Pregnancy Forums

Posted: 08 January 2007 at 7:27pm | IP Logged

Oh remembered another tip.

Wear silk/satin pj's as it helps you roll over in bed. Use a v shapped cushion to support your bump and put a pillow between your legs to help keep you straight. If you find you are opening your legs in the night without realising causing pain, tie a dressing gown cord around them loosly, it can also help you roll yourself over.

Posted: 09 January 2007 at 11:30am | IP Logged

On no please dont cry!

First off how many weeks are you? How bad are you at the moment? Remember it may not worsen! You wont nessesarily need crutches, wheelchair, or any of that.

Make sure that physio appt comes through really soon! You need that support belt and exersizes. Do make sure the person you deal with knows about SPD!

We will help and support you as much as we can from here. Contact your HV to get the support you need that end!

You are NOT a bad mum! You cannot help this! Rest as much as yo can. Explain to Hannah you cant pick her up as much. You will probably have a few days of tantrums while she gets used to it but stick to it and she'll get used to it. Tell her she needs to be a big girl now.

Make sure you have somewhere comfortable to sleep as it is important for your own sanity that you sleep as well as you can!

Remember I'm always here!

Posted: 09 January 2007 at 1:29pm | IP Logged

You really need to badger your hv and dont let her fob you off, they tried it with me once over Harrison and his speach therapist, I badgered them that much i think they dealt with me, just so i'd leave them alone for a few days.

Posted: 09 January 2007 at 1:46pm | IP Logged

I agree with Rin, pester them. You may find they appriciate being asked. I know mine did!

Have you discussed painkillers with your gp? There are things you can take whilst pg! I was on painkillers from 20 weeks, and even morphine in the last week and Edward is completely fine so dont worry about that!

When you sit down pad yourself out with cushions so you're as comfy as possible! Use a wheat bag warmed up to help relieve the pain! Also make sure you take down everything you need from upstairs in one go (use a bag if needed) to avoid extra trips upstairs.

Posted: 09 January 2007 at 4:21pm | IP Logged

Hi Georgina,

Please, please, please get your health visitor out!! mine was worse than useless too and since it's a man I found it really difficult to talk to him on top of everything else.. As I keep being told "it's a swine of a condition" (and that's by the consultants) and to be honest, very little is known about it at 'street level' ie: midwives, health visitors - even GP's at times, so it really will be up to you to demand the help you need - but just remember, that's what it's there for!! the fact that you don't see your HV isn't your fault but they won't know whats going on unless you tell them!! and, as you need their referal for some things, they do have their uses!!!!!

Your GP can help with pain relief, I know you might not want to take anything when pregnant but dealing with the pain and the stress/depression it can cause might actually be more harmful.. Your GP wouldn't prescribe something unless they thought it was safe or at the very least the benefits would outweigh any potential harm.  I had quite strong painkillers all through the pregnancy and the run-ins I had with my MW over this were unbelievable, to the point that I eventually barred her from our house and made a formal complaint.. At the end of the day, I sat down with my GP and dicussed the risks/benefits in great detail and they put my mind at rest that baby was safe, so who was she to question that?? Baby was fine, and showed no effects whatsoever when she was born and still hasn't and she's 4 now.. In fact to be honest, she's actually the healthier of my two and I didn't touch anything first time around..

Please don't feel like a bad mum, you're not!! you can't help having this condition and the more you do to help yourself just now by getting extra things/help in place, then the longer you can manage to stay out of hospital (and with your kids).  Your children will adapt! they might find it strange at first but pretty soon it will become the 'norm' for them, they are a lot stronger than we give them credit for!!

I know how you feel though and my heart really does go out to you as it is so lonely and so many people don't seem to understand how painful/debilitating it is, I think because it isn't something that they can't see, like a plaster cast etc it's assumed that you're exaggerating... (I still get that so many years donw the line!)..

Please keep in touch with the computer, I wish I had this a few years ago - it would certainly have helped me cope.. The pelvic partnership was really good for info and I see someone has already put there link on here..

I know it's difficult, but please try to remain positive, I just took each day one at a time and you can only do what you're physically capable of.. the house won't fall down because it's untidy or the washing needs doing, take rest as/when you can and once again, please get help!!!! after all, we pay our taxes and NI for the help to be in place when we need it!!

I'd be really interested to kep in touch with you as I'm hoping to start some form of campaign for more research into this condition as it is becoming more & more common and personally, I think there must be something causing it..  Hopefully, if we can find out what it is we can help others in the same predicament..  Can I ask, when you into sports when you were younger? if so, what type? and do you know if you're hyper-mobile? (I didn't know what this was when I was asked but a quick way to check is to put your hand out straight, and with the other hand lift your fingers up to see how far they 'naturally' go.. don't force them, just do it gently to see whether your fingers can stand straight up, go further etc.. if you're any good with angles, that would help... ie: 45 degrees etc..) and also, with your previous pregnancies, did you get many stretch marks? These were questions that I was asked by a physio who was doing her own research into this and it's a good starting point for what she thought was happening...

I've just realised how much I've written here, sorry.. As you can gather, it's a subject very close to my heart and if I can help you in any way, please, please get in touch.. you don't have to be alone - we are all here for you!!

Even if you want to phone, just so you can speak to someone who understands and in many ways is still in the same boat as you, then please feel free! I would love to help...

Posted: 16 January 2007 at 9:52pm | IP Logged

I have been having awful pain 'underneath'  when walking about & excruciating lower back pain, aswell as the hard time turning in bed & in/out car!!!I was telling my midwife about it while she was watching me struggling to get my legs on the bed for her to listen to babys heartbeat, & she said 'awww its prob SPD/DSP (said it maybe either of these! 1's worse than other apparently!) and that its just another one of them things that pregnancy brings with it'!!! I asked her what i could do cos i was finding it hard to cope with looking after my 4 yr old & working too, she told me if the pain gets unbearable to let her know & she can refer me to a physio but as theres nothin really that can be done theres not much point and then told me ' it'll all be ok after the babys born'....I still have 6 1/2 weeks left!!!!! 3 of them i am still going to be in work for!!! She hasnt documented it in my maternity notes so the delivery midwives are going to know nothing about it, & i've heared this is the worst time for SPD sufferers?????   HEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLP!!!!!1

xxx

Posted: 16 January 2007 at 10:14pm | IP Logged

Femail I have just PMed you.

If ANYONE needs any help or support with SPD or just a shoulder to cry on when it gets tough please feel free to PM me!