SPD/PGP Support thread

Originally Posted by MandaAnda

The reason you can't take ibuprofen is because it's been shown to close up a part of the fetus' circulation (ductus arteriosis and or foramen ovale) that needs to be open whilst in utero (it has to do with the lungs not being fully perfused in utero due to not needing to breathe air then). These "holes" naturally close up in the days following birth with most babies due to the change in pressures because the baby is now breathing air. In some babies they may remain open and can be heard as a "murmur". If they don't close on their own, we can give the baby ibuprofen to help close it. However, it would be dangerous for these to be closed before birth due to the differences in fetal and newborn circulation. Hope that makes sense!

That's really interesting - thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by bigbloomerz

Off to see the Physio today, will let you know how I get on, she might give me some handy tips I can pass on to you all x

Good luck! I'm waiting to hear about my physio appt - hopefully it won't take too long to come through. Luckily, I haven't been feeling so bad over the last couple of days though, so I'm not feeling quite so desperate. Let us know you get on today.

Back from Physio.... What a waste of time and waste of a car park fee!

Basically I went in and she asked what my symptoms were, said yeah that defo sounds like SPD and gave me a leaflet that my midwife had already given me... then said there are support bands you can buy but we just offer a piece of tubigrip bandage and crutches if needed.

So i came away with a leaflet i already had and a piece of skanky bandage that is supposed to last me for the next 14 weeks??!

She didnt tell me anything I didnt already know, said if the pain gets worse to rest up and ask drs for painkillers but DO NOT take ibuprofen.
Crutches would be useless for me as we live in a first floor flat and i hardly go out anyway.

TBH wasnt really impressed with her attitude of "nothing we can do, just wait till you have had her and it will go away"

Hope other peoples physio goes a bit better than mine! x

Hi

I'm new to this site. I also have spd and got in from about 35 weeks pregnant, it wasn't diagnosed until about a week before my son was born(born at 41 weeks) and by that point I couldn't walk. My midwife told me originally that the baby was probably sitting on a nerve or it was sciatica!

Anyway, my son is now 10 months (first baby) and I can barely walk more than 10 minutes. Walking round Asda is about my limit! It's a a total nightmare and noone really knows how depressing this is unless you have it. I had physio on nhs for 6 months and nothing has really improved, they have now discharged me and my dr has referred me to hospital to the rheumatology dept. I've been told it's about 3-4month waiting time.

I had really hoped this would have went away by now and can't believe what a nightmare this has turned into. I was a pretty healthy 29 year old before I got pregnant and now I feel like an old woman who has no life and can't really go anywhere! I guess you all feel the same.

Hope you are all feeling ok, some days are better than others aren't they. It's quite hard to keep your spirits up when you are in so much pain all the time

Unfortunately the SI joint belts aren't provided by NHS so I had to pay for mine. Cost around £30 but I'm using mine I had from last time. I do find it makes a huge difference tho.

If u r in a lot of pain, then believe me crutches do help even just getting around the house, although having said that somedays I struggle with crutches although they are relatively few at the moment.

My physio got me to try a gym ball/ birthing ball which was very comfy to sit on, & gave me a couple of exs to do, which were basically just raising arms up, whilst sat on itt, but are designed to help strenghten core muscles so give a bit more support.

It has arrived today, so OH will be blowing it up for me tonight.

Unfortunately with spd there isn't really a lot anyone can do. Avoid doing things that make symptoms worse, keep kness together as much as possible especially getting in & out of car. Take it careful going up stairs one step @ a time.

Am still waiting to find out when I can try acupucture.

Originally Posted by Shinning_Star

Yeah I realise it's an anti inflammatory but t's also the same family as aspirin. I'm just going on what gp told me.

Ahhh, I see where he's coming from. Ibuprofen is an NSAID. Aspirin does have NSAID properties as well, so I guess that's what he meant. But the antiplatelet (blood thinning) properties of aspirin aren't part of that. Aspirin can work as an NSAID and antiplatelet. Seems the GP just got the reasoning wrong then. Indeed, some pregnant women are purposefully put on aspirin. So, the reason we can't take ibuprofen isn't because of antiplatelet properties (it doesn't have them like aspirin does) but rather to do with the premature closure of necessary bits of circulation in the fetus that I mentioned earlier. Or, as my BNF says about NSAIDS: "with regular use closure of fetal ductus arteriosus in utero and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. Delayed onset and increased duration of labour." I didn't realise it could contribute to PPHN, so I've learned something new by looking that up!
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I spoke to my midwife today who is going to refer me to the physio tomorrow when she's at the surgery. The appointment takes 1-2 weeks to come through. I'm in too much agony to go into work in the meantime and am thinking of getting signed off sick for the remaining six weeks of work (after that, annual leave then maternity leave kick in). Is that reasonable?

I think thats perfectly reasonable hun. Thankfully I sit a lot of the time @ work so I can cope with work, if I couldn't I'd be totally stuffed.

Good luck with the physio. Maybe see if GP can fax referral to physio to speed things up. Here they send letter then u phone 5 days later for appt.
When I had it last time I phoned physio early to see if they had letter 'cos I was desparate, they hadn't but Drs faxed it over, so I got seen quickly.

Physio will only give u crutches @ a guess & tubi grip. If u really struggling maybe worthwhile seeing if mw will refer u to see consultant when u reach 34-36 weeks. Mine did last time & they induced me @ 37 weeks.

Consultant is thinking of doing the same this time. I see him when I get to 34 weeks, will make appt when have 20 wk scan in a couple of weeks.

Get plenty of rest hun, take it easy, hope things ease for u soon.

Hi all

Hope you dont mind me joining.

I had spd in my last pregnancy found it really hard to cope with everyday life....but im now just over 21 weeks and have had spd for aout 4 weeks now and its getting worse much worse i dont see my mideiwfe for another 3 weeks .

I know its spd as i feel the exact same as i did carrying my 3rd child but much worse i feel im not gonna be able to cope as time goes on ive another 19 weeks to go yet and im really not looking foward to it...i dont think ill cope

Welcome to the thread. Go speak to GP & see if he can refer you to physio.
Have you a support belt @ all to help.
I swear by my serola belt.

Hope the next 19 weeks aren't too unbearable.

Originally Posted by Caroline

I think thats perfectly reasonable hun. Thankfully I sit a lot of the time @ work so I can cope with work, if I couldn't I'd be totally stuffed.

Good luck with the physio. Maybe see if GP can fax referral to physio to speed things up. Here they send letter then u phone 5 days later for appt.
When I had it last time I phoned physio early to see if they had letter 'cos I was desparate, they hadn't but Drs faxed it over, so I got seen quickly.

Physio will only give u crutches @ a guess & tubi grip. If u really struggling maybe worthwhile seeing if mw will refer u to see consultant when u reach 34-36 weeks. Mine did last time & they induced me @ 37 weeks.

Consultant is thinking of doing the same this time. I see him when I get to 34 weeks, will make appt when have 20 wk scan in a couple of weeks.

Get plenty of rest hun, take it easy, hope things ease for u soon.

Good to know what to expect from it all, thank you. I really hope I don't have to be induced, as I'd like as natural a labour as possible and am aware that induced labours tend to be harder. At the moment, I feel if I can take things at my own pace (which basically means not worrying about work and getting DH to do as much as possible that causes me problems), I should be fine. It has definitely worsened over the last week though, so I guess I'll just have to assess it as it comes.