SPD (Pelvic Instability) and Birthing Choices - Your Stories Wanted

[fionas]

I would like to do some very informal research on SPD/pelvic instability and the impact that birthing has on post-birth recovery.

I am scared s***less of having another baby because my SPD was pretty full-on for six months after the birth. I suspect this was because I was pushing for 2.5 hours flat on my back (no other choice as I had an epidural) with my legs raised to my chest.

So, I am curious as to whether having a caesarean would be a better option for me.

To that end, I have a few questions:

1. How far into your pregnancy did you get SPD?

2. Before the birth, how severe (1-10, one being the lowest, 10 being the highest) would you say your SPD was? eg. 1 being a bit niggly, 3 you needed a belt, 8, you needed crutches, 10 you were wheelchair-bound.

3. If you had a vaginal birth, how long was your pushing stage and in what position? Did you have forceps/vacuum?

Or

4. Did you have a caesarean? If so, how would you compare the pain recovering from a caesarean to the SPD?

5. How severe was your SPD after the birth (using the same scale as before) and how long was it before you could bend, walk or stand relatively painlessly?

6. How did you manage your SPD eg. wearing a belt, regular clinical pilates etc. etc.?

[*bLuE*]

Hi Fi,
I have had SDP to a degree with all my pregs and it got worse with each of them. I think that it was the worse with baby number 4. I could barley move toward the end of the preg and the pain was pretty interesting afte5r the birth for about three months.

to answer your questions that are relevant to me..
1. How far into your pregnancy did you get SPD? About week 12

2. Before the birth, how severe (1-10, one being the lowest, 10 being the highest) would you say your SPD was? eg. 1 being a bit niggly, 3 you needed a belt, 8, you needed crutches, 10 you were wheelchair-bound. I would say around the 4 mark for the last two pregs.

3. If you had a vaginal birth, how long was your pushing stage and in what position? Did you have forceps/vacuum? Pushing stage was only short for all my births. No vaccuum or forcepts..

I hop that this helps. I dont blame you for being scared s****ess cause it hurts and there is very little that can be done for it..

Bec

[Arimeh]

Hi Fiona,

I got diagnosed with this after having DD - didn't know what the pain was before that, just kept on going with life and putting up with it!!!

I had a c-section. Pain immediately afterwards was not helped by the condition. On day 4, I was unable to walk around the hospital without hanging onto walls - before having her it was not that bad.

I started going to physio 2 weeks after birth - now its 4 weeks and i can walk unassisted and without the belt.

I can honestly say that i did not notice the pain in my belly compared to my pelvic pain. However, all that lurching around trying to walk did not help the recovery of my stitches!!

I'm not doing pilates, just physio.

[Schmickers]

1. How far into your pregnancy did you get SPD?

DW has suffered from back and hip pain for years. During her first pregnancy, she had some minor hip pain, but nothing major. During her second she had strong hip and pelvic pain from about 12 weeks onwards. She was still able to walk and move around. Since then, she has suffered from sacroiliitis, which is an inflammation of the hip joints.

2. Before the birth, how severe (1-10, one being the lowest, 10 being the highest) would you say your SPD was?

Between 2 - 3. Some days she wore a support belt. Mostly she just tried to rest as much as possible, as she was already pretty debilitated with nausea.

3. If you had a vaginal birth, how long was your pushing stage and in what position? Did you have forceps/vacuum?

Kneeling up in the spa. Laboured for about four hours, pushing for maybe 20 to 30 minutes. No interventions.

5. How severe was your SPD after the birth (using the same scale as before) and how long was it before you could bend, walk or stand relatively painlessly?

After the birth - 1-2. DW still gets hip pain after a long day on her feet of if she has to spend time in awkward positions, but it doesn't interfere with her mobility.

6. How did you manage your SPD eg. wearing a belt, regular clinical pilates etc. etc.?

After the birth? Osteopathy, and massage.

[Janie]

Fiona, I don't have any personal experience, but I'll share my step-sister's experience, I hope that helps.

She had minimal problems during her pg. She was concerned about having a big baby, but the midwives assured her she would be fine (which most women obviously are). During the birth her pelvis seperated, doing alot of damage. The hospital really tried to brush it off, wouldn't even acknowledge anything was wrong for the first two days (she couldn't walk at all). She went home with a support belt and crutches, and couldn't be alone with her baby for 10 weeks. She started physio, and swimming, which helped alot. She fell pg again when her DS was almost 2. She wore the support belt from about 3 months, used crutches from about 5 months, and by 7 months didn't really leave the house, if she had to she was in a wheelchair. It was by about 7 months that she needed someone with her nearly all the time to look after her DS. It was thought that she would be able to manage another vaginal birth (especially as this baby was much smaller), but she WOULD NOT, she said she could not cope psychologically, even if she could do it physically. This was some years ago, and she had to really 'shop around' to find an Ob who would do a caesar for her. The birth went well, she actually enjoyed the time with her new baby, and bonded much better with him. They would have liked more children, but it was suggested that it wouldn't be a very good idea for her body. And she agreed. She still has back pain, but I don't know how bad it is, because she is not at all a complainer.

Clearly, her case was rare, and severe, but that's her experience. HTHs

[fionas]

Thanks to everyone who's posted so far. It's really interesting to read of other people's experiences!

[~clover~]

I never had problems with this with my girls.

1) It started with DS at around 16 - 18 weeks & slowly got worse.

2) If I didn't do too much it was around a 2 - 3. If I sat for too long, or walked to far it was hell. By the end of the pg it would've been an 8 - 9. I waddled every where VERY slowly if I left the house at all. I didn't leave the house much. When I did I used a trolley or something for support. Or just went REAL slowly
I probably would've had a chair or something if I wasn't treated like a twit by the first doc I asked about it.

3) I birthed on my back with my knees up to my chest. I had to have someone lift my leg & hold my feet with each contraction as I couldn't lift them myself.
I was hooked up to a monitor though coz of mecconium in waters, so I couldn't really move around at all.
I Pushed for about 20 - 30 minutes I guess. No forceps/vacuum extraction or pain relief.

5) Nearly 6 months on I am still in a lot of pain. If I walk any further than DD's bus stop 100m away it starts aching. I've had to walk somewhere twice & I wake up the next morning with a severe burning pain in my pubic bone area & it is almost impossible to move.
It also aches when I'm tired, or when I have to get up in the night.
Basic house work hurts. Vacuuming & hanging out the washing adds to the pain.

6) It got better post birth, & once my body put itself back together it probably went down to a 3 -5 & has stayed there.
I'm on the waiting list to see a physio to see what I can do to help it. It's stayed pretty steady since about 6 - 8 weeks.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Mine appeared at about week 20 and I had no idea what it was till I self-diagnosed at about week 32. I had been horse riding, infrequently, till week 28 (separated muscles main reason I stopped - even with the belt it felt like a sack of potatoes hanging onto me by a thin thread).
I did have to use crutches on and off and I would rate the pain during the day at about a 5, and at night having to get up for a wee it was about a 9 - I fell over a couple of times and DP thought I was exaggerating, but my leg just kept giving way under me in the wee hours!
I saw the hospital physio for it and the treatment was pretty useless, but only cost me $10, so no biggie.
I never intended to 'push' in the birth and HypnoBirthing was great to teach me how to 'breathe' the baby out - just awesome. I 'breathed' him out in about 40 or less minutes, I was on my knees with my hands resting on the edge of the bath, and the tub was full, so I had a waterbirth, as planned - DP pouring warm water over my lower back. I'm sure the waterbirth was a major factor in my SPD taking a backseat during labour.
Of course, I also had no intention of using any form of artificial pain relief, so I was quite free to birth in the most comfortable way I felt at the time.
I only noticed the SPD came back about 4 weeks after the birth, and the physio's ended up giving up on it saying that if I didn't wean, there wasn't much they could do.
I got onto the ABA forum and asked around there for breastfeeders with SPD. I was referred to a nearby clinic and they have been wonderful. When I have a set back it's because I have neglected to do my strengthening and stretching exercises, especially before doing something strenuous.
After the birth, when I'm not careful, the pain can get to a 6 or 7, but it's never been quite like the 'sledgehammer up my pelvis' strength that it was in late pregnancy.
Also, I think my core strength has saved me from the worst of it. A combination of horse riding and yoga has kept up my core strength. When I feel it coming on, I immediately adjust how I'm using my legs and hips - getting out of the car and bed carefully, lifting things properly etc.
I recommend a good osteo, and I wore a stretchy band the midwives gave me at the FBC, can't remember the name! I wore it over my belly (separation) and over my hips, but I probably could have done with the belt my SIL kept saying she'd lend me and never ended up doing so!