling etc. I took this advice, got DH involved basically doing everything, ignored the guilt and it got so much better, but it doesn't take much to get back to square one.

For me personally, the big things that helped were:

not commuting to work, going on bus/train, in busy crowds
not pushing DS in the buggy if possible, especially up or down hill
limiting my walking
doing pregnancy pilates and keeping a good posture
not doing anything like sweeping floor, putting washing in/out of machine
always sitting down to put socks/trousers on
shifting my whole pelvis with my hands when turning over in bed and keeping knees together
never picking up DS
encouraging DS to fetch or pick up things off the floor
not folding and unfolding the buggy (agony!)

I know it's hard to rest with a 2 year old but I just say to myself 'it's worth it as I could cause myself permanent damage and not be able to look after him or the baby, even after the birth..

best of luck, hope you can get a rest! as others have said, and I've heard water birth is very good..

I personally find the birthing ball really hurts as you have to wobble your pelvis a bit..