How soon after childbirth does SPD go away?

[IWishIWasAFrog]

... please?

I cannot take this constant achey pain anymore. It's not the level of pain (I would usually cope with it ok), it is just there ALL the time, and I have had enough. I find nights particularly bad, for some reason. 36 + 2 today. Am doing everything the physio said to do, if anyone has any tips on what makes it better, please share!

TIA.

Hi

I am suffering badly too, it's got a lot worse in the last few weeks, I'm 36 weeks today.
I have been visiting an osteopath in the last couple of weeks and it has really helped keep me mobile, but not cure me!
Also sitting on a birthing ball rather than my low sofa seems to help... having said that nothing takes it away and I can only really walk for 10 mins without sitting down. Night times are difficult too. I end up getting up for a while when it gets too sore.

I too am interested to know how long it will take for me to get mobile again after the birth.

I will continue with the osteopath after birth in the hope it speeds my recovery... not cheap though!!

It took me about a week after the birth to feel fully painfree again.

The only tip that really worked for me was when you get out of bed,walk backwards (carefully) for the first few steps as it uses different muscles.

So horrible you have my sympathies.

Hi mrswee,

I also have a ball, it definitely relieves the pain, but whatever I do, it doesn't go away! I seem to sit on it all the time now.

The Womens' Health physio at our local hospital said that relaxin (that causes all of this) can stay in the body for up to 6 months after birth, and that something like 3% of all women will have problems for up to a year after birth... so hopefully it should clear soon, but HOW soon is the million dollar question for me! She also said to keep legs together at all times, esp when getting in/out of car, walk up and down steps one at a time, with both feet on a step before taking the next one, iykwim, pillow between legs in bed, no pushing and pulling things like shopping trolleys and the vacuum cleaner. Had to go to the shops alone last week, and got a trolley with a dodgy wheel, have to say, the trolley-thing is true, did make in worse. I did see a osteopath a lot earlier in pregnancy, maybe I should give her a go again.

Hopefully this means our pelvises are nice and loose and birth will be a doddle!

Frog.

Am lurking as I have this too. I was coping okay until yesterday when some total fecking idiot nearly ran me over in his 4x4 and I had to make a sudden bolt for safety Feels like I've pulled something even worse now, last night in bed was agony.

I think if it doesn't go away after the birth in a timely fashion I shall seek out an osteopath too.

thanks skybright, that's a good tip. will def give it a go, makes sense if you think about it!

About a week for the immediate aching to go for me,

but 8 months on Im still a bit stiff and can find it hard to lift my legs sometimes.

But I had 3 pregnancies within 5 years all with SPD, the last 2 very badly so I might be worse?

I had SPD with DS1 and it went pretty much straight after the birth - or maybe it was just the pain of the stitches that masked it !

I was fully mobile within a couple of days and walking everywhere with my little bubba within a week.

I got pg again when DS1 was 7mths and it came back pretty fast, but that's another story .

I didn't really find much that made any difference to the pain towards the end, lots of rest, pillows between knees at night, moving slowly, etc.

It's horrible and you have my every sympathy. Good luck for the birth and I hope you recover quickly .

About 6 months last time. It wasn't as bad as during the pregnancy but I was still in pain. I didn't have any physio though and I think my stupid heavy double pushchair didn't help.

My obstetric physio said to come back if I didn't feel substantially better within 2 weeks of birth (my SPD was all hormonal, not joint imbalance, so they couldn't help pre-birth).

Went back around 3 weeks post-birth saying 'the joints seem much better, but there's this other pain...'
Physio pointed out that I hadn't used any muscles in that area for over 5 months. Duh!

She prescribed walking 30 min 5 times a week (which worked well with needing to get crying baby out of the house anyway and me getting sunlight), and then post-natal exercise class at the hospital, other exercise only after that.
A rocking swingchair for baby helped no end for when I was just too tired to rock him in the evenings. By 4 months I was as fit and healthy as I've ever been.

Hi Again IWishIWasAFrog

Since I posted earlier, I have been at the midwife for my 36 weeks app and managed to get her to put SPD on my notes to help inform them when it comes to the birth so they don't make me get into positions that are bad for SPD.

She has also referred me back to the woman's health Physio that I saw earlier on in my pregnancy (17 weeks I think) so hopefully they will help too.

I hope your are right about our pelvises being well prepared for birth!.... Although my baby is being difficult and is suspected to be breech so far so all this extra relaxin might have been for nothing if I end up having a CS for breech!! Still I could be suffering SPD a lot worse if the head was engaged so it's all swings and roundabouts!

with my first baby the pain was gone next day

with my second baby - I still find it painful to turn over in bed and she's 10 weeks old.

pretty much strait away with DS.

after DD was MUCH better strait away probably all the love hormones from breastfeeding. But after a couple of months I could definitely feels some stifness in a hip and was unballanced. 8 sessions of pilates with an instructor helped me balance my posture and learn to make better use of my "core".
And 17 months on I still find it more comfortable to sleep with a pillow between my legs. But no pain at all.
Sympathies to all.

Hello All.
My ds2 is 2 years and 4 months now.I still get SPD sometimes before or during my period...I find vaccuming and walking the dogs too far and pushing shopping trolleys makes it worse during this time.
Really hope you spring back quickly.

i had bad SPD with DS and it stayed until i stopped breatsfeeding (6.5 months), lost some weight and wore fitflops...

Sorry, Im a bit clueless - what is SPD, what does it stand for? I know you are all talking about leg pain from these posts but what else, as in can you describe?
Reason Im asking is i had a bit of a problem with my right hip mainly last PG but I realised it was a certain pair of boots id wear. Id be walking along and next minute I had shooting pain in my hip joint and could not take another step. Looked a weirdo in middle of busy Princes Street (Edinburgh) just stood there and trying to hobble. That was later on though. This time (22 weeks) my hip is really bothering me, niggling all the time, painful shooting pains if im walking too much or after my bodypump class, it's sore. Don't think I have this SPD yet by the way everyone is describing it, it sounds worse than me but I was wondering if it sounds like the start? What do I do if it is? Is exercise good or bad?

might be sciatic nerve?

If it is SPD, exercise no good. try and keep level steps. walk up and down steps cautiously one at a time.
And you might want to go easy on the body pump.
take care

I had SPD and my baby is now four months. I found that I had a significant improvement after the baby was born. Now that my little girl is 4 months old I am feeling about 95% better. I still get occassional pain if I over do things.

If its any consolation I had a really easy labour and a second stage that lasted 3 minutes. Its really important with SPD not be on your back during labour.

Right my hip is so much worse and I think I caused it.
I was doing Bodypump once a week and after Mondays class I was hobbling then Tue I walked 4 miles then wed I went to aquafit and last two days it's like a constant pain and if I bend down to pick up DS or get into any other position other than walking straight it is agony. Im really really annoyed with myself.
The reason I was doing all of this was, I put on so much weight with DS and could hardly walk at the end and didn't want to struggle this time and now at 22 weeks, Im a mess already.
Does this sound like SPD?
Im so depressed because I was enjoying this PG and thought the exercise was doing me wonders. Im so scared im going to 1) struggle with my DS and end up short tempered with him 2) going to end up huge again 3) have done permenant damage with my stupidity.

Help!! I had severe spd in pregnancy(crutches/c-section etc) which was vastly improved almost immediately after the birth. It's never fully gone away though and like some of you on here was worse whilst breastfeeding and when due on. DD is now 12 months old and suddenly this month with no warning at all it has come back with a vengeance and now I cannot move at all because of the pain Am really worried because it has not been this painful since pg and just wondering if anyone has any ideas why/how it might have flared up again so badly when all I've had in the last 12 months is slight acheing in hips or if anyone else has had it come back severely a long time after giving birth??

Any suggestions welcome!! x

I had SPD with DD1 and was on crutches during the later stage of my pregnancy. The pain went on for about 6 months after birth though gradually improved. After that time, I still used to get a bit of pain when I was on my period (bless those hormones) and that lasted for well over a year.
With DD2, my SPD was much better and I put it down to being about a stone and a half lighter and much fitter (running around after a toddler all day).
I would echo previous posts though and say I did have two relatively easy and short births so hope that is some consolation.

TIA

Oh you poor poor thing - I felt exactly the same, it was the incessant pain i could not deal with, it brings you down and wears you down. I wondered how it could continue so constantly,it was always there. Horrific. I would wake in the night with my hands clenched in agony; or would wake partner groaning in pain. I had ten sessions of physio very close together, for example two a week for five weeks and had very significant improvement. Also the consultant prescribed tylex painkillers, which, i will admit, did not kill all the pain, btu made it bearable and possible to sleep.
To keep positve, know that WITH TREATMENT, this syndrome does improve. I am due next week, feeling much better, have gone from excruciating pain at 30 weeks, with two crutches and paralysed completely down one side, to one crutch (none at home)and pain that only now returns at night which I take painkillers for.
I am hoping that further treatment post-birth with the physio and pilates will helpo me more and rid me of this awful humpy walk I am currently stuck with!
This will end. Promise.
Lara

I had SPD quite badly with pg #1. Advice I have gleaned so far for birth are:

• do not give birth on your back or squatting - kneeling is best.
• See an osteopath 4-6 weeks after birth in order to make sure that your joints are properly aligned before they tighten up again (once the MW discharges you).

My SPD did improve after birth (emcs after induction) but not as quickly as I had hoped at all (sorry the news isn't better). I BF for 13 months. I found that during that time the SPD got gradually better, but then I had a real flare up when I stopped and every month after that. By the time DD was 18 months I began to feel pretty normal, but still had to be careful not to walk long distances on uneven ground or to move heavy objects aside with one foot.

The good news is that this pg (38 weeks) the SPD has been much, much better. It flares up, but then seems to 'right' itself within a few days so long as I'm careful. I don't know for sure which (or all?) of the following things helped, but they are worth a try:

• pilates from 5 months after birth
• a new good-quality mattress with memory foam topping (bliss)
• wearing Earth shoes which have a negative heel - they improve posture and help keep the buttock muscles awake (expensive, buy after Xmas in sale here
• seeing an osteopath after 1st trimester

All this tots up to be quite expensive but I swore I'd do anything to avoid that pain again and it seems to have worked. But then again, this pg has been radically different to the last and it may just be the luck of the draw.

Good luck TIA, I hope it resolves itself for you.

hi everyone
i started with SPD around 15 weeks into my pregnancy but didnt realise till around 20 weeks. i had a physio session which i found useless and it gradually got worse n worse to the point where at the end i couldnt walk and had to sleep sat up in bed. My babys birth was fairly easy. he was 9lb 12oz! so in some respects i think that having so much relaxin helped. but unfortunately i am still suffering nearly 6 months on. having physio nearly every 2 weeks but now it has started hurting at the front again. i get really bad buttock and leg pain. physio says its normal and not too do too much, which is alright but i still have a heavy baby to look after and housework, shopping to do etc!!! going back to docs this afternoon see if there anything else they can suggest. dont really want stronger pain killers as im scared if they knock me out ill be useless for my baby. also due back at work in october and worried Ill not be able to cope n be signed off sick again!! yes i know this sounds great but stat sick pay doesnt pay the bills lol! anyway i shall let you know how i get on at the docs.
Good luck to everyone expecting!! even with all the pain its so worth it when u see ur little one for the first time!!!
julie xxx

Mine was 95% better as soon as ds was out (ie got up and walked - not waddled - to have a bath on my own, my first bath in months as I could get neither in nor out before!). I'd say it was 2 wks before I stopped clicking and grinding but I was not in pain after the birth at all, just a little discomfort.

I know how you all feel - that the tunnel is never ending let alone beginning to see light at the end of it! I know that some people do continue to experience pain, but for most it goes away.

And don't listen to anyone who says that breastfeeding will prolong it. It won't.

With DS2 It was almost instant, but with DD I got SPD at only 13 weeks and it was very bad.

It took me over a month after birth to feel right again and I still get the odd tinge 18 months on bt nothing bad just very mild attacks very occasionally.