Advice on coping with pelvic pain and SPD in pregnancy.Discuss pelvic pain & spd on our forums, right now! Or, post a comment below.Many women suffer from severe pelvic pain during pregnancy and in the months after their baby is born. This has often been dismissed as a nasty side effect of carrying a child however more of the medical profession are starting to take this relatively common complaint more seriously.
SPD or symphysis pubis dysfunction can occur from the first trimester onwards and is caused by a loosening of the pubic symphysis, a joint at the front of the pelvis, during pregnancy. Symptoms include tenderness, pain and a feeling of pressure in the pubic area, severe discomfort lifting or parting your legs, shooting pains in your lower body, a clicking feeling in your pelvis as you move (possibly feeling like your hip is moving around in the joint) and sometimes backache too.
What causes it?The symphysis pubis is the strong, ligamented joint that holds the front bones of the pelvis together. It helps to stabilise the pelvis, allowing free movement of the legs and lower body and under 'normal' circumstances is very inflexible. During pregnancy the pelvis needs to be more adaptable than usual to make room for a growing baby and to allow for baby's passage during birth. However, just as you can overstretch other joints in the body during pregnancy, some women experience an overstretching of the symphysis pubis which can be responsible for the aforementioned symptoms.
It is the aptly named pregnancy hormone 'relaxin' that is responsible for this loosening and stretching of the ligaments to make room for a baby. Its believed that SPD and pelvic pain may be down to an excess or oversensitivity to this hormone coupled with misalignment of the pelvis or lower back. Unfortunately for this reason its believed that if you suffer with SPD during one pregnancy and do not receive treatment, you may also experience it during subsequent pregnancies although there is no way of knowing for sure.
What can be done?If you are suffering from pelvic discomfort you should visit your doctor as soon as possible as they will be able to advise you on the best course of action to take and may prescribe you some pregnancy-safe pain relief or refer you to a specialist physiotherapist or osteopath. However there are many steps you can take in your day to day life that will help to reduce your discomfort, these include...
- Wearing a support band or Tubigrip to provide more support to the pelvic area.
- Placing a pillow between your legs while sleeping.
- Keeping your legs as symmetrically together as possible when sitting or lying down and when getting out of bed or a car.
- Sitting down to get dressed and when putting on shoes.
- Taking the stairs one at a time; placing one foot on a step and bringing the other up to meet it before moving to the next step.
- Swimming, floating or exercising in water to help aleviate pressure on this joint
- Practicing pelvic floor exercises to help bring more stability to this area
- Resting whenever possible
What about the birth?You should inform the midwifes present at your birth that you have suffered with pelvic pain during your pregnancy so that they will be able to support you accordingly. Generally, more active birth positions such as kneeling or all fours are more comfortable however you should do whatever feels best for you at the time. If you do have trouble parting your legs during the latter stages of pregnancy do ensure that your midwife knows this especially if you have an epidural as they will be able to keep you focused on not over widening your hips.
Fortunately for the vast majority of women pelvic pain lessens and gradually disappears in the months after their baby arrives. Treatments such as osteopathy and physiotherapy area also a great help in speeding up the recovery process.
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I'm so sorry you are in so much pain. This is my first pregnancy I was diagnosed with PGP at 17 weeks. My MW reffered me to physio but didn't seem to be much bothered about it. 1st two appointments didn't help much I was only given some exercises to do, given tubigrip and support belt and thats all. Over last couple of weeks the pain started to get worse, I wasn't able to sleep, walk or sit without crying. I went to see my GP and she was really understanding, was prescribed some co codamol (loads of it) and given another physio appointment on Monday, manual therapy this time:-p So now I'm waiting, I have to say painkillers are helping me sleep, and I'm not in so much pain as long as I'm not moving, I have taken this week off work. Not really sure what will happen after, and if physio won't help will GP sign me off work? I'm just dreading going back and be in that pain again. I feel pretty low down, I always thought pregnancy is something wonderful, never expected to be as painful. Sorry for moaning, sitting and not being able to do much is killing me! Please let me know how did you all get on!
I've felt quite alone until I found this page, my husband is supportive but at times I feel he thinks I'm exaggerating, especially when I cry at night times as I can't get comfortable in bed or he comes home from work and I've achieved nothing with my day. None of my close friends have children and at times I feel they think I'm making a fuss (sure its just my hormones making me paranoid!) People keep telling me to enjoy the rest as I won't get time to relax when the little one arrives but its easier said than done when even walking to the toilet is a trial!
So I just want to say its really reassuring to hear that I'm not alone in this, I feel guilty if I moan as I know there are far worse complications which could be dangerous to my baby but sometimes I feel like I could just cry! There's still 11weeks to go! I'm sure it'll all be worth it once I hold my little baby in my arms :)
I suffered during my first pregnancy (Isabel born 26/06/2008) and am suffering even more this time round (due 06/07/2010). I have to stay at my parents most of the week as my husband's work makes it tricky for him to care for me and his daughter. He was actually making himself ill trying to do everything for us! All I can do is sit and watch people help and do things for me, very frustrating. But what bothers me more, if possible, is everyone telling me I can't have any more children. I'm not even sure I planned on more but I'd like to chose for myself. I hope that after this one and if I decide to try again I could be more prepared before we even conceive and lessen the agony before it even begins - will that be possible Kelly? Also do you have any more tips for labour? Want to have vaginal as I had a c-section for other complications last time. Is it safe to sit on a birthing ball for example? Remember it being quite nice last time!
Anyway to all those with a way to go, there is light at the end of the tunnel and there is a good chance it will disappear as soon as you give birth. Just focus on that little baby how happy you'll feel finally holding him/her in your arms.
Good luck one and all
xx Em xx
First of all i would like to say i feel for all of you and would not wish this on anyone.And im glad that most of you are now getting the care and support or advise thats needed especially as the heaith preffession now realize and are starting to appreciate how painful this condition is,and its so much more heard of and common now a days.
There was nothing like this around when i had my ist child and SPD had been totally unheard off!!!
There fore i would like to share my experiances with you, well i am a mother to 5 my eldest is 13 years old i then went on to have twins girl of which are 11 now i had spd through out both these preganancys although there wasnt a name for it then i was told i was in all lot of pain with my 1st because he was a big baby (9ibs 6oz) made sense so i didnt dispute it also as it was my 1st pregnancy so had nothing to compare it too. Then fell preganant with the twins and the pain got worse pretty much told the same only that the pain was due to carrying twins. 6 yrs later i had another child and thats when i was given a name for what i had.
I was given a support belt and refered to a physio the pain got worse the more children i had. so much so that i couldnt get up after i sat down, couldnt get out of bed to go to the toilet in the night. bed time was the worst for me my pubic bone used to feel like it had locked and i felt like it would snap. And because i couldnt get up straight away it had resulted in me actually wetting myself.
when i went to see the physio and explaned to her what was happening she knew straight away what it was, and i felt so relieved that finally some one was listening and knew what was happening to me, she gave me some sound advise ie for bed time and during labour she advised me not to have an epidural as i wouldnt feel my pain below and could come out of labour damaged for life.she also recommended i have my daughter standing/squatting over a pillow which i did!! And the last piece of advise she gave me was no more children as could end up with long term damage,,, well i didnt listen to that last piece of advise(well not straight away anyway) i went on to have my 5th child (daughter whos 3 now) with all the pain as before but worse, i had to have a c section and was advised by my gyn to be sterilised. which i was. I dont have any long term damage thankfully,Only having to have been sterilized at the age 29, but still im greatful i have 5 beutiful happy healthy children. Hope this will be some help to you all. All the best kelly
this is my 4th pregnancy and second time having spd. The first time i started to get the pains was in my third pregnancy around 8 weeks, signed off work at 12 weeks then put on crutches by 19 weeks labour was the worsed sadly i had a stillborn so im crossing every part of my body this baby is ok. I started to fill the signs of spd around 6 weeks witch gave me the clue i was pregnant!!!! i ended up in so much pain i was coming home from work crying thinking i couldnt cope with it all again!! I was given crutches again by 11 weeks there was talk of a wheel chair later on!! A few weeks ago i took my children swimming and since then my wish of a happy pregnancy is slowly coming true the pain is still in my back but i have no pain in my legs hips or anything. There is still chance it can start again but fingers and toes crossed it doesnt.
so good luck x L x
Some other tips are: Not standing with your hips forward.
Walking quicker being mindful not to allow yourself to 'waddle!'
Pelvic floor excercises.
generally standing up straight.
trust me, regularly doing this stuff really helps.
Merry Christmas!
My midwife is very supportive with this condition and know quite a it about it water birth is said to be the best and as long as you can get in and out with help in case of emergency thats the best way to go, but dont deal with it untill 3 week till your due as how you feel now will change by then.
Take it easy and try to do nothing till your baby is born and then when he/she is here again try to do nothing as it might not go for weeks, months or i have even heard of years.
Good luck and there are others out there with this condition.