Broken Tailbone and natural childbirth???

Broken Tailbone and natural childbirth???

Hiya,

I injured my tailbone while having my daughter 8 years ago (the labour was very quick which I assume had something to do with it) and never had it looked at too busy coping with a newborn and eventually I just learnt to live with not sitting on the floor on my bottom and sitting carefully on an odd angle when sitting on hard surfaces, it's funny how managing it became normal for me.
Now I'm 30 weeks pregnant and I have recently been going to my osteopath for work on my hips due to INCREDIBLY bad pains at night and while there I mentioned my tailbone pain. When she examined me she couldn't find the end of it at all... which isnt good.
Yesterday I went back again and (I apologise for TMI) and she examined me internally (yep from up the bum:redface:) and discovered that my tailbone has been broken and has fused tucking under me and to the left and the end has split into two forks instead of being one point.
She got it to start moving very slightly (huge ouch) and says I need to go back for another treatment in two weeks... yay not.
Anyway my concern is when it comes time to give birth if it hasn't become flexible again, my midwife is away and the locum said that it would just mean a more painful birth and I wouldn't be allowed an epidural due to having to be upright because of the tailbone. I never had any pain relief with either of my last births but I'm 8 years older than I was last time and liked the idea of having that as my backup plan if needed.
Add to that and bubs is still breech at present and I'm starting to get worried.
Has any one else had this problem? how did it all go? Any advice or reasurance would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers Missy

Mines not as bad as yours so dont take it as gospel but I have had 3 babies with damage and no pain relief.

Mine was dislocated with my second labour and no one noticed because it didnt hurt. Then one day several months later I had this sneeze and the way I was sat when it happened made it pop back in. Pain radiated right through the area and the soft tissue around it was damaged. I can't sit for protracted periods anymore without it becoming painful and uncomfortable. Yes, like you - 11 years later I am just used to sitting on funny angles and moving around to cope.

I am sure you can discuss alternatives with them if need be, they have so many options for us these days it seems impossible to think they cant find a way to make just the pushing stage of labour a bit more comfortable on your tail bone. Maybe a peth can take the edge off the tailbone pain at the end? I hear it does nothing for contractions, but this is different.

Also bub still has plenty of time to turn. People dont usually get concerned until 36ish weeks. Thats when they start running out of room.

Thanks alot for your reply I appreciate it, you've helped me feel a little better, a little more hopeful so thanks for that.
Not long to go for you now, all the best for number 6!!!!!!

Cheers Missy

A close friend had a similar problem. She broke her tailbone when she was younger and found she had really bad pains in later pregnancy

The good news, she has had two subsequent vaginal births with no pain relief. One of those births was even a breach baby so anything is possible.

HTH
Spring.