having SPD gave me a greater respect for the elderly and disabled. If I see someone painfully crossing the road and I have to stop for them, I always give them a smile and a wave so they know I'm not frustrated, because if they could walk faster they could. I learnt to say "yes" to offers of help, and that I am not superwoman and nobody expects me to do everything.

I learnt that my husband is patient and sympathetic, and that my kids can cope with having a mum who cannot play if I explain to them that I am sore.

My SPD got a huge amount better towards the end of the pregnancy, and was about 90% gone just a few hours after giving birth. I still get twinges down the track but I know not to push myself, and that there is still a lot of exercise I can do without hurting myself. I have been able to walk off my baby weight, and appreciate my health now in a way I did not before.