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

Original poster

All new singing & dancing, extra comfy, SPD sofa

221 replies

xMrsSx · 15/06/2010 17:51

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

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Hermya321 · 22/07/2010 19:41

Wetnoodle Get a fit note from your Doctor, they'll be able to recomend work adjustments. That's what I've done and am just waiting for it to go through at work. I'm begining to accept that actually I might not be able to work up till the end. The only thing that makes me feel ok is that as it's pregnancy related it won't affect my sick record at work too much. Also they can't force you onto ML until 36 weeks, if GP suggests this ask them to sign you off sick as you wish to see how you go. I'm fighting my corner on that one, can't afford to take my ML yet.

MrsC I'm sorry you're not doing so good.

Mum2 They did the same with me, who knows what they're supposed to do.

I was back at work today and I was rushed off of my feet, by the end of the day I was exhausted and my hips were playing merry hell with me. Am now sat down and I'm not intending to move anywhere till bedtime.

buttonmoon78 · 22/07/2010 20:58

Wetnoodle - you need, basically, to buy up a Dunelm store or similar.

Mattress topper (or foam thing): on top of mattress, under bottom sheet for sleeping on, absorbs pressure wrt shoulder, hip etc
Decent pillow for head
Pillow between your knees

Doesn't allow for lots of movement but it's as comfy as I could get!

ziptoes · 22/07/2010 21:47

Hi all
I'm new to the SPD sofa but not to SPD. Had it with my first one, and it got better almost as soon as he was out. I don't think I recovered completely, and I definitely don't think I'll ever go skiing again.

I'm currently 24 weeks with DC2. I've felt the old SPD feelings almost since the start of pregnancy. Am using my old belt from last time, but haven't seen a physio yet. It's got to the point where walking for more than 5 minutes gives me the pulling feeling in th e pelvis and then pain after another 10 minutes. By the end of the day I'm sore, not in agony, but sore. And my hips click when I turn over in bed.

I have a strange question - I'm still cycling to work. As long as I take it easy and am careful about getting on and off the bike, it doesn't seem to hurt. Am I mad? Should I stop? It gives me a valuable feeling of freedom and driving to work would be so depressing. What do you all reckon?

buttonmoon78 · 22/07/2010 22:14

If it's not hurting you then I guess it's prob ok. Hats off to you though! At that stage I couldn't have got my legs apart enough to get on the damn thing never mind move them independently enough to pedal...

mum2oneloudbaby · 23/07/2010 14:22

ziptoes good on you for being able to do some exercise on your bike I miss mine so much even before the SPD kicked in my bump was getting in the way, I have a stupid mountain bike.

And at the no skiing. God forbid.

Hermya321 · 24/07/2010 08:37

Ziptoes Good for you, I think as long as you're aware of your body I think you should be ok.

Mercedes519 · 31/07/2010 10:50

Fuckity fuck fuck. Have been off the sofa for a couple of weeks as the spd has been uncomfortable but manageable.

But had to go to London for a meeting and although didn't rush, took cabs etc i still couldn't walk when I came home. On day 2 of rest but it's not getting any better. And I've just had to cancel a spa day for my friends hen as it's a three hour round trip

I'm wondering if this new pain, which is just on the left, suggests I'm now asymmetric and would benefit from having osteopathy or something? Would it go back? Has anyone found it helpful?

Duritzfan · 03/08/2010 13:03

Grrr...

I definitely need to ask you ladies to move along and make way for a newbie.. I had symptoms a few weeks ago but have been seeing an osteo and being really good and thought I was doing well.. But I had a lot of stuff going on last week and I pushed it .. and now I am really really in pain... OMG .. I cant walk a step without feeling like crying and have spent the past two days literally hobbling around the house feeling sorry for myself..

I am 25 weeks pregnant so got ages to go yet...{sad]

LooL00 · 03/08/2010 15:07

Just dropping in to see how you all are. Baby LooL00 is 5w now and I'm feeling fine except my pubic bone clicks in the night and I STILL can't turn over in bed. You've just got to rest rest rest duritzfan there's really no other way. I sat and moaned on the spd sofa for about 18weeks but as soon as I gave birth I was fine.It WILL go away once you have your baby. By the way sitting does not count as resting, you've actually got to lie down.
mercedes I had manipulation by the nhs physio which kept me symmetrical til about 36 weeks and then things seriously fell apart, mainly because all 9lb 6 of baby LooL00 was curled up on my left hand side, measuring small and as soon as she moved when labour started the left hand hip pain went.How many weeks are you now?

Duritzfan · 03/08/2010 16:51

LooLOO - congratulations - and thanks for showing me the light at the end of the tunnel

So sitting down is not resting ? OMG ... I have to be in bed ? Lying on the sofa ?

Oh dear...have been doing it all wrong....

buttonmoon78 · 03/08/2010 17:03

My obst physio said 'never stand when you could sit, never sit when you could lie down, never stay awake when you could sleep'. All fine advice!

MrsCJOLG · 03/08/2010 17:24

LooLOO totally agree it's got to be lying down! I'm 35+2 and have been on the spd sofa since 19 wks but haven't worked, or moved much since 28wks. Lying down is the only way to rest properly. Although I do worry about DVT (family history)
I'm really holding out that it gets better as being basically housebound for the past 7 weeks has been hell! I have got crutches and finally succumbed to a wheelchair last week, after cabin fever became too much.
I can't walk very far on the crutches without becoming exhausted or in too much pain. The Red Cross lend out wheelchairs if anyone else is in the same situation- they delivered it and will come and take it away in 5 weeks (hopefully) for £12, or you can pick them up from a depot if you have transport. It took me a bit to get my head around being in a wheelchair, but being able to go out for a pub lunch with my OH on Sunday was soooo worth it.

DillyDora · 04/08/2010 09:40

Hey all, been lurking for a bit, still at the 'trussed up in tubi grip' stage and not doing too badly but just wanted to say so so sorry to those who are suffering so much at the moment.

If it's any help - nighttime is worst because your muscles relax so when you get up to go to the loo they're not fired up and aaaaaaargh! go all your ligaments! Hate it...the physio said you can offset this by doing some bracing and so on to get your muscles working before you get up but I don't know about you...I'm not really that awake at that point!

LooL00 · 04/08/2010 14:52

yes duritzfan it's gotta be lying down.
Hi mrsCJOLG sorry to here you're so bad but the wheelchair is a good move, i could never get my head round the idea of crutches or a wheel chair and by the time I really needed them I was unable to walk from the car park to the physio and it was sooo hot in june.
dillydora nighttime is still a bit staggery for me but I do some pelvic floor thingies befroe i get out of bed, no pain just clicking. I'm seeing the physio for postnatal assessment in mid september (she's on holiday).

Can i just add that as soon as i went into labour the pain eased so don't panic about how you'll get through it, i was much more mobile than I expected to be. hope you'll all at least ok on the spd sofa.

TheBreastmilksOnMe · 04/08/2010 15:07

Hi all, I've been lurking in anticipation of PGP making a return this time around and I am 14 weeks now and starting to feel sore so I think I will take a running leap at the SPD sofa and lie there until the end of this pregnancy. I am going to see the physio again tomorrow but I'm not very hopeful she can do anything. She is nice but she did say to me that SPD was very rare and in all her 10 years of doing physio she has only encountered 2 genuine cases of SPD. So already I feel as though it's going to take a lot of convincing to get her to take me seriously.

TheBreastmilksOnMe · 05/08/2010 14:31

Hi again, went to see the physio today and she pretty much said that is it is SPD, then I am stuffed as there is nothing she can do about it .

However she did mention an interesting study that has been done in another country where they have foud a link between mothers who suffer with SPD and having babies with clicky hips. My DS was born with a clicky hip. She said that it might be that there is something 'wrong' with the baby that is causing this pain in the mother. I'm off to do some more research about it now. i thought it was very intersting.

Mercedes519 · 05/08/2010 14:41

I can now second the lying down. I lay down all weekend after my doing-far-too-much-in-one-day trip last week and a week later I am pretty much back to where I was before. Still in pain but can get up the stairs without crying.

looloo I did go and see the physio and she was great and thankfully I am still symmetrical. She gave me a support belt which I'm wearing on and off and it does help with walking.

On the plus side my pain free gap has gone up by 50% so I'm keeping up with the exercises she gave me.

So, moral of the story - REST and see a Physio. My physio is also giving me a one-to-one a couple weeks before I'm due to go through labour and what I should/shouldn't do so she is proving a bit of a godsend.

thebellsofsaintclements · 11/08/2010 10:17

Hi all

I too have been lurking in anticipation as I had SPD really bad last time round (spent over 4 months on crutches!) I'm now 27 weeks and it's just returned. I can just about walk for about 10 minutes unaided but it's v painful (not to mention the turning over at night, standing up from sitting position and all the rest).

Good news is i've been to see a physio at my local hospital (St Thomas' in London) and they now offer acupuncture and hydro therapy on the NHS - so do ask if they offer it at your hospital, because apparently acupuncture - if done properly - is completely safe and can relieve all the symptoms!

Good luck to everyone!

DillyDora · 16/08/2010 12:43

Hi to thebells I've heard good things about acupuncture too and it's on my list of things to do if it gets worse.

30 weeks now and night times are worst, I just wake myself up by being in the wrong position.

I do have longstanding hip problem (basically - it's very wonky and needs to be put straight regularly) but haven't seen an osteopath yet. Has anyone? Is it worth it?

Hermya321 · 16/08/2010 19:30

Hi Thebells sorry you're not feeling so good.

Dilly I get that as well.

Mine hasn't been as bad, but I'm putting that down to not working as many hours. I've stopped wearing my support belt the past few days as well though. I was getting so uncomfortable. I might give it another go tomorrow.

DillyDora · 17/08/2010 10:33

Hermya I can't even cope with my tubigrip thing from the physios... v uncomfy if you sit for any length of time!

thebellsofsaintclements · 17/08/2010 11:40

Dilly, i'd had a few sessions with an osteopath after my last pregnancy, and it does help, but not by itself - once they've put all the bones in place, you have to do all the physio exercises to strengthen the muscles to keep everything where it should be! It's expensive too (round here it's 40 pounds for a half hour session) so i prefer to go to my NHS physio.

Has anyone tried ante-natal massage, and does it help?

DillyDora · 17/08/2010 11:49

Thanks thebells that makes sense, I think that's what worried me really. I will just have to do my physio exercises and then maybe see the bonecracker once bub is born.

Haven't tried the massage I'm afraid.

Hermya321 · 17/08/2010 19:52

No I haven't tried massage Thebells.

Dilly I lasted two hours this morning with my support before I gave in and took it off.

Lizzzombie · 18/08/2010 07:25

Hi, I saw a physio last week & she gave me a velcro support belt thing too. I found its really helped me at work (retail - l lots of standing).
But her other main tip was for me to walk slower and take smaller steps. Hmm extremely hard when you have a 3 year old speedy scooterer!

The kind of belt I have had 3 velcro straps which cross over and do up under my bump. (cutting nicely into my tummy flab and giving a weird bumpy bump look!)
Is this the same as other peoples?
Was so hoping for some kind of groin support/sumo style pants thing though - thats where it really hurts!

What type of massage does anyone recommend going for? Physio said I was really stiff in the back anyway.
Hydrotherapy sounds fabulous. But, I don't think our LHA offers that. I wonder if private places do it? Will look into it!

Hope people are not in too much pain today.