SPD...shoot me!

[todzwife]

ARGH I had this with Zoey and it's come back already. I'm almost 17 weeks, it started mildly around 13 and I've been trying to keep it under control w/ weekly visits to my chiro. I am in excruciating pain tonight after teaching my class which requires me to sit on the floor. I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow at 11:30, and I'm thinking I may need to up the visits to twice a week if it continues to get worse.

Anyone else have this that wants to whine with me? I literally feel like I'm being ripped apart in the most awkward place imaginable!

[abh5e8]

is that the same as pelvic girdle pain?

i've had TONS more this pregnancy then any othes (also dc#4). i realized that wearing heels and wearing ds2 on my back (not at the same time) was the cause of most of it. i also made other small changes...keep my knees together all.the.time, even when getting in/out of the car. i find sitting cross legs on the floor leaning forward is a pretty comfy position.

[amom526]

Not pregnant atm, but I have had this with both boys. starting at 17 weeks though is rough - I really feel for you. Mine got really bad around 22 or 23 weeks. i literally coul not get on or off the floor, in or out of bed, or up or down steps. I went to a special women's physical therapy place, but they basically said there's not much you can do for a pregnant person with spd. Ty basically told
Me to keep my knees together at all times, especially while sitting up and stuff. they recommended penguin walking or walking sideways if it was really bad. Some people also find relief with those support belts, but it didn't do anything for me. I could barely move by the time I was full term, and it was much worse the second time around. I hope you get some relief at the chiro!

[brittone2]

It really is painful. I had SI joint pain in all three pregnancies, and some pubic symphysis issues in my last pregnancy. I'm so sorry you are going through it!

[queenmama]

I don't remember having it with my first pregnancy but I had it horribly with my second. My midwife said it was completely normal to have worse pains with subsequent pregnancies due to the ligaments having been relaxed. I'm scared to try for a third baby since it was so awful! Does it get progressively worse, 2+ mamas?

Lara

[pastrygirl]

Uh, awful! I had it with both my boys, and the last time it started early like you. I was SO GLAD that he made a surprise appearance at 36 weeks! I had to stop driving at around 28 weeks because it was just too painful. I saw a chiro every 4 weeks and it helped some.


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[spannaz]

FTM here- what's SPD?

Reading through the posts it sounds like I may have it (constant lower back and hip pain that gets worse with everything- sitting, walking, laying down). I'm totally waddling at 16 weeks already especially when I just stand up and start walking.

Does this sound right?


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[swissair81]

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. It feels like your pelvis is falling apart every time you move. I've had it with 4 pregnancies, the last 2, I also had sacroiliac separation. Joyjoyjoy. Sorry OP. You definitely have my sympathy.

[brittone2]

FTM here- what's SPD?

Reading through the posts it sounds like I may have it (constant lower back and hip pain that gets worse with everything- sitting, walking, laying down). I'm totally waddling at 16 weeks already especially when I just stand up and start walking.

Does this sound right?


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Hip and lower back pain in pregnancy can be sacroiliac joint pain. Obviously, you'd need an eval to know for sure. The two halves of the pelvis become unstable in pregnancy because the ligaments that hold them together become more lax due to hormonal changes.

That instability can also impact where the two halves come together in front of the pelvis, right in the groin, and the two halves of the pelvis can kind of separate a bit there, which is very, very painful. That is symphysis pubis (or pubic symphysis) dysfunction. Sacroiliac joint pain and pubic symphysis issues can also happen together.

[MommyAllison]

I'm so sorry! I had it with my last pregnancy, and am dreading that it would come back if we try for baby #4. So, so painful!!

[Blue Hydrangea]

Ugh, I was in pain during my pregnancies too, stairs were the worst! What I found to help was an old school wide canvas webbed double d-ringed belt. Like this:
http://us.asos.com/ASOS-D-Ring-Webbing-Belt/xpf4d/?iid=1907855&cid=3159&sh=0&pge=10&pgesize=200&sort=-1&clr=Black&utm_source=google_product_search&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=google_product_search&WT.tsrc=Google%20Product%20Search&WT.srch=1&affid=2365&WT.srch=1&r=2&mporgp=L0FTT1MvQVNPUy1ELVJpbmctV2ViYmluZy1CZWx0L1B yb2Qv

I got mine at Goodwill for $1, wrapped it really low around my hips, and pulled it really tight. It wasn't pretty, and I couldn't wear it at work (since it was half-way down my butt!). But for just hanging out at home, it did provide some relief.

[todzwife]

Thanks for the sympathies everyone. DH doesn't understand how much it hurts. I tried explaining that I feel like I'm being torn in half...right at the crotch!

I ended up on the couch last night (we played musical beds with the 2 year old) and actually felt that because I didn't roll as much, I didn't hurt quite as bad this morning as I did last night.

Going to the chiro in 15 minutes. My SI joint is bothering me on my right side as well. Thankfully I never make it past 37 weeks...so only another 20 to go. :(

[ArizonaGirl]

Pubic Symphysis sufferer here too.

I tried to explain to DH and my mom and dad that it felt like someone was stabbing me in the crotch with an ice pick every time I took a step. Excruciatingly painful. The 3 months of early labor was like a walk in the park compared to the pain of the Pubic Symphysis separating.

:hug:

[TxCat]

Sorry about the SPD! :hug: That sounds truly miserable.

I'm just having continuous SI joint pain and occasional associated sciatica. Fun. I'm realizing how easy I had it the first time around when I had none of these issues!

[spannaz]

Oh wow. That sounds terrible! I'm so sorry you're going through this, Todzwife, and everyone else that had/ have to endure that.

How do they do an eval for SI issues? I told my GP about the pain, and she just said that its the hormones and if it gets really bad, to take a Tylenol. I refuse to do that because a.) it will only provide temporary relief, and b.) I don't want to rely on that for pain relief. I'm going to see my maternal specialist in a few weeks (first prenatal visit with them), so do I just ask for an eval or do I need a referral to another specialist?

Sorry to hijack and ask my own question, OP :).


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[amom526]

I go to a large practice, and I've found that most of them (mfm practice) don't get spd. Some of them just will not admit its a thing, others say it's pressure from the baby, others say its a thing but nothing to do about it (basically true). I think for an eval best bet is a pelvic floor physical therapist.

[brittone2]

Oh wow. That sounds terrible! I'm so sorry you're going through this, Todzwife, and everyone else that had/ have to endure that.

How do they do an eval for SI issues? I told my GP about the pain, and she just said that its the hormones and if it gets really bad, to take a Tylenol. I refuse to do that because a.) it will only provide temporary relief, and b.) I don't want to rely on that for pain relief. I'm going to see my maternal specialist in a few weeks (first prenatal visit with them), so do I just ask for an eval or do I need a referral to another specialist?

Sorry to hijack and ask my own question, OP :).
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An outpatient orthopedic PT can help. Call different practices to find someone with experience with prenatal and post partum issues.

THe ligaments will still be lax and pg women are still vulnerable to things going "out" as a result. However, the PT can show you things like sleeping positions, getting in/out of bed, rolling over, etc. that will be less likely to aggravate SI or SPD issues. They can also show you some techniques that can sometimes help you get it back in place yourself. If they think you might benefit from a pelvic support device of some type, they can help you get that adjusted correctly.

If you are wondering what the eval is comprised of, basically they'd do a few manual tests, palpate the area you are having issues with, palpate to feel where various landmarks are on your pelvis because that can tell the PT which side of the pelvis is rotated, is it rotated forward or backward, etc. as that will play a part in what needs to be done to get things back into place. They will test various muscles, move your limbs, etc. to better pinpoint and evaluate what is going on, make sure it really is a SI joint (or SPD) issue, etc.

[calebsmama03]

Not pg but wanted to chime in. I had SI joint issues with #2 and 3, with some mild SPD later on with #3. I found a lot of relief from using a back belt like these, but without the shoulder straps
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=553556
It has 2 sets of velcro. One you adjust and keep the same all day, the other adjusts the elastic compression. It helped the whole hip/pelvis to feel much more stable and thus less pain. As I got bigger it wasn't as comfy to wear when I was sitting but I wore it any time I had to stand or walk.

FTR, mine continued a while after the birth. I was using a "shrinx hips" hip belt, which works similarly to the back belt but has much stronger compression, and it helped to stabilize the area and the compression felt good. My hips also did shrink back to pre pg by 8 weeks, while I still had weight to lose. After the weight came off they ended up smaller than pre pg. Was a nice bonus but the SI/pelvic stability relief was worth it alone!

[joules]

I had bad hip pain with DS2. Probably not as bad as OP, but walking definitely hurt and I remember when people asked how I was feeling I would say "Aside from the constant pain, I feel great!". Lol. But I've honestly forgotten how bad it was.

Oh. Now I remember. It was really bad for me at night, it would hurt so much I would wake up from the pain. We switched from a spring mattress to a memory foam one and my night time pain was gone instantly. During the day, the pain was still there though.

[AustenFan]

Huge sympathy here. I've had acute SI pain these last three pregnancies, and it is horrible. I was in PT twice a week. I cried a lot. I so hope that your chiro is able to help. :hug:

[Momof3Labs]

I had it with my first, it went away after delivery. Shrugged off by my OB at the time.

With my second it started earlier, and my midwife kind of blew it off, too, so I started seeing a chiropractor who focused on pregnancy and children. Got worse, and I separated my pelvis during his birth. Took me over two days to convince the nurses and midwife that a "10" didn't adequately explain my pain, and that there was something else going on. A year of excruciating pain followed (I couldn't find the right provider to help me, honestly), and then I found the right physical therapist who spent another year putting me back together again.

With the twins (who I carried to 37w5d and were 7lbs and 7lbs 3oz, so a LOT of baby), I had some minor discomfort but nothing like the first two. I did wear a belly band almost all the time because I found it provided a lot of additional support. It wasn't one of the expensive bands, just some tubes of stretchy fabric that I got off of ebay. I did see a chiropractor towards the end of the pregnancy to try to get baby A to flip and actually found that my pubic symphysis hurt more right after each adjustment.

I honestly think that the chiropractor may have made the issue worse during my second pregnancy. If you aren't seeing improvement, you might want to reconsider the continued adjustments.

[Momof3Labs]

I go to a large practice, and I've found that most of them (mfm practice) don't get spd. Some of them just will not admit its a thing, others say it's pressure from the baby, others say its a thing but nothing to do about it (basically true). I think for an eval best bet is a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Yes, a pelvic floor physical therapist is who finally put me back together. She was the only one who understood what had happened, how it affected me at the time (and what would have improved the healing process), and how to fix me.

[todzwife]

I feel LOADS better after each adjustment, but I don't stay "in" very long :/