Giving birth with SPD.. advice plz!

[JoAnn&Aimee]

It has just dawned on me that I'll be giving birth very soon (i am getting contractions but no sign of the plug or waters yet). I have really bad SPD that requires the use of elbow crutches. I really should have sought advice about this before now but I always leave things to the last minute.

Just wanted some advice about how I'll do it from mummys who've gone through it as well. I did ask a midwife once and she just replied 'it isn't any different' but surely having difficulty with having your legs open wide would make giving birth a little bit more difficult??

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

Thanks Midna! I've been warned it could take weeks/months to full recover. One of my OHs work collegues told him his wife had it with their last baby 4 years ago and is still sore from it.

 

[CoreysMummy]

Have you not been to physio!? They gave me leaflets and we tried out alsorts of positions.

Minda is right, you wont feel the pain with all the other pain, however, because of this you can really damage yourself. They measured how far I could open my legs, so that when in labour I didnt open them any more than that. And no stirrups.

I had a c-section tho...

 

[Gem & Leland]

i gave birth on my side , was easier then straight on my back , lil one was back to back too .

i still cant move my hips very well now

 

[Mildly]

I think I read somewhere that it is advisable to not have an epidural because as you're numb, you can at points during the labour really irritate your SPD further by opening your legs too far - if that makes sense.

TBH if I feel I need an epidural, I'm having one! But it might be wise measuring how far apart you can comfortably open your legs/knees whilst lying on your back now and letting your OH take charge of checking that you don't go beyond that whilst in labour in case you really suffer for it after the birth.

 

[Sandi4Paul]

avoid stirrups, not that they would routinely use them now a days but don't ouch them with a (sterlised) bage pole if you can help it.

On the bright side i had to have mine in stirrups for stitching, i had it mentioned n my birth plan about SPD so they were very careful. Also withing minutes of the birth my SPD pain was no mroe (i kid you not).

You could get a length of string and measure how far aoart you can spread your legs confortably. makr it and take that with you, then if you need an epi you have the string to show how far they can spread your legs when you can'tfeel it.

Sandi

 

[kalia]

If you want to go in the pool, find out if they have a hoist. I wasn't allowed to use the pool because there was no hoist and I was on crutches (but came in on a wheelchair as we grabbed one on the way in - contractions at 6cm, SPD and trying to walk just seemed too much ). If I'd known I would have forced myself to walk in to the ward so that I could use the pool.

I wanted to be on my hands and knees because I was throwing up so much but my hips and pelvis really couldn't take that well. I propped myself up with the weight on my head a lot - by having the head of the bed up and leaning against it.

I'm sure you'll have found all sorts of weird and wonderful ways to get in and out of seats. Personally, I needed 2 hands. I took a pouch sling to hospital and I'm so glad I did. It meant I could take my baby out of her cot and into bed with me. If I hadn't taken the sling I would have needed the midwife to pass my baby every time she needed fed, I wanted to cuddle her or I was holding her and needed to go to the loo. I haven't used the pouch sling since the first few weeks as I prefer wraps and buckle-teis now but I'm so glad I had it then. I got it off ebay for less than a tenner.

 

[Babylicious]

I gave birth on my back due to it was only 2 pushes and he arrived, be warned it was 100X as bad for about 3 weeks after

 

[DebbieM]

I was on crutches for weeks before the birth with SPD, gave birth with SPD but was so hugh on gas and air didn't notice but it's still pretty bad now unfortunately.

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

Thanks for all the advice! My main fear is being unable to look after Aimee properly after the birth. I don't want to be walking around with crutches for weeks afterwards. The thought of having to have someone else push her about in her pram because of the crutches actually gets me upset! I just don't want to do something stupid while giving birth that will worsen the healing process of the SPD after the birth... if that makes ANY sense whatsoever. I've been getting contractions for 24 hours, lack of sleep is getting to me now and I am getting upset by the slightest thing.

 

[*Star*]

from what i've read you need to avoid opening your legs really wide.
if you are planning an epidural you need to find out yourself while you can still feel down there and see how far you can actually open your legs. then you need to remember that and tell the midwife that you can only physically open your legs this far.
then if you get an epidural and can't feel the pain they wont force your legs open more than they are able to be and then probably cause more damage.

water births are also really really good as i think it the birthing stool.

 

[kalia]

Thanks for all the advice! My main fear is being unable to look after Aimee properly after the birth. I don't want to be walking around with crutches for weeks afterwards. The thought of having to have someone else push her about in her pram because of the crutches actually gets me upset! I just don't want to do something stupid while giving birth that will worsen the healing process of the SPD after the birth... if that makes ANY sense whatsoever. I've been getting contractions for 24 hours, lack of sleep is getting to me now and I am getting upset by the slightest thing.

I was really upset for a long time about the fact I wouldn't be able to take my baby for a walk I needed crutches to get to the loo and going out of the house was close to impossible. By 3 days after the birth the main pain was my stitches. The SPD is still there now but it reduced significantly presumably because of the sudden weight loss from giving birth. And the pain from my stitches was incredible. For about 4 weeks I thought the SPD had gone but once the pain from the stitches had subsided so that I could walk about much more I discovered the SPD was still there. I can now walk for several hours, at the end of which I will be exhausted and achy but it's lovely being able to move again!!! I was in stirrups with a spinal block with my legs further apart than they have ever been at her birth as we had an emergency. At the time her health, given how slow her heartrate was, was far more important and I would still stand by that. I don't know if the SPD would be gone by now if that hadn't happened but I do know if they hadn't done that I would have needed a caesarian. I seem to have gone off at a tangent - my point was going to be that I was able to go for little walks with my baby by using her pushchair for some support, like a zimmer frame. But my DD didn't care whether she was inside or out so we stayed in a lot. But you can push her and if you are with someone else get them to carry your crutches in case of emergency.

Sorry to hear you've had contractions for so long My labour was 55 hours so I can really sympathise with the lack of sleep