SPD at work :-(

[PinkPanther27]

Hi everyone, just wanting some advice really. Its my 2nd pregnancy and I've been suffering with SPD for about 5-6 weeks now. Its most painful when I'm sitting down (my job involves sitting 99% of the time) but is also now painful lying down or walking. I get extremely bad backl pain and hip pain when I'm sat down and have to stand up to relieve it but can only stand for 2-3 mins before I have to sit down. I can't walk very fast at all - I used to stride every in a hurry so this frustrates me, and I def can't run. Walking up stairs makes me breathless and really hurts. Even my buttocks are really painful!
GP has already offered to either prescribe me codeine (not keen on taking this) or to sign me off work. I would feel quite relieved to be signed off work but I'm really worried about waht my boss and colleagues will think. Neither are particularly supportive - my colleagues ignore me for a few days when I'm off sick and moan that I'm not pulling my weight. They are v rarely off sick whilst I have already been off about 3-4 times with this pregnancy - -sometimes for 1 day, sometimes for up to 3 days.

I will still work for the same employer when I return from maternity leave but will be in a completely different office with new colleagues and a new boss. My concern is that if I go to the Dr's and get signed off now (at 26 weeks) they will make my life hell when I return so I am trying to hold off for as long as I can to ensure I can get signed off till the end of my pregnancy and wont have to see them again. I also can't see this pain getting better as I get bigger.

I've made a Dr's appt for a few weeks time to give me a "light at the end of the tunnel" but after a full day at work today I was really struggling - and its only Monday! So I'm worried that I wont manage another few weeks. Do you think my Dr will sign me off till my work activate my maternity leave at 32 weeks or is he likely to only sign me off for a couple of weeks after which I will have to go back to a really horrible and unsupportive environment? Also has anyone else found that their SPD is much worse when they're sitting down?

Hi, I have spd too, had it with Ds and since 15wks with dc2 (am now 29wks). I persuaded work to get me an exercise ball chair (see link below) at about 18wks - it has been a huge help, I find if I sit on an ordinary chair for more than 5-10mins it really hurts when I stand up but standing up from my ball chair doesn't hurt I actually now find being in work less painful spd wise than being at home with demanding 2.8yo Ds!

I know you don't have that long left but it may be worth seeing if your work will get you one (they have to make reasonable adjustments to comply with health & safety regs)

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0051AR2WI (hope that works, difficult to link on my phone - search amazon for exercise ball
Chair if it doesn't)

Hi

If you have a Occ Health dept get referred, I work in Occ Health and I got signed off at 17 weeks with flu/cold, basically bad cold but unable to take anything for it, back a week 19 weeks completely unexpectly with a heart condition ( wasn't just hadn't shown it's ugly face for 10 years and I had forgotten it)sort of sorted out so phoned work I would be back and discharged on the friday, was off from 20 weeks on the Monday with SPD, agony does not discribe it.
I had a consultant appointment the day I was signed off and he refered me to a obstectric physio, she was fab, limited in what she could do, due to my pregancy and she gave me the belt thing, it made matters worse.
She was my life line, she said to me so many times, I have never had a lady who has had to resort to a wheel chair yet in 10 years...she thanked me for just skipping that part and ending up in hospital for almost 8 weeks bed bound on morphine, when the midwives would give it too me.. her record was clean :)
BUT! I had the huff and puff from a couple of staff member in the run up, when I returned 15 months later to 5514 e-mails as I hadn't set up an out of office for ob reasons, the sick time was forgotten, I had been on mat leave, staff had changed..bit like your situation, no issue I was sort of the new girl but knew the ropes.

Thanks for your responses. I contacted my HR dept over 2 weeks ago and told them I was in loads of pain and struggling and haven't heard back from them. I also contacted my Union rep who is also chasing a response on my behalf. My boss said about a month ago that he would try to organise a better chair for me - I reminded him about this. I've not had a response from any of these. I'm gonna give it till the end of the week before I go back to the Dr's. So unfortunately I don't think I'll be getting one of those chairs lindsell. It's frustratin cos I'm trying everything and coming in every day in agony cos I don't wanna leave someone else with all my work to deal with but they don't seem to wanna help.

get yourself signed off -they can't trigger your mat leave until 4 weeks prior to due date

the cure for SPD is delivery (and even then it doesn't go overnight) so if you explain your current situation to your GP I'm sure they will sign you off until 36 weeks, even if they only initially sign you off for 4 weeks

I would seriously consider taking out a grievance too if you are feeling that way inclined
they should have carried out a risk assesment which can be updated at any point during your pregnancy -they should have done a new risk assesment when you revealed that you had SPD and a new chair should have been part of that

Thanks workshy, I think my boss thinks I'm a hypochondriac which might explain his lack of response. As my Dr has already offered to sign me off I will go back to him next week - got loads on at work this week so I'm gonna get through it and try to clear up some loose ends inc ase I'm not back. Don't know why I'm feeling so bad though when they're not thinking about me! I had really bad back pain in my last pregnancy (although not to this extent) so I do wonder if I had it then as I've heard its supposed to get worse with each pregnancy. Workshy - have you experienced SPD too?

Hello. I had SPD in my 3rd pg- pure agony!! Was struggling at work and requested at 24 weeks to be referred to occ health. My line manager at the time didn't take it seriously so I bypassed her. Occ health assessed me at 28 weeks. I was initially requesting reduced hours as I was worse as the day went on. When I saw occ health doctor, he signed me off, with immediate effect. He wrote to my manager stating how it was obvious I'd been struggling for some time. I wasn't allowed back in the building in a work capacity. He said that the level of pain and lack of mobility compromised my ability to do my job properly. He also stated that if there had been a fire, my own safety would be at risk as I wasn't mobile enough to move quickly to safety. I was very relieved! But, it did affect my relationship with my manager. She fell out with me!!! She acted so childishly tbh, her gripe wasn't that I bypassed her- it was that she believed I was faking! Anyway, I haven't been the only person she has treated badly over the years, and while I was on leave, she was redeployed.... Thankfully!!

Go on leave/ things usually work out on the end

Yes I had it -undiagnosed in my first pregnancy as when I spoke to my friends about it they pretty much told me it was general aches and pains of pregnancy!!! (it wasn't but thought people would think I was moaning!)

2nd time round it started at 20 weeks and by 22 weeks I was at the physio

I worked until 24 weeks and had been sitting down at work for around an hour and I couldn't physically stand up -the transition from sitting to standing was the most painful thing I have ever experienced

my SPD actually eased the last few weeks of my pregnancy -not sure if that was due to my excellent physio (great NHS physio, went weekly during my pregnancy and then had 3 sessions after) ???

I actually made the decision not to have DC3 due to the SPD as it does get worse each time round but the advice I was given was if it hurts don't do it -and work hurt!
pilates makes a huge difference, the exercises I was given by the physio were essentially core strength exercises but there are some you are not supposed to do so please get advice about exercises, but also really basic things like the way you get out of bed in the morning (knees together)
the support belts you can be fitted with can be uncomfortable at first but they do make a difference

be kind to yourself and get yourself signed off sooner rather than later -and make sure they pay you for it too :)

Workshy- I felt the same- no more dcs!! However... I got a happy surprise (!) with dc4, and didn't get even 1 symptom of SPD!! I dreaded it starting and by the time I got to 20 weeks symptom free I started to relax about it, and take things as they come. It never happened- thankfully!! Just a thought- although it is likely, it's not guaranteed!. A fact which has also made a friend of mine reconsider her decision

I'm with you on this one.. Absolute agony with spd.. I'm 28 weeks now and planning to work for another 6.. It brings tears to me eyes thinking I've got another 6 weeks of hobbling around the office with everyone thinking I'm faking or just putting it on.. Let us know what happens I'd be interested to know good luck x

Hi ya, well physio didnt seem to be working so I've been referred for hydrotherapy and acupuncture. Finally heard from my work and they said they will try to get me a chair. They also said that they could force me to start maternity leave at 29 weeks if I get signed off by Dr? I thought it had changed to 36 weeks?

it has changed to 36 weeks

I'll have a look and seee if I can find you a link -it's all in my office at work as one of my team is on mat leave lol

www.direct.gov.uk/en/parents/moneyandworkentitlements/workandfamilies/dg_10026556

says mat leave starts automatically if you are off sick in the 4 weeks prior to your due date

HTH