Hi Jess, sorry that you aren't having all that much fun atm with your pg. I have severe hypermobility affecting all joints. During my pg I was diagnosed (very early) with SPD (sympathis pubis dysfunction) and needed to wear a brace and do physio. However after searching the net and discussions with my briliant OB I decided to try a chiro. It was a total godsend and considering at 21w I was bearly walking (little teeny tiny shuffle steps) the chiro kept me on my feet and functioning. Initially I went once a week then I went once a fortnight after the first month.

If you decide to go down this path (chiro) you need to ring around and find one who is confident and experienced in treating pg women and also treating either SPD or Ostitis Pubis (what aussie rules footballers get). You could also ask if they are familiar with the Weber technique. This is a technique designed by a US chiro to help turn breech babies... knowledge of this would be a good indication of expereince treating pg women and also would mean that they have some degree of training into the treatment of SPD.

For your info The treatment I receieved was some very minor and gentle lower back manipulation to line up my hips, emphasis here is on gentle, then for my Pubis (which had vertually seperated when I started treatment) it was impact with a little hammer punch along the pubic bone. It wasn't the nicest or most pleasant treatment but by the next morning I was walking pain free.. then gradually over the next fortnight the pain would come back, but never as bad as the previous time.

Some Other Tips for Coping with Pubic Symphysis Pain

Use a pillow between your legs when sleeping; body pillows are a great investment!

Use a pillow under your 'bump' (pregnancy tummy) when sleeping

Keep your legs and hips as parallel/symmetrical as possible when moving or turning in bed

Some women also find it helpful to have their partners stabilize their hips and hold them 'together' when rolling over in bed or otherwise adjusting position

Some women report a waterbed mattress to be helpful

Silk/satin sheets and nighties may make it easier to turn over in bed

Swimming may help relieve pressure on the joint

Deep water aerobics (not recommended if you have hypermobility as there is no joint resistance in the water!) or deep water running may be helpful as well (there are flotation devices to help you stay afloat easily during this; you do not need to know how to swim in order to do this)

Keep your legs close together and move symmetrically (other sources recommend a very small gap between the legs with symmetrical movement)

When standing, stand symmetrically, with your weight evenly distributed through both legs

Sit down to get dressed, especially when putting on underwear or pants

Avoid 'straddle' movements

Swing your legs together as a unit when getting in and out of cars; use plastics or something smooth and slippery (like a garbage bag) on the car seat to help you enter car backwards and then turn your legs as a unit (THIS WORKS SO WELL)

An ice pack may feel soothing and help reduce inflammation in the pubic area; I used to carry a small coke bottle filled with ice and sit with it between my legs... before chiro it was my only relief.

painkillers may also help

Move slowly and without sudden movements

If sex is uncomfortable for you, use lots of pillows under your knees, or try other positions

If bending over to pick up objects is difficult, there are devices available that can help with this

Really severe cases may need crutches, although these should probably only be used as a last resort

Sciatica may be helped by stretching the hamstring muscles with a stirrup around your foot (long piece of rope, two neck ties tied together, etc.)

Some women report that pelvic binders/maternity support belts are helpful for pelvic painm but if the pelvic bones are really misaligned, some women report more pain with these. Listen to your body on whether to use these

I found keeping some degree of activity resulted in less pain than total rest.

Pelvic rocks (getting on all fours and then slowly tilting the angle of the pelvis back and forth) are general recommended exercises for all pregnant women, plus they help promote good birth positions for baby. They can also help ease tight low back muscles. It is usually recommended to do 2-3 sets of 40 of these throughout the day. You can also do them sitting or standing against a wall, but on all fours is often most comfortable and has the added effect of helping the baby's position, which may be important with SPD.

I hope this helps... there is heaps of info online about SPD and things that can healp easy the pain... above all else listen to you body... if doing something makes the pain/discomfort worse then stop.

Hoping that your pg is soon pain free and easy so0 that you can enjoy growing your baby.