Sacroiliac joint pain durin pregnancy and pain during labor

[Franci]

Hi.

I've been searching a lot of threads on sacroiliac joints pain since I've been plagued with it for the last two months. I think seeing an ostheopath caused the problem in the first place...she cracked my lower pack and I started having the pain right after.

Then I saw a craniosacral therapist twice, with no success, and last week I've seen a chiropractor with experience in webster technique. So far no results. Although I think seeing him has been positive since he said my uterus was slightly tilted and he adjusted that, by night I could feel the baby shifting to LOA when before was ROA. Now I think she is going back and forth between the two.

I've been trying to strecht and alway sit on a ball. Some days are better than others but the most of the night I'm just in pain.

I'm 35 weeks tomorrow and I'm start worrying about labor and back pain.

I was wondering, if you had the problem, how was your labor? Did the pack pain affected your labor and made it more painful? My concern is that the pain is somewhat going to be amplified by the already existing problem.

Thanks for your experience and any though that could help.

[MonkeysInk]

No labor advice, as I'm still pregnant with #2 and didn't have any with #1, but I had terrible SI pain for about 10 weeks that my chiro could never resolve.  I got acupuncture (three treatments so far, one more scheduled) and have no more pain.  If you feel comfortable giving it a try, I would highly recommend it.

[loonar]

I was almost completely incapacitated by SI pain during the second half of my pregnancy, and had the same fear about labor. It ended up not bothering me during labor at all. Hope that's the case for you, too.

[Marissamom]

The only time my SI pain bothered me in labor was when I was pushing, hospital birth with a OB who was very unfriendly to natural birth, as I was in the C-Position and all my weight was on my sacrum. 

I did have a wonderful Physical therapist who was able to really help with the SI pain. 

[Intoit]

I had bad SI pain before I got pregnant, been fighting with my SI joints for years and chiropractic care usually helps. Been seeing a chiro regularly this pregnancy and it has gotten better, but not quite completely resolved. Hopefully it doesn't become an issue during delivery, and I'm thinking we'll be able to get it straighted out after the baby gets here and my hormones aren't interfering with everything else in my body.

[Mamatoabunch]

I have had SI joint pain w/ all my pregnancies, but it never affected labor. I never had discomfort from it. My last 8 were born at home, in water. I chose my birth position.

[Franci]

Originally Posted by loonar 

I was almost completely incapacitated by SI pain during the second half of my pregnancy, and had the same fear about labor. It ended up not bothering me during labor at all. Hope that's the case for you, too.

Originally Posted by Mamatoabunch 

I have had SI joint pain w/ all my pregnancies, but it never affected labor. I never had discomfort from it. My last 8 were born at home, in water. I chose my birth position.

Hopefully that's going to be the case for me too. Since I posted it has been going a little better. I don't know if it's because of the chiropractor...I also remebered I bought a pregnancy belt from last pregnancy and maybe that is also helping a little bit. If I walk too much I feel in pain and also if for any reason I have to lie on my back.
 

Originally Posted by Intoit 

I had bad SI pain before I got pregnant, been fighting with my SI joints for years and chiropractic care usually helps. Been seeing a chiro regularly this pregnancy and it has gotten better, but not quite completely resolved. Hopefully it doesn't become an issue during delivery, and I'm thinking we'll be able to get it straighted out after the baby gets here and my hormones aren't interfering with everything else in my body.

I bought different books on pelvis pain, trying to understand better. The one I liked better is http://www.amazon.com/Pelvic-Power-Exercises-Strength-Flexibility/dp/0871272598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295734611&sr=8-1 . It is not plain exercise as I found for other books but really wants you to understand how the pelvis works in order to exercise more effectively. Honestly, it takes to much dedication now and I think a little hard to visualize it and I don't have the time at the moment but I love it. Other thing I wish I could do is going to alexander techniques classes. None around here unfortunately.

Good luck to you too.

[Intoit]

Thanks for the book recommend, it looks awesome!! I have also never heard of the Alexander Technique before, but now I am going to be looking at studying it as well, very interesting 

I am looking forward to being able to using different positions in labor, which I'm guessing will be able to ward off any funky SI pains I might get. Mine bothers me most when I'm flat on my back, walking, or sometimes changing position.

[mizznicole]

I want to say that I've had bad SI pain too.  To be honest, my tailbone felt like it was going to snap during pushing with DS1.  With DS2, the lower back pain was excruciating.  I'm 5'3" and baby was 9#.  It was my first vag delivery.  What got us through?  My doula!!!  I got to yell, "my back!" And she would verbally reassure me.  She also applied counter pressure with her fist.  But I think her mere dedication to my pain was even more effective than the actual techniques she applied. 

I sure hope we stretched thing out enough that the next one won't be as painful!  But you can do it - and the great news is that all those pains will likely go away as soon as you deliver.

[BarefootScientist]

Subbing as I also have SI joint pain. Didn't have it with my first.

[Mamatoabunch]

Originally Posted by Franci 

Hopefully that's going to be the case for me too. Since I posted it has been going a little better. I don't know if it's because of the chiropractor...I also remebered I bought a pregnancy belt from last pregnancy and maybe that is also helping a little bit. If I walk too much I feel in pain and also if for any reason I have to lie on my back.
 

 

I aggravated mine this pregnancy, a week ago, doing cardio. I have since been doing yoga and no longer hurting, virtually no discomfort. I am so impressed. I also did the exercise in Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year.

[zuzunel09]

I had terrible SI pain with my first, but it did not affect my labor.  But it was the last thing on my mind, and didn't reappear after I gave birth.  However, I also believe that while I may have some imbalance in that joint, it was mostly the pregnancy hormones that relax your ligaments that affected my SI.  I am having twinges of it again, but mostly I'm having similar pain in my hip joints, and I still believe it's the relaxin.  I don't remember any joint pain after birth.

Something I did was to ice the sacrum with a bag of frozen peas then lay on the floor with my knees bent, and with a little shifting of my hips the joint would sort of gently pop into a more comfortable position.  Warm baths help, too.  And massage from someone who is certified in prenatal.