pelvic girdle pain- will it end after birth?

[hettie]

I'm 36 weeks preg and last week started to get horrid pain in the back of my pelvis. Saw a physio at my antenatal and she says my sacro-iliac joint is the cause. It's like SPD but round the back not the front. I can't walk/put weight on that side as it hurts like hell so am hobbling around the house. Am super lucky in that my lovely friends and dh have stepped in to help with ds. BUT how long after the birth should I expect this to last? DH will have 2 weeks paternity so not too worried about that, but then what? Should I try and get a physio referal asap after birth or might it resolve itself? Any experience anyone?

Sorry to hear you're suffering. I have chronic lower back problems - tho they were eased by pregnancy - and had SPD, too.

IME joint probelms caused by pregnancy do ease fairly quickly after the birth, but can take months to resolve completely. You will need to continue being cautious with your movement and posture.

Almost the worst thing you can do when you have sacro-illiac or lumbar trouble, is to sit, slouch, or stand still for long periods. Unfortunately you do a lot of these with a newborn! Big tip: master feeding lying down as soon as possible, as that takes most of the pressure off your s-i joint.

If you have an office chair, the sort where the backrest stands on a leg of its own IYSWIM, try to sit astride it facign backwards. You could use a normal chair but it might spread your legs too far for comfort. You can put a pillow on the back and rest forward on it. This will help you hold your back joints in a better position than leaning backwards. This is good both before and after the birth. Draping over a birthing ball also very good.

Swimming is excellent for easig these pains. Even just soppurting yoursefl with floats under the arms and 'walking' or 'cycling' in water just out of your depth, will help.

You may want to consider delivering on your side. AGain, this is a position that puts less strain on your pelvic joints, and allows them to opoen naturally. But take profesional advice on this, as I know it is good for SPD but don't know for sure about s-i trouble. I gave birth to dc2 (the SPD pgcy) on my left side, and it was far more comfortable than the sitting/reclining on my back delivery with dc1.

HTH

Hi there, I had exactly the same as you - at 35 weeks, almost overnight,I went from having achy hips to being unable to walk without crutches.

This got worse and worse until I was induced on my due date. I had 2yo DS to look after, and I just couldn't do it in my condition.

Can you get someone to give you a hand after DH goes back to work? My dad stayed for a week after DH went back and that helped a lot.

DD is 9 weeks, and I was discharged by my physio this morning. I would definitely get a referreal for physio straight after the birth, and I'd expect your first session to be about 2-3 weeks after the birth. My physio was invaluable - I needed more than just pelvic floor exercises to get me re-aligned. I was on crutches for the first week after birth, then I hobbled for the second week. By the time DH went back to work I was functioning better, but on very strong painkillers.

I'd advise you to be pro-active about pain relief - it's not "good" pain or "functional" pain, so you might as well deal with it. If paracetamol or otc co-codamol isn't working then ask for diclofenac or the stronger, prescription only co-codamol (solpadol). If you do get solpadol, then ask for some lactulose to go with it, as there's not much worse than late pregnancy aches, a painful pelvis, and phenomenal constipation. Trust me.

Hope this helps, just remember it will get better!

Oh, and one thing my physio told me (you may have been told this already) is to clench your bum muscles when doing stuff that hurts your pelvis, particularly moving/lifting your bad leg - helped a ton with me, and you can still do that even when your pelvic floor is shot to buggery

oh bollocks am currently sat on sofa! Thanks for the advice PC... will get the office chair downstairs. I have a family heirloom breasfeeding chair which puts you legs quite low (almost like a ball ifykwim) and did manage to learn to feed on side with ds so not too worried about that. Am worried for ds though as he has laready been palmed off a lot and I want to get hime back into a routine with me as soon as poss so e doesn't feel outsted by the baby. He's ver very active so we usualy walk miles go tot he gymn swimming etc..... Sounds like I may need some post paternity help lined up then?

Sorry, just wanted to add, I had SI pain (same as you) rather than SPD, and I gave birth sitting up with my legs in stirrups - this was my choice, and was by far the comfiest position. I also had both pethidine and an epidural for pain relief, and that definitely helped me forget about my pelvis in labour!

mmme will ask to see a physio on the ward before i get dishcarged i think..... bloody hell was somehow hoping it would magicaly stop!

Sorry to keep on coming back! For me the comfiest position to sit in was like this (apologies for random internet picture!).

My physio said it was ok to sit in that position short term if it was comfy and didn't cause me pain. Personally I found any position leaning forwards (even supported) or sitting "correctly" upright absolute agony. And it's probably not worth bothering with a birthing ball. I have never been in so much non-childbirth or gallstones related pain as the evening after I sat on my ball for 2 hours.

You may also find that you have a slow labour, or you go very overdue because you naturally don't want to do things that open your pelvis (like a birthing ball) or cause the baby to put pressure on you cervix (like walking), or other things (like sex). I had an induction because I was in so much pain and unable to look after my ds, but even then DD only engaged 20 minutes before she was born.

If you are in a lot of pain and struggling to cope, don't be afraid to ask for an induction if that's what you want (read up about it first though.) You will have to stick to your guns though, and probably be quite forceful. It was onlt when my MW saw me in tears that she referred me to the consultant.

OK, I promise I'll stop!

The idea of the birthing ball is not to sit on it but to drape forwards over it.

Like this or this. I can't find a picture of my favourite relaxing position, but what I did was to slightly deflate the ball so that it could accommodate my bump, and then drape myself even further forward over it. I would use a pillow over my arms to support my face, and rolls so far over the ball that my boobs didn't get squashed but my bump pressed into the ball. Very relaxing and good for stretching your whole back, easing your shouolders and lower back, and taking the weight off your pelvis.

Oh this thread is great too

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/844155-SPD-Sofa-support-and-advice-offered-at-no-extra-charge

dont no if this helps but i had spd and and pain went the min i gave birth

thanks all, took ds a to an indoor play place this pm...... even the short walk from car park to inside was hell. Can only thank my lucky stars it waited until 36 weeks to kick in!. Am making plans for next few weeks and post birth and will be making sure I get physio lined up for after....

Get some crutches as well - made a massive difference for me. Your MW should be able to sort some out for you.

mine went straight after birth. hope yours does too.