21 January 2009
To the uninitiated, (SPD) Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or Pelvic Girdle Pain may seem like a trifle but believe me, it can be a very unwelcome addition to the late stages of pregnancy.
I mean, it’s bad enough being 40 weeks pregnant (today) and all the usual problems associated with late stages of pregnancy like, not being able to sleep at night, having to use up valuable daylight hours catnapping, heartburn, belching, farting, backache, being baby obsessed, feeling like your life is in limbo, not being able to bend, stretch or even sit comfortably and bursting into tears every time someone mentions ‘due date’ but now, I can’t even walk, get out of bed or the car, stand on one leg, get dressed or put my shoes on because of the excruciating agony caused by ‘loose ligaments’ in me pelvis.
This condition is apparently brought on by a hormone called relaxin produced to loosen all the pelvic ligaments in order to allow the pelvis to move at the time of birth. The problem arises when too much of the hormone is released too early, loosening the pelvic joint so it moves, especially on weight bearing. In other words, just when you need the extra support because of the extra weight of carrying a practically new born, the pelvic joints are not stable and the pubis joint can actually separate slightly. Isn’t pregancy and child birth a wonderful thing!!???? (I’m convinced Mother Nature is a man…)
The symptoms include pain on weightbearing and difficulty walking. The pain is made worse when turning in bed or doing something that involves standing on one leg, such as climbing up stairs, getting dressed and getting in and out of a car or the bath and even walking. The pain is generally felt in the pubic area, but can also be experienced in the groin, the inner side of the thighs, the hips and in one or both buttocks. And guess what the general advice to minimise pain is? Try not to do anything that invloves opening your legs. Yeah? So how am I supposed to give birth exactly?
Fortunately, pelvic floor exercises have helped to strengthen the ligaments and minimise the pain and I’ve been assured that relaxin stops being produced the moment baby is born so roll on the labour of love. Which is another challenge in itself. All those old wives tales about bringing on childbirth, well I’ve tried them all; raspberry leaf tea by the gallon so I end up making endless nocternal trips to the loo, eating curries and or chillies resulting only in exacerbating heartburn; sex, hah! That’s a joke. Picture the scene of two sumo wrestlers or overweight hippos in full flight and you get the idea….Some well meaning advice included eating pineapple but I must of overdone it ‘cos after having eaten two massive, whole, overripe jobbies off the local market stall, I ended up with with the squitts. Just a measure of my desperation.
As I was saying, isn’t pregnancy a joy?