any one know about pelvic instability

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 :)

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.

sorry alan i didnt even think
im 35 weeks

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.

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!!!

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

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

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! ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

Hi emz

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

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

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...

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.

:

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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 :) ).

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ROFL Kerry!

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

any tips?

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

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 :loveshower: - DH is feeling very insecure now :rofl:) 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!

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.

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.

I have the same problem.
The pain started at around 5 months pregnant. My son is over 4 months old & I am still in pain if I do too much.
I was basically told to deal with it too, but I only had it in my 3rd pregnancy. So I thought it can't be right. But then a gp explained it to me & it made sence. It didn't help with the pain, but at least I knew what was going on.
By the end of my pregnancy I was depressed coz I was in so much pain I could barely walk. I cried every night.
Then I gave birth flat on my back, with my knees up to my chest too. I found out AFTER that that wasn't a good idea.
Last week I walked down to get DS's 4 month needles.2 or 3 blocks away. I was aching on the way home, but wasn't too bad. I woke up the next morning with burning pain in my pubic bone & I couldn't move.
I spoke to my MCHN about it & she spoke to a physio who is going to have a look as it should be better by now. I just can't do any exercise til I see her - so no more walking.
I don't know what she'll be able to do to help, but anything is better than nothing.
There is a support belt thing you can get to wear. I didn't find that out til last week either, so not much help now!
Just try to rest as much as possible. Don't over do it, & try some panadol. That's all I can suggest. Physio, Chiro or Osteopath might be helpful, but I'm not too sure how helpful.


I just looked at the site Marydean posted. Read it. There's heaps of info there.

I'd just like to comment how it irks me that pg women are not advised correctly how to get help with this. I know two ladies who got this really bad, one was in a wheelchair and the other a walking frame by the final month of their pregnancies! If either had got help earlier (like I did - I knew about it because a close friend had had the same problem 18 mths earlier) they probably could've maintained their mobility right through to the birth.

Take this seriously especially if you're getting the symptoms in the first half of your PG! BTW I'm still doing physio 10 mths after the birth of my baby AND I did all the 'right' things when I was pg. I am loathe to think what would've been if I didn't get help when I did.

In regards to pelvic instability, i am experiencing the same problem, im only 29 weeks and have had it for awhile now.... i would still like to know if there are any negative effects during labour as i was talking to a friend of mine who experienced the same issue during her pregnancy and her labour was really bad to the extent that one of her pelvic bones fractured and had to have an emergency ceasar... this is my 2nd preg, and whilst my 1st was very blissful and easy im very worried and even thinking of opting for a ceasar for this one.... can someone please help as its stressing me out...i have been told by my doctor and obs to rest and been reffered to a physio.... i dont know what else to do...

I second your need to go see a physio who specialises in dealing with pregnant women.
i've got SPD and the physio who runs my pregnancy pilates class here in Ballarat is BRILLIANT, she has given me stretches to do, as well as some dos and donts and they have made a HUGE difference. sure it still hurts a bit to walk around, and some days its worse than others, but its not been as bad the last week or so compared to what it was before I saw her about it!
some of the things I've been told that I've found particularly helpful is:
- don't cross ur legs...as much as possible sit with ur knees relaxed and open - like guys do! its much more natural and puts less strain on ur inner thigh muscles/pelvic muscles...so you can cross ur ankles, but dont press ur knees together, let them sit relaxed
- ice your groin...bub gets all active when ya do this lol, but it certainly helps with the pain management
- sleep with a pillow between ur knees on ur side so that ur top leg is flat, not having the knee leaning downwards
- slow down! if you need to turn, turn your foot out to the direction u need to go to and then turn ur body, dont spin around with ur foot still facing forwards
- sit down to get dressed, put on shoes etc, dont stand on one leg to do things like that, it hurts like hell anyway !

hope those ideas help!

oh and as for labour, have also been told on the back is usually the worst position if u have pelvic instability, particularly if u have an epidural bvecause u cant feel if its hurting and can make recovery harder!

I second your need to go see a physio who specialises in dealing with pregnant women.
i've got SPD and the physio who runs my pregnancy pilates class here in Ballarat is BRILLIANT, she has given me stretches to do, as well as some dos and donts and they have made a HUGE difference. sure it still hurts a bit to walk around, and some days its worse than others, but its not been as bad the last week or so compared to what it was before I saw her about it!
some of the things I've been told that I've found particularly helpful is:
- don't cross ur legs...as much as possible sit with ur knees relaxed and open - like guys do! its much more natural and puts less strain on ur inner thigh muscles/pelvic muscles...so you can cross ur ankles, but dont press ur knees together, let them sit relaxed
- ice your groin...bub gets all active when ya do this lol, but it certainly helps with the pain management
- sleep with a pillow between ur knees on ur side so that ur top leg is flat, not having the knee leaning downwards
- slow down! if you need to turn, turn your foot out to the direction u need to go to and then turn ur body, dont spin around with ur foot still facing forwards
- sit down to get dressed, put on shoes etc, dont stand on one leg to do things like that, it hurts like hell anyway !

hope those ideas help!

oh and as for labour, have also been told on the back is usually the worst position if u have pelvic instability, particularly if u have an epidural bvecause u cant feel if its hurting and can make recovery harder!

Hi there

I had this too and it's the worst thing ever.

Here's a link to a support association in Australia Home which has lots of great information.

As far as the birth goes, the best tip is to not allow your knees to be separated too far in the pushing stage and to avoid being on your back. They also recommend to take in a piece of string that you've used to measure beforehand how far you can comfortably separate your knees.

My pet theory is that the position you push in and how long you push for influences how long the recovery is after the birth.

I started a thread about SPD and birthing choices here https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...es-wanted.html

In short, lots of women recover pretty quickly and others, like me, don't. I put that down to the fact that I had an epidural and then pushed for 2.5 hours flat on my back with my knees against my chest. That didn't hurt at all at the time but I think it further damaged my pelvis and I really wish I'd known then what I know now.

I can't say that the pelvic instability really affected my birth too much but that the choices I made during the birth had a huge impact on my recovery or lack thereof afterwards, if that makes sense!

I posted a long reply but DD mashed the keyboard and it went into cyberspace!

Don't put up with it! My old physio said he wouldn't treat me so late and to put up with it, I could barely walk so I was pretty upset.

I saw my ob and he refered me to a physio who specialises in treating pregnant women, untreated he said I would have needed a walker or wheel chair, I believe him as it was agony to move. He did gentle manipulation and ultrasounds on my back and had me use a walking stick for two weeks. I can now walk easier and only need pain relief on the odd occasion. He also recommends no lifting or bending until bubs as born if I can help it (hard I know but I am trying my best!)

I am getting orthotics too as he can see my knees and feet are out of alignment after having two pregnancies close together everything has loosened up due to the relaxin hormone.

I forgot to add my SIL was told that she may go into labour early if she did too much when she had pelivic unstability, but my ob and gp haven't said anything to me.