Pregnancy Forums

Posted: 27 March 2007 at 11:37am | IP Logged

Is anyone aware of a link between symphysis pubis dysfunction and postnatal depression?

I am trying to put together as much info as I can on SPD. I was told constantly by midwives to watch out for PND once my baby was born. This was partly ue to my history of depression but also to do with my SPD. They reasoned that I would resent my baby for causing me the pain.

Thankfully for me this wasnt a reality but I can see why they would be concerned. I was lucky to be so carefully monitored but I'm sure other women are not so lucky. Did anyone have SPD go on to have PND afterwards? Were your midwives aware of the link?

Thank you.

Posted: 27 March 2007 at 1:08pm | IP Logged

Hiya,

I don't know if there is a definite 'link' as such, but I know most people (SPD sufferers anyway) I've spoken to have suffered from some from of depression.  I think it's more through the actual effects of the condition though ie: the limitations that you suddenly find thrown on you (especially when everyone around you seems to 'bloom'), the pain, the guilt of not being the person/wife/partener/mum that you used to be/want to be etc..  The only thing I was warned about was trying to bf my little one (other than "god help this baby with the meds you're taking) as they said that the longer I tried, the longer it would take the hormones to settle and for me to get better..  I must admit, when I did try, I found the pain to increase ten fold, but then that may well have been down to lying in the one position for too long...

One of the most alarming things that I had heard though, was from a physio who had suffered it herself and tried to do some of her own research (it was unfunded, so she didn't get very far).  She realised that most of the women she came accross with the condition were 'older' ie: in the late 20's/early 30's age group and therefore had been on the pill for a few years (?) she also asked if I was 'hypermobile' and to be honest, I didn't have a clue what she was talking about and she then did a very simple test: hold your had out straight, and with the other gently pull your fingers up the way to see how far they go back - mine go back to a 'natural' 90 degree angle (which is perfectly normal for me) but apparently that shows that I am 'hypermobile' and therefore have a shortage of collagen in my system - that apparently can also have an effect on whether or not you will get SPD.. 

There are obviously a lot of factors at play and there must be some common denominator for so many people to be affected by this.. I know that with increased awareness etc you will always have an increase in diagnosis numbers, but come on... how may people did any of us see walking around pregnant in such pain? or struggling as we are after the birth..?  As far as the midwives are concerned, I'm sorry, but I've yet to meet one who truly understands this condition, the effects of it or the causes.. or even truly gives a damn!!! (I even had one, a couple of days before my elective c-section say to me "well, if you think about it - if your pelvis has separated that bad, then technically it would be easier for you to give birth naturally as you'll have a wider gap" - I won't tell you what my response to that was!.. but these are the people who are supposed to be supporting us) In fact, whilst I was in hospital I ended up telling most of them about the condition etc from the info that I got off the internet.. Why aren't they being taught properly? by the doctors etc? (probably because they don't know either, and don;t want to take the initiative to find out) - I'm very cynical I know, but can you blame me??

God, I'm sorry I've gone off on one again, what am I like??

I'm sure if we pull together, we might be able to get something done...

Good luck and well done hun - we all need it!!

Posted: 27 March 2007 at 1:46pm | IP Logged

Jenny I have also discovered I am hypermobile since having SPD from my pain consultant.

I am suprised and a little upset you were warned not to breastfeed. I understand the reason but there is no proven link and actually my spd stopped for the first 5 months of Edwards life (whilst I was exclusively breastfeeding) and came on again once I started feeding less!

I was also teaching the midwives and consultants whilst pg and I'm hoping that once I can play an active part in the Maternity Services Liasion Committee I can help them to offer better and more structured advice.

(BTW - I've been on the pill since 17 so not that long but all of my adult life until pregnant)

Posted: 27 March 2007 at 5:09pm | IP Logged

I had pnd after having spd with both pregnancies...i also am hypermobile...i only just turned 20 though...but have the joints of an 80year old, with artheritis and fibromyalgia...i have been on the pill since i was almost 16 on and off...typical i was always forgetting it...I think there is a link between SPD and PND but in my case it wasnt resentment either...i just failed to bond with Liam despite bf him...he was an inconvinience how awful does that sound...i just didnt feel the same about him as i did for meg after birth and i still had pnd from megs birth...i too had a history of depression BC (before children).

More research is vital if the med profession are going to understand how to deal with the condition...I had a set of awful mw's and consults at the one hospital as many will remember...and as soon as i switched hospitals i found a few sympathetic ones who wanted induction of labour...they couldnt fit me in as soon as they wanted to but i went into labour anyways!!

Really makes me angry thinking of the times i was crying in pain at hospital and being told it was all in my head and that every pregnant woman feels the same...what they dont know is that not every pregnant woman suffered with joint problems before pregnancy and it was made worse by the pregnancy!!

I too tried to educate them but they shrugged it off and fobbed me off. Nikki (Funchick) will tell you too exactly how debilitating hypermobility can be for some and fibromyalgia...sure for some hypermobility is a bonus many gymnasts use it to their advantage! But for others it is years of pain, hours of sleep lost, and many many painkillers.

Sorry im ranting too...it struck a nerve obviously lol...WE NEED MORE RESEARCH!!

Posted: 27 March 2007 at 5:32pm | IP Logged

I had spd whilst pregnant and then went on to have pnd.  My hip still gives me grieve and they told me once i had ellen it would go.

Noone detected my pnd it was reading dizie article that i went and got helped.  Also when i was diagnosed everyone said i was high risk because of the spd in pregnancy i had and the pnuemonia i developed when i ellen was 8 weeks old xxx

Goodluck hun x

Posted: 27 March 2007 at 7:30pm | IP Logged

I had mild spd with my second pregnancy, that went undiagnosed, and it was only when I had it fairly badly with my third pregnancy that I realised that was what had been wrong.

I don't have any hypermobility that I'm aware of, and the only effect I have been left with is hips that occasionally give me varying degrees of grief. I didn't have any pnd, but then I don't have any history of depression, no-one mentioned it to me either. (But then given all the things that I was told would be wrong with Joe, I think I was just so euphoric that he was born healthy and 'normal' that I couldn't think about anything else.) I was on the pill for about 6 years prior to my first pg.

But then, the only professional who mentioned SPD to me at all was the physio that I saw ONCE while pregnant the third time. She was a star, and spent about an hour talking to me, and she gave me a load of handouts as well as the support belt, advice about birthing positions, and there was a whole load of information there. But nobody else, my own gp, midwives at the hospital, or the consultant that I saw when I went in to be assessed for induction (Joe was two weeks late but ended up coming naturally the day before I was booked in) had even heard of spd when I mentioned to them that I had it.

In all honesty, outside of this site, I've yet to meet anyone who has had any idea of what this condition is. That's in and outside of the medical profession, which is really a disgrace when you consider the number of women who are affected.