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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Have any other SPD sufferers...

14 replies

Trafficcone · 12/01/2010 21:10

Ever been signed off work long term due to the condition? I am only halfway through my pg but already on crutches and finding the travel to work exhausting and painful. I have an office job so once I'm there its no more painful than being at work but the commute via public transport is really hurting.
Is it bang out of order to be signed off from 20 weeks to when ever mat leave has to begin if you're off sick (is that 34 or 36 wks?) and would a Gp even do that?

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Original poster

Trafficcone · 13/01/2010 08:58

No one?

OP posts:

pecanpie · 13/01/2010 09:06

MY SPD not so bad that I am on crutches but am really struggling to get to and from work at 33 weeks. Can your office offer you any flexibility in terms of when you get to and from work so you can travel outside of rush hour? Can you do your work from home at all so that you can cut down on the number of days you're in the office?

heth1980 · 13/01/2010 09:08

is there any way for you to get to work without using public transport? A lift with a colleague or a taxi? Or would you be able to come to an arrangement with work and maybe work from home sometimes, or even change your working hours slightly so that you're not travelling in rush hour and can get a seat? I think in your situation i would try to find another solution and use going sick as a last resort - especially as your job in itself isn't causing problems.

If you've exhausted all other possibilities though I would have a chat with your Gp and see what they think.

Original poster

Trafficcone · 13/01/2010 09:23

No, I'm the team member who lives furthest away so no hope of a lift and taxi would be about £40. I already travel at 6am so don't have to share a bus seat. The major issue is the walk from my house to the bus stop and then from the bus stop in town to my office. It's over a mile all told and very difficult.
Working from home is semi possible but I couldn't do over half of my job as I'd hVe no access to printer, postroom, filing, and 50% of the software systems we use so it couldn't be a long term option. As it is I struggle to find enough to do when i'm home with a sick child or snow day.

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7dayweekend · 13/01/2010 10:05

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MrsCrawf · 13/01/2010 10:22

Yes - the doctor can certainly do that for you. It's not worth putting your future health at risk if its causing you too much pain. I was on crutches from 18 weeks and had a really supportive boss who did everything he could to make my work (which is really physical) much easier as he really enjoys working with me and didn't want me to have to leave early! However, at about 27 weeks the pain was just too much and I phoned in sick thinking it was just a bad day but never managed to get back in.

The doctor only signed me off for two weeks at first, but then the next sick note was until my due date. I think they can't do a long term one for the first note.

Your maternity leave should then start at 4 weeks before the week in which you are expecting (or whenever you have said your maternity leave will start, whichever is soonest). From reading other threads on here that is written in law - employers should not force you to start sooner than that.

Original poster

Trafficcone · 13/01/2010 13:14

Thanks guys that's really helpful. I'm going to have to be honest with my boss and sit down and discuss our options together I think.

OP posts:

BabyGiraffes · 13/01/2010 13:40

You should definitely speak to your boss to see how flexible things can be, and keep your options open if you can. My SPD was absolutely awful from about 15 weeks onwards but actually suddenly improved at around 28 weeks. I'm now 36 wks and although I pace myself in terms of how far I am willing to walk, I am quite okay now! Apparently that's not unusual either, so there may be hope yet! Very best of luck!!

Original poster

Trafficcone · 13/01/2010 15:59

Thanks Babygiraffes, that's certainly not my experience with my other 2 pregnancies where it got progressively worse, but if theres hope then that'd be fab!

OP posts:

echops · 13/01/2010 19:13

Hi Trafficcone. I've been signed off pretty much for my whole pregnancy! I initially have bad morning sickness and fainting due to low blood pressure (nearly crashed the car!). Once that disappeared I developed Pelvic Girdle Pain / SPD around 4.5 months. I'm an Event Manager so my job involves long hours on my feet. I just couldn't do it - even walking from the carpark was an enourmous effort. I've had a miscarriage in the past and I'm an older mum so I think my lovely Doctor took pity on me and told me to stop stressing and think of myself as an incubator - who's job it was for the next 5 months was to grow a baby! I felt terribly guilty at first but now that I'm nearing the end (and following months of staggering around the house, pretty much unable to walk more than a few hundred yards) I just think it's one of those things. A colleague was signed off with horrendous sickness for the duration of her pregnancy. For info, my company maternity leave has started at 29 weeks.

Mama2b5 · 14/01/2010 01:28

Hi - dont mean to scare anyone please take on advice basis!

i have to plead and say let your MW in the labour ward know about this condition SPD if your going for natural labour.

I have SPD have done from 21 weeks now 38!

friend had baby on friday and is still in pain unable to move after being induced and a day later, labour came baby was in distress and then panic ! legs forced back and now ermmm in total agony she would of been better off with a c section!

sorry if this has scared you, better safe then sorry i believe.

babylily · 14/01/2010 08:56

Hiya,
I was signed off from 18 - 36 weeks with my first pg. At 36 weeks i had to take maternity leave legally (if sick in last 4 weeks) at 39 weeks I had an elective CS. My GP just did me a new note every 4 weeks for the first few months then when it became evident I wasn't getting any better he signed me off until due date.
I reckon you should give up on work and concentrate on gettign through the next 20 weeks well enough to be with your other children...I spent some time in hospital on morphine when I overdid it, and seriously made it worse for myself and for DH (thankfully as it was my first pg we had no-one else to worry about!)
take care

mumtoo3 · 14/01/2010 09:09

i escaped spd with dc1, but dc2 was on crutches, and using a tens machine from 26 weeks! work was not an option, they were not happy, but i could not drive 45 mins to get there!

have you got a physio? if your gp is funny, speak to a consultant? my friend had awful mrning sickness so was of for 4 months with that, and then went back for a month and was off again! so gps are use to it

becks130 · 14/01/2010 13:17

I feel VERY Sorry for you. I had SPD with my 1st pregnancy and I was the same as you, it came at about 14 weeks. I was signed off from about 24 weeks until I was 35 weeks I then went back for a few days but decided that it was time for me to go on maternity leave. I believe your employer can 'make' you take your mat leave from 29 weeks if they feel it is appropriate due to health issues (check this it may have changed)

One positve thing is that I am now 35 weeks with my 2nd and the SPD have been very mild, I've had off days but thats about it.

Good Luck x

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