any one know about pelvic instability

[bianca_m]

hey every 1
my pelvic pain has been so bad lately that when i go to bed i cant sleep i just lay there thinking about the pain.
it hurts so bad when i turn over in bed, put on pants and even when i walk some times.

i asked my midwife and she just told me to toughen up basically
she said its normal and happens to every 1
but this is really painful. some nights its not so bad others its terrible.

so i did some research on the net and came up with pelvic instability, but couldn't really get the info i need.
-will it effect my labor
-will the pain stop when the baby is born
-is there anything i can do to help with the pain
ect ect
so if anyone knows anything that might be useful please let me know.
thank you

[Alan]

Hi bianca_m

You do not say how many weeks pregnant you are. If you can get back to me with this info I will able to tell you what is going on.

[bianca_m]

sorry alan i didnt even think
im 35 weeks

[Alan]

Hi bianca_m

Unfortunately your Midwife is right, everyone does get this. But for some people it is more painful than for others.
Your body is producing a hormone called relaxin. This hormone loosens all your joints. It is often very painful in your pubic bone usually when you turn over in bed. Your pubic bone is actually 2 bones joined in the middle. When you move these 2 bones rub together and cause the pain.
Now to answer your question.

No it will not effect your labour but it will make it easier to give birth.
Yes the pain will stop after you give birth but it may take a few days.
All you can do to help with the pain is Panadol. or Panadiene but no more that 8 tablets in 24 hours.
Try to take your time when moving.
Try not to make any quick movements.
can't think of anything else but I hope this is of some help.

[lovemybubs]

Hi Bianca_m

My pelvic instability started a few weeks ago, and im only 23 weeks!!!
Ive been given a referral for some physio but most people say its of little or no help.

Cant give you any tips, nothing really helps. I find that panadol is useless, espeicially at night as by the time i wake up to roll over (thats when it hurts most) its worn off and i dont see the point in taking it 3-4 times a night.

The ob that I saw about it last week said that if it gets really bad, they often look at inducing early, altho my Gp said that he has never heard of someone being induced because of it. Maybe Alan can shed some light on that one.

Good luck, take care, and if you hear any cool tips let me know- ive got sooooooo long to go!!!

[Custardtart]

Hi Bianca,
I had this with all my pregnancies and know how painful it can be - for the last couple of months of my last pregnancy I was waking up every two hours to roll over because the pain in my hips would wake me.

For pain relief, I used heatpacks on my hips and also found that sleeping on the couch helped because it is softer than the bed and molded around my hips better, but that depends on your couch!
The other option in bed is to fold a spare doona or quilt under you for extra padding to make a softer surface to sleep on. At one stage I was sleeping on top of a double-folded doona and supported with four pillows to try and reduce pressure on the pelvic joints.

I hope you find some pain relief, warm baths help too, but getting in and out can be a bit tricky in the last few weeks.

Kerrie

[Alan]

Hi Emz
I also have never heard of it. There are some potential problems to being induced early.

[lovemybubs]

Thanks Alan,

Im beginning to have such concerns about my pregnancy care! First i got an ob that couldnt/ wouldnt read or understand our 19 week scan reaport and told us we had to have an additional scan to see "if the baby was big or small" when it was infact because bubs has an indicator of downs syndrome. Then i had another ob that told us that it was his diagnosis that bubs has downs for sure and we needed to make a decision if we wanted to keep her or not (WTF? she has 1 in 282 chance of having it) and now i have some other ob telling me that bubs could be induced at 37 weeks if my hips still hurt! Its nuts. I wish i could just see the wonderful midwife ive been seeing and all the other obs would leave me alone! ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

[Alan]

Hi emz

I can understand your frustration. I think that all OBs should not be permitted near any normal pregnancy.

[bianca_m]

hey emz
i dont know much about these things but i dont know why any doctor would risk your babys health just because you are feeling discomfort you have a while to go i think you should definetly try to find a good doctor or midwife.
i know what its like to beconfused about your pregnancy and it sounds like you are having a hard time.

thanks for your info it was really helpfull
i find that the only way i can sleep at night is on my back with heaps of pillows propping me up the only problem with this is it makes me wake up to go to the toilet more often and my poor husband cant even fit in the bed because of all the pillows
any way thanks to erery 1 for the info provided you have all been great im going to try some of the methods tonight
ill let you know if anything works for me

[kerry]

I have SPD.. sympathis pubis disfunction.. basically my pelvis has seperated to far already... the up side is that it should make labour easier and gets better after bubs is born. Following are some suggestions to help..

When driving in the car... sit on a plastic bag, so that when you get in and out you don't need to seperate your legs but can slide them in and out together... it actually makes getting into and out of the car easier and its much easier to walk once you are out.

Sleep with a small pillow under your lump and one between your legs... in you need to roll in bed try not to seperate your legs (sometimes I wish I hadn't done that 32w ago ).

Keep up the exercise, I know it is relly hard to walk any distance at all but even a 5min walk each day actually helps the pain a bit... Water aerobics is also brilliant.

Chiropractic treatment... My OB actually put me onto this. I was at the point where they wrere looking at sticking me in a wheelchair for the remainder of the pg but then my OB refered me to a chiropractor and I haven't looked back... If you do opt for this treatment you need to make sure the chiropractor has either a a special pg table or a pg belly pillow, that they are experienced in treating pg women and that they also have experience in treating either OP (osteo pubitis) or SPD (sympathis pubis dysfunction). Also check with your OB first.

Another thing that I found (and still do some days) really comforting was to put a cold bottle or even an icepack between my legs... especially when driving or sitting... I know it sounds funny but it was great.

Good luck with finding some relief... to all of you...

[kerry]

EMZ... Where in Vic are you?... maybe Kelly (bellybelly) could suggest a good OB for you... if you are in the west I can recomend 2 guys who are brilliant and not huge on unnecessary intervention or stressing of pg mums...

Alan, I would have had a breakdown if it wasn't for my OB. he has been brilliant (granted not a normal pg here) and supportive of letting nature run its course, maybe I'm one of the lucky ones.. also his midwife team are just as great (and as proof that he aint half bad... they think he is great too!)... although I have heard a stack of horror stories from heaps of others so I am just thanking my lucky stars.

[~Raven~]

Sleep with a small pillow under your lump and one between your legs... in you need to roll in bed try not to seperate your legs (sometimes I wish I hadn't done that 32w ago ).

ROFL Kerry!

[didispunk]

i have just been told i have pelvic issues.. such a pain in the BUTT>>.

any tips?

[fionas]

It's NOT a normal part of pregnancy. I suffered from it from 28 weeks pregnant to six months after DD was born and still have issues now so I've done a fair bit of research. To answer your questions:

-will it effect my labor

Not really BUT you should do everything possible to avoid your legs being too widely separated during labour. I pushed for 2.5 hours flat on my back with my legs pulled up to my boobs which I think is why it took me so long to recover afterwards. A good tip is to measure how far you can comfortably separate your legs before labour with a piece of string and to take that piece of string with you to show the midwives. You should also talk to them beforehand and tell them your concerns so that they can manage your labour effectively.

-will the pain stop when the baby is born

I was told it would but in some cases it doesn't. Mine didn't - as I said before, I had chronic pain for six months afterwards.

-is there anything i can do to help with the pain

Ask for a referral to a physio who specialises in this and who sees a lot of pregnant women. I wasn't so good at going to the physio while I was pregnant because my carers kept saying it would go away magically after the birth. When it didn't, I had a few sessions of clinical pilates which helped A LOT.

The main things to do are to keep your hips and knees in alignment as much as possible so no separating your legs when you are getting in and out of bed, into the car etc. It also helps to keep your hips higher than your knees when you are sitting (so use cushions if you have to).

I found good resources to be a UK support group called The Pelvic Partnership and their Australian equivalent called The Pelvic Instability Association. So Google them for many more tips and information.

Good luck!


ect ect

[belfie]

I've been having hip/pelvic issues for a month or so now, and i found the following tips from Wikipedia (searched Pelvic Girdle Pain - PGP) so dunno if this is exactly the same for you guys... I also have been seeing an osteo experienced with PG who's suggested I do some of thefollowing (and really helped). I got a Snoogle pillow for bed (I love my snoogle - DH is feeling very insecure now ) and also have found I'm better after sleeping on the sofa. I've also spent years sitting with my feet up - so now I always sit legs down, feet supported, back straight etc., I put my coat behind my back on the train for some lower back support. Rolling over in bed, rather than legs together, I seem to get less pain if I drop the leg I'm pivoting on (IYKWIM) and keep the other knee up, and just rotate over the straight leg... if that makes sense. When I kept my knees together it killed! I also "catch" in the hip when I try to stand, if I arch my back a bit before standing, it locks my pelvis and i get much less pain (and can actually stand on both legs - always a good start!).

PGP tips from wikipedia:

• When getting into bed sit on the edge keeping knees close together, lie down on your side, lifting both legs at the same time. Reverse this to get up.
• Try not to attempt to pull yourself up from lying on your back.
• Keep knees together when rolling over in bed.
• Sleep with a pillow between the legs; add more in other areas for support.
• When getting into a car: Sit down first and then swing legs keeping them together.
• Avoid sofas and chairs that are too low or too soft.
• Try to reduce the stress on the joint.
• Avoid any movement with your knees apart.
• Take smaller steps when walking.
• Avoid stairs if possible.
• Take breaks.
• Move within the limits of pain.
• Avoid twisting, bending or squatting.

Good luck, it is a right pain in the *ss.... literally!

[sweetpea678]

if it gets realy bad see a physio i ended up with a support belt to hold hips together wich easied the pain a bit but could not sleep with it on. I also had take panadine to sleep as i was in so much pain this easied it a little. My pain left as soon as she was born. Though still some pain on rolling in bed.

[AnyDream]

Ladies, don't muck around with this, see a good physio who specialises in treating women as this can get really debilitating if you leave it and don't take steps to stop it worsening.

There is also a support group with some helpful information on their website.