All new singing & dancing, extra comfy, SPD sofa

[xMrsSx]

Some useful links for all you ladies suffering from SPD/PGP or who think they might be...
www.acpwh.org.uk/docs/ACPWH-PGP_HP.pdf
and the pelvic partnership website is really useful.

If you think you might be suffering then get yourself down to the midwife for a physio referral and hopefully they can help: maternity belt/exercises/acupuncture etc etc.

If you are really struggling then... REST... it is the only thing that REALLY works.

And most important of all plonk (very gently) yourself down on this sofa, help yourself to cake, and get some advice/support from some very loverly ladeez! xxx

Thanks Mercedes I'll investigate in a bit

Having a very off day today. I feel sick for some bizarre reason. Although, saying that, I think it's cos my maternity jeans are really too tight! they're not really designed for ladies with large bumps methinks.

Well I've been to the physio, she basically had a look at me and gave me a support belt. The thing is I've still got quite decent abduction and not really got pain when opening my knees, so she said that I'd caught it early so she gave me a lot of 'prevention' techniques and told me to come back and see her if it got any worse.

Does the belt actually help anyone? I feel a bit silly wearing it. Is it just to keep the weight of my bump off of my pelvis?

hi everyone, baby LooL00 now 3 days old and I'm feeling a bit wiped out. baby was born at home as planned and it wasn't too bad. once contractions had started I oddly got quite a lot of mobility back and could get up and down off the sofa quite easily. In proper labour at about 9.30 pm midwife came at midnight and baby born 2 ish. I knelt on the floor and leant on the sofa as my physio had suggested, this was not very comfortable but the second stage was so fast and furious I was unable to do anything about it. Main problem was I then had to turn round and sit for the placenta and then I was stuck on the floor and DH had to lift me up. All the kicked in the pubic bone feeling just didn't play a part, that pain that had been immobilising me for 5 months went as soon as the contractions started and hasn't come back. One hip still not right and I'm too wobbly to test my walking but I feel I'm going to be ok.Oh and the rumour that spd can lead to a very short second stage seems to be true, it felt like hours but the mw wrote it down as 5 minutes. 10 mins less than dc2! baby LL hasn't got a name yet as I thought she was a boy, we're not very good at choosing names in the LL family.

Hope you're all feeling comfy on the spd sofa.

ps I got satin jamas in marks. sized up one size but could have done with another size up by 38w.

Coolio LooL00

Congratulations on baby LooL00, and nice to see you had her at home - that's what I'm aiming for with this one!

x

Oh congratulations LooLOO!!! So happy for you, well done!

Haven't been on here much for a while, been busy non-stop decorating!! SPD permitting. Got a gym ball too, which is suprisingly comfortable to sit on.

Hello to all new ladies with crap pelvis' too, hope you are enjoying the sofa and cake!!

Hermya, not been ignoring you, just been so busy, will catch up soon.

Wow - kindred spirits! I have SPD (have had since about 20 weeks) and I am 37 weeks now. Very painful is putting it mildly, I can hardly walk at all now and it's so frustrating as I have so much to do (moving house on same day as baby due so all a bit hectic!). Can't get comfy in bed and having really rubbish sleep. This is DD2 on the way, DD1 was 2 weeks early (no SPD with her), so I am hoping that this one might be early too, at least I may be able to move around again then. Living in a 4 storey house doesn't help...too many bloody stairs!

Really scared about the birth as I wanted it to be as active as possible but I am not so good at being active right now. Planning a home birth unless she is not here by a couple of days before I move house, in which case I will have to go into the hospital.

Hi all.... Hurrah, I found you.

I am a little worried. I am 17 weeks pregnant and 40 years old, this is my 1st child but 2nd pregnancy in 2 years as I miscarried at about 9 weeks last year.

Last night I was woken by pain in what I would call my leg socket area and also beneath my belly. I have had occassional problems in the past with my hip joints i.e trouble when getting up from sitting on the floor for long periods of time, where I have found it painful to walk for a few minutes etc.

I'm just wondering if this sounds like just the normal stretching and aches of early pregnancy or should I keep an eye on this in-case it develops into something more serious?

Is there anything I should be doing (Swimming, yoga) that could help ease the pains?

many thanks.

Dueling, with my DS2, which was the first (and worst) of my SPD episodes, I had a couple of times where I felt the ball and socket joint on my right leg had just come out (of course it wouldn't have really). Iirc, I was about 5-6 months pg at the time. It was screamingly painful but fixed itself the next day after a night's "sleep". The under bump pain may be ligament pain.

As far as this pregancy goes, my pain has been worst in weeks 17-20 but that could have something to do with the osteopath I've now seen 8 times getting things under control. I am 23 weeks now. Swimming helps but NOT breaststroke. My osteopath told me to get a float board/noodle and just hang down in the water and kick my legs backward and forward. Also, back stroke is good. How about pilates?

But, to answer your question, this is something you should be keeping an eye on. Catching it early helps with managing the pain as I've found with my two subsequent pregnancies - I've been prepared and ready to fight it.

Congratulations LooLOO!

Hi everyone,
So sorry to hear about everyone's suffering.
I'm new here and not sure if what I'm experiencing is SPD or not. I am 30 weeks pregnant and I am having bad pain in my hips and lower back which is making it almost impossible to walk (only with a severe limp and for a hundred yards or so) It seems to get better with rest and worse with activity. I don't feel any pain in my pelvis as such or my pubic joints (if that is what they are called??)
Do people think this sounds like SPD and if so, is it likely to go away after the birth?

Thanks very much for reading this. Hope you are all ok.

Hi everyone, just dropping in hoping for news from leoni.

jendaisy I managed to be surprisingly active when i had babyLL last week. Home was the best place for me as I don't think it would hve done me any good walking as far as the car.All 3 of my dc have been about a week early and the lst 2 very quick 2nd stage. This is the only positive thing about spd.

ruth24 and duellingfanjo I'd ask to be reffered to physio if I were you, the best thing that can happen is that they tell you it's not spd.

Feeling so sorry for you all on the spd sofa.Just sit it out for long enough and it will go once your baby arrives.

Glad you've finally got your gymball mrsS I was right off mine as soon as labour started having been bouncing on it for 4 months it suddenly became agony!

babyLL doing well and I'm getting about 6 hours sleep a night so just about human.

Hi Ladies,
Can I perch on the sofa and ask you a few questions?
I'm not really sure if I am developing PGP or not so thought I might try and describe how i am feeling and if you think it sounds similar?
I'm only 14 weeks but since about 8 weeks I have had this painful sensation in my right hip joint, like a grinding feeling - initially only if i walked a longish distance but now it is pretty much constant. Have a bit of a burning feeling at the front in my SP joint but its mostly my hip and back that hurt. My lower back, just at pelvis seems to lock if I stay in one position for too long and my hip is agony if I don't chuck a cushion between my legs or for example if I try and raise/move my left leg I get pain in my right hip joint!
Anyway, just wanted to see if you guys think it sounds like spd/pgp?
The problem I have is I am a midwife who attends lots of homebirths and spends most days driving around to visits, the pain has got so much worse in just 7weeks that I don't want to make it worse. Driving makes it so much worse and I can't get into the positions I need to at births plus lugging all my equipment. Not sure if work would take me seriously if I asked to be put in a lower activity job such as antenatal clinic where I could sit on a chair and wouldn't need to drive all day.
Phew, sorry to waffle I am just feeling very unsure!

nofrills my best advice would be to get yourself to a physio. I've had problems driving as well, so it could be one of the signs. Rest up and take it easy though. Do online shops and keep your legs together as much as you can. Any heavy lifting should be left to others, but look after yourself. From what you've said, sounds like spd but get an appointment with a physio as soon as you can.

Hi everyone, I am new here and just wanted to check if anyone had had SPD but without the mobility problems? That sounds horrible by the way, I can't imiagine what it's like.

For me it is the oppsite, I am fine when walking and being upright, but absolutely cannot lie down comfortably at night without a nasty aching pain down the sides of my legs, nor can I sit down for more than about 5 minutes without getting pain in my tailbone and lower back. It feels like there is something sharp and grinding in my lower back and hip area, if that makes any sense.

Does anyone think this could be some sort of atypical SPD or is it something else?

THis is my second preg by the way, now 26 weeks, had same in first but too naive then to know it wasn't normal.....

PS, and sorry for the multiple posts, but has anyone on here used a TENS machine for pain relief during pregnancy, for SPD or anything else? My friend has lent me one but I am not sure if it's OK to use at 26 weeks.

oooh, thanks happyhildebrand and sorry that you were allergic. Galling ......

Welcome narmada and nofrills. Both sound like you could have spd but whatever you need to see a physio. have you looked at the pelvic partnership website? mrsS linked it in the OP.

I'm not really here anymore on account of having had babyLL last week and today I WALKED about half a mile. I havn't walked that far in 4 months. But I keep dropping in to see how you lot are getting on.And to scoff all the cake.

Hope you're all feeling ok. Just remember, it will go away after you give birth unless you are very unlucky. I'm booking in with the physio for a 6 week check as she straightened me up after dc2 really well.

ps nofrills you need to rest and get moved off the very physical homebirth work. rest is the only thing that helps.

At what point did people need crutches? My physio has pretty much left me to it and told me to ring her back if I think I need them.

ooh, welcome to the world babyLL and gosh, you are impressive LooLOO coming on here within a week of giving birth.

Have had a look at the pelvic partnership website - very informative, thanks. Physio has given me exercises which I am religiously doing. Doctor has given me co-dydramol which I am religiously taking, at night. They are quite fab, but I am worried about how long the current dose will continue to be adequate before I would need more codeine - don't want to be a Junkie Mom and heaven knows tolerance can build up quickly....

Feeling better and better every day.

hermya I would get the crutches while you can and then use them if you need them. i needed crutches the last week (week 37) and was by that stage unable to get to the physio to get them. Likewise do your shopping while you can, i couldn't shop for the last month so landed up buying baby stuff online that I knew i could get cheaper in sainsburys.

So leoni any news???

So how long did people last before they got signed off work? I'm trying to last, but the pain is getting worse. I'm not on crutches, but it gets to the point where I'll be on my way home from work gripping the steering wheel cursing all who wander into my path.

Hi all,

I got SPD around 26 weeks it eased for a while but this week has come back with vegance. I am still at work. I am 36 weeks and plan to work until 38 and although it is a desk job, I am still quite active and have to walk around a lot to get things sorted. Doesn't help that my cover is not that useful. I don't help myself as I am a cleaning freak and walk my dogs when I get home etc.

I can now barely turn over in bed, I have a dream Genii but TBH it goes across the room in the middle of the night. A great invention for anyone that does not need to pee 4 times a night. My poor husband just looked so sad the other night when I sat there and sobed.

Anyway after all my rambling, basically what I want to know if anyone can advise if I can still have a natural birth. The pain is so bad that I have a job to open my legs I am worried a natural birth will be too much for my body/pelvis?

Baby is 2 weeks old today and I'm moving over to give you all a bit more space on the sofa. i walked 1.5 miles yesterday so I think it's time to stop lounging about on the spd sofa eating all the cake.i have an appt for postnatal physio mid september (she's off for the school hols) and until then I'm going to avoid lifting anything heavy (like baby and carseat together). Thanks to everyone who has been on the sofa with me as no one in RL is able to understand the pain and immobility of spd.My dh thinks i should retrain as an antenatal physio because I have become so outspoken in my views about the lack of proper care for spd. I think it would be a really depressing job, watching ladies getting worse and worse.
I'll pop in to tell you about my postnatal phys, and to see if any of these babies have arrived.

hermya i was off work from about 32 weeks with dc1. I tried to go back a couple of timess but I didn't last the morning.ASAP is my view if you're in pain. I avoided taking painkillers with my spd by resting a lot, and doing NO walking.Someone on this thread i think got signed onto short hours and was allowed to take the other parts of the week as sick leave, but if you need to rest then you do and your wellbeing is more important than your job.

Hi all, just marking my spot - thanks Hermya for the link. Got the diagnosis from my GP, waiting to hear from the physios. So sorry to hear of so many of you in so much pain. Iäm kind of ok, have a long standing hip problem so no stranger to having to work around it- more freaked out by what may come than anything else.

Away on hols now (trying to avoid long car journeys - cars seem to be the worst thing) but back soon.

Have as good a day as you can everyone

Hi all

I have had hip pain/pain under bump on walking a few times over the past couple of weeks and today have had strong pains in the pubic area (enough to make me stop walking and take a deep breath). Does this sound like SPD? I am seeing the midwife tomorrow but would apprecaite any advice from you ladies. Currently coming up to 26 weeks with one DD and haven't experienced anything like it before

If is SPD will bring some cake!