How did you cope with SPD pain in labor?

[akmbloom]

I have fairly severe symphysis pubis dysfunction pain and I'm almost 38 weeks (2nd pregnancy).  I would like to avoid interventions as much as possible during the birth - which will be midwife-attended at a fairly mama- and baby-friendly hospital birthing center - because my 1st daughter's began with AROM and ended with high fevers for both of us - possibly from the epidural, which I hadn't originally wanted - and the baby having to stay in the NICU.  However, I'm worried that the pain will be really intense (I've  had fibromyalgia and pain issues for years, so on the one hand I have a pretty good pain tolerance because I'm used to it, and on the other hand may have a low pain threshold), and I'm not super mobile at the moment - I've been having to really limit walking, standing for long periods, squatting and moving certain ways, certain positions, etc.  

If you had SPD, how did it affect your labor?  Were you able to get into positions that helped?  Did it hurt worse during labor?  What did your support person do that helped, or didn't help?  Did you use medications?  Did it get better after the baby was born (pleeeeease say that it did!! my physical therapist said it usually does but sometimes nursing-related hormones can prolong it.)?  How did you prepare mentally? 

[XanaduMama]

I had very severe SPD with both my pregnancies (though it was alleviated miraculously by regular chiropractic adjustments with #2). With #1, it was so bad that I could barely roll over in bed, get dressed, walk, or sit in the car for longer than a few minutes. I too was very worried about how this would affect labor. The good news is that it didn't, at all, and in fact I sometimes wonder if the SPD resulted from an excess of Relaxin which helped me have really easy/fast labors. It also disappeared as soon as baby was born, both times. My water birth with #2 made it especially easy to find comfortable and productive positions--I highly recommend a birth tub, if you have one available!

I would encourage you to see a chiro: not only for the SPD relief they can offer, but also to help get baby in a good position for birth. Again, I partly believe that it might help with that, but if things aren't properly aligned, even slightly, it could affect fetal positioning.

[ChiaraRose]

I had severe SPD with my second and it didn't affect labor at all. I did birth in a tub though, but I remeber once the baby's head went behind the pubic bone the pain got much, much better. I took a while to heal (as in months), but it was tons better right after labor and I could do my normal things again. Chiropratic care was the only thing that helped, btw. 3x a week and for that day I was able to be function much better. I can only recommend it.

So from my experience I wouldn't worry too much about labor. Good luck!!!!!!

[akmbloom]

Thanks for letting me know about your experiences... I hoped that maybe the "stretchiness" of my pelvis would help labor, but then again I remember with DD1 that while pushing the feeling like my pelvic bones were coming apart was the moment I felt like I really couldn't do it anymore.  Here's hoping!  I think I'll be able to be in a tub while laboring, I'll talk to the midwives about that this week.

I read on a couple of other pages (seems like websites from the UK have a lot more info about SPD than American pregnancy sites, I wonder why) that many women were discouraged from having an epidural because it keeps you from feeling if you're damaging your pelvis/ligaments - if you're not numb you can feel when it's getting worse and can change position.

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

I had a small shot of lidocaine into my tailbone when I was pushing, which did a lot for the SPD pain- it was HEAVEN but I could still feel enough to push and my perineum and everything.

I also really encourage you to find something to pull on during labor- getting the pressure of your pelvis is a tremendous relief. Also water if at all possible- I spent almost all of my labor in the birth tub.

~Rose