Pelvic pain? Is this SPD?

[Dov'sMom]

I'm 39.5 weeks pregnant. For the past 2-3 weeks I've had a lot of hip/pelvic discomfort, but nothing serious.

Yesterday afternoon, all of a sudden while I was walking I felt an excruciating pain in my back/pelvic area -- just ot the left of what I'd call my tailbone. It gets worse and better ever since, but definitely does not get better. I cannot put my full weight on my left leg anymore -- have to walk up stairs like a toddler, leading always with my right foot. It almost feels like I've dislocated something, except that the pain came on so suddenly when I wasn't doing anything at all that i can't believe that actually happened.

So...
Is this SPD?

Will it interfere with my ability to labor effectively?

Is there anything I can do to relieve it?

[Mosaic]

I'm not a doc, but I would guess sciatica before SPD.

[thedenverduo]

What you are describing is exactly how my SPD started. Eventually, I started having intense pain in the front center of my pelvis. I sought out a chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy and she seriously impacted my life those last couple weeks. I didn't have insurance to cover it, but the $$$ was worth it to me. I went in quite often, every 2 or 3 days for some gentle adjustments. I don't know if that seems worth it to you or not being so close to your EDD but I felt a difference after the first adjustment.

HTH!

[claddaghmom]

It could be, but I would also look into piriformis syndrome and spinal-caused sciatica as well.

During my last pregnancy it was so bad that I couldn't walk, I couldn't get out of bed, I couldn't even go to the bathroom without DH helping me. Everyone brushed off my complaints/concerns, saying it was just what I should expect in pregnancy (and DH was as clueless as me).

It was only in passing somewhere online that I discovered piriformis syndrome. It's caused when the piriformis muscle contracts, irritating or constricting the sciatic nerve. It explains a ton of my problems, which existed before pregnancy. I'm hoping to do release exercises and massage therapy to stop it this time around.


PS you ask about labor....I don't know about SPD specifically. During labor, my pain actually went away. I had a lot of numbness in my lower back, pelvic girdle and legs. When I was pushing, I had trouble pushing effectively b/c everything was going numb. Towards the end, my legs started to hurt really badly. I'm not sure if that's related to these back issues or to DD being malpositioned though.

[aloneinid]

SPD is pain at the front center of your pubic bone. The pain you are describing is sciatica. I have had both in my pregnancies and and neither has affected my deliveries. The pain of labor more than wipes out any other aches and pains you might be having at the time. You might try chiropractic treatment to get you through until you deliver, just be sure to use a chiro that is trained in prenatal work. Good luck.

[Dov'sMom]

Thank you everyone for your advice.

My ob/gyn brushed it off as well that's what happens in your pregnancy, weight of the baby, you'll manage. Since my second pregnancy went a good 10 days overdue and I weighed maybe 30 lbs more, I have some trouble accepting that, but whatever.

Happily, whatever it is is getting better on its own. I can now walk up normal stairs like a normal person, though when I tried to get up a large step with my left foot in front I almost tumbled, so it's not totally better. I'm still very sore getting up and sitting down, but it's no longer the debilitating I-cant-do-this pain.

From what I'm reading, it sounds like sciatica is what is imeant when someone says "the baby is pressing on a nerve" and I guess that's probably what happened.

[khaoskat]

Look up PGP (pelvic girdle pain). It is basically the same as SPD, but occurs to the back not the front of the hip/pelvic joint.

I have been having severe pain like that for 2 months. At first I could feel the popping and clicking back there. I am now to the point, at just about 29 weeks that I cannot even do a shopping trip to Walmart. I cannot get comfortable in any position for any length of time...All exercise has done for it is make it 100 times worse, or so it seems.

I am going to ask my OB at my next visit.

I get it on like either side of the tailbone area. It hurts to cross or uncross my legs, it hurts to get in and out of the van, hurts to turn my legs sideways to get in/out of vehicles or benches, etc. It hurts to stand for extended periods of time. It hurts to sit for extended periods of time. It hurts to stand on one foot. It hurts to shift weight from side to side.