My Tips for Getting Along with SPD

OK, so the first thing I want to say is that for many women, SPD strikes a lot earlier in pregnancy than it has with me – and in that sense I am extremely lucky. But with a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a husband who works away most of the week, I have had to make some adaptations to life pretty quickly in order to see out the rest of this pregnancy with some degree of normality, sanity and smiles!

For those of you who haven’t been affected by SPD before, it stands for symphysis pubis dysfunction – which essentially amounts to pelvic pain that develops during pregnancy. In most cases it makes walking painful, but it also makes simple tasks such as getting in and out of the car or the bath quite difficult – and trying to make yourself comfortable in bed is like a military operation. It is usually quite painful to move your legs apart and to bend at the waist, which means that climbing the stairs, getting clothes and shoes on, dressing children, changing nappies or just doing anything at speed is pretty difficult.

My symptoms struck out of the blue at 34 weeks, and I’ve not had it in either of my previous pregnancies. 3 weeks ago I was still going to the gym and attending spinning classes, today I’m hobbling around on crutches and sitting down for most of the day. If you think you have SPD then you should definitely seek professional advice, but given that the NHS say that SPD affects up to 20% of pregnant women, I thought I would share my survival tips!

Buy a wheat bag – these things smell rather odd, but they are quite affordable and very easy to come by. Heat it in the microwave and tuck the bag around your crotch area when you are sitting or lying down (I never said any of my tips were sexy), it is surprisingly effective at relieving the pain. I got a long one that is easier to position, you can get it here.

Birthing ball – get on it and sit properly! Essentially sitting with a good posture, with your legs bent at 90° and your knees hip-width apart is the best way to sit whether it’s at the table, your desk or in front of the TV. And I was advised to keep up the ‘figure of 8’ pelvic movements as well as a ‘back and forth’ pelvic rock (on the right woman maybe that could start to sound more sexy...? I think my husband might quietly disagree when it comes to one that's 8 months pregnant)

Don’t stand on one leg – not likely, obviously. But it is easy to put more weight on one than the other, so try to stand evenly at all times.

Upper body exercises – only the bottom half of your body is out of action, you can still do gentle upper-body exercises on your birthing ball using hand weights. I find resistance bands still offer quite a few options.

Crutches – if you’re given them by your physio, use them. On a recent weekend away I was under strict orders from my husband not to do anything other than concentrate on using them whilst he did all the running around after the girls. I couldn’t believe how much more comfortable I was at the end of each day than I had been before. I admit though that they’re a total pain to use around the house, my walls are sporting lots of scuffs, I drop them all the time and the girls keep riding away on them pretending they’re horses.

More pillows in bed – as if you weren’t taking up enough room already. Keeping your legs hip-width apart is important, so a pillow between your knees or wherever is most comfortable is great to keep you sleeping on your side. I have one of those bed-hogging pregnancy pillows that goes behind me and then runs down my front and between my legs, I’ve always thought it was brilliant but it’s never been more useful than now.

Miniskirts ladies! – Plus a crop top and a pair of stilettos, that’s what I wear to the park. OK, that’s neither what I wear nor where we go right now. But an imaginary miniskirt I actually do wear. This advice is particularly relevant to getting in and out of the car, to imagine that you are wearing a very short skirt and that you want to behave with some dignity (indeed I have some way to go here - invariably I am in a rush and usually end up with one crutch wedged under the glove compartment and one jammed in the door frame, whilst simultaneously delivering ever more elaborate words of bribery to my seat belt-obsessed 2 year old to GET OUT OF THE CAR). Lots of websites, and indeed my physio, strongly recommend having a plastic bag on the seat, which helps you to ‘swivel’ yourself around before you put your feet on the floor. It does look a lot like you’re worried about your waters breaking on your upholstery, but nonetheless it works.

Take shortcuts – whatever it is you restricted before on principal, now is the time to relax the rules and to make life easier on yourself. Whether it’s making less effort on the cooking front or allowing your children to watch TV, whatever makes your life easier during the coming months. In our house, baths now only happen when Daddy is home (for the children, I definitely still wash daily!) and I’ve replaced the girls’ shoes with ones that they can do up themselves. Never normally allowed food upstairs, the girls now have a snack in bed before breakfast, which keeps my youngest still whilst I help her get her clothes on each day. I’ll deal with breaking these bad habits after the baby arrives – although probably not immediately after it’s arrival!

Accept help – this sounds so obvious, but not all of us are good at it, myself included. But if someone offers, say yes! You can repay them in some way once you’re better, and the easiest of tasks for others (from getting your laundry basket up the stairs to putting on your kids’ shoes) makes the world of difference to your day. If there’s a simple fetching and carrying job that one of your children can do, then use them! If you do have children, and your budget affords it, then pay for help. There is no shame in it, in fact, if I could have a nanny manny I would jump at the chance!

Look on the bright side – I mean this in the least insulting or clichéd way. SPD is debilitating and some days I do feel really down about my lack of ability to do what I want to do, especially for the children. But (and this is a big but) it is a temporary condition. Long term implications from SPD are rare and most women recover from it quite soon after the birth. Managing pain, lack of mobility and 2 children has given me a new perspective and enormous respect for parents who have to manage permanent or chronic conditions together with running a family.

See a physio – ask your GP for a referral, mine estimated it would take about 2-3 weeks which might be bearable if you develop the condition early and it isn’t too severe. I chose to go privately, I was seen the next day and it cost me about £75 plus £17 for the crutches. She confirmed my diagnosis, and gave me all of the above advice. She assessed my range of movement and gave me useful information about what positions to deliver in when I come to have the baby.

And there's one I haven’t tried but might be worth a go…

Tens machine – apparently you can put the little pads on and around the area that is hurting to get significant relief, although this is definitely something you should get the green light for from your GP first.

This article is a feature from the MUM.com Trusted Bloggers Club.

About the author

Siobhan Thomas

Siobhan left the corporate world behind when she had her first daughter in 2010. After that she got involved in Mum.co.uk and became Senior Editor in 2012. She now has two little girls and loves being a mum.

Click here to read my full biography.

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