SPD Pain During Pregnancy: Why I’ve Been Living On The Couch

SPD Pain During Pregnancy It’s really interesting how much pregnancies can vary. My first pregnancy was an absolute walk in the park compared to this pregnancy. I literally felt no symptoms at all, and wondered why others complained about their pregnancy. This pregnancy has been the exact opposite. I was exhausted during the first & second trimesters, and I’ve been dealing with really bad SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) during my third trimester (continue reading below to find things that have helped me reduce SPD pain).

I had no clue what SPD was when I first started experiencing the symptoms. At first I was experiencing multiple things at once. Lightening crotch, sciatic pain, and SPD. Once the weeks went on I mostly had the SPD pain, whereas the sciatic pain & lightening crotch would come and go.  I went into the doctor having researched a bit beforehand, and asking others about the pain I was feeling. She pushed on a certain area on my pelvis, and I about jumped off of the table. Sure enough, I had SPD.

My doctor mentioned a few things I could do for SPD. She said I could use a walker if I was having trouble walking (which I totally was, but there was no way I was about to order a walker). She mentioned using a pregnancy belt, and she mentioned physical therapy. I thought I would give the pregnancy belt a try, because that seemed like the quickest fix. I ordered it on Amazon, and it came a few days later. I haven’t tried physical therapy yet, but I did try some stretches someone sent me from their physical therapist, and honestly they didn’t seem to help me.

Once I received the pregnancy belt it in the mail, I was so pumped to give it a try. In all honesty, the thing was so damn confusing, I waited until my husband got home to help me put it on. Once I put it on I walked around for a little bit, and things seemed to get worse. I was starting to have contractions, and I felt really uncomfortable. I wore that belt for about 10 minutes, and then took it off, and never put it back on again. The contractions were pretty intense, so I went upstairs to take a bath. I tried not to freak my husband out, but it literally felt like I might be going into labor.

After I got out of the bath, I frantically started throwing stuff into a hospital bag. My contractions hadn’t stopped, and I was worried that I was going into early labor. I hobbled down the stairs, and told my husband to get his stuff together for the hospital. I called my sister, and she rushed over to watch Noah. Luckily my doctor was in her office that day, and she told me to come see her first. Once I got to the office, we started monitoring baby’s heart beat and contractions. Luckily the contractions slowed down, and I was able to go home. But holy hell, that belt went straight into the trash can when I got back home. The crazy thing is, I’ve heard that the belt does wonders for some women, so it’s 100% your call if you want to give it a try. It just didn’t work for me.

My other two options for relief were to get a walker or to see a physical therapist. I opted to skip the walker and just stay off of my feet as much as possible. When it came to the physical therapy, I did a lot of reading about how it helped some women, and didn’t help others, so I decided to not waste my time since I only had a few weeks left before baby girl arrived. Honestly the only thing that I’ve found that’s helped is to stay 100% off of my feet. If you know me, you know that this is basically impossible. I literally can’t sit still, and hate being helpless.

For me, SPD pain has been really bad. There’s been days where I literally can’t move my body forward without terrible pain, so I just stand there or lay right back down. There’s times where I can’t get out of my bed without tears running down my face. There’s been moments where I’ve been out at a coffee shop, would stand up to get out of my chair, and let out an excruciating sound that makes everyone in the room instantly stare at you. I would end up shuffling out the door, and back into my car to go home.

Dealing with SPD has been really defeating, and honestly depressing. I’ve been stuck in the house a lot, and I’m finding it hard to remain positive. I’ve had to miss a few work obligations, meetings, social gatherings, and a friend’s baby shower due to the pain. I know I’m going to be in the house a lot once baby girl gets here, so it’s so hard to stay in the house all of the time now before she’s even here.

Taking care of a toddler has been really hard. There’s been days where we haven’t left the living room because I’ve been stuck on the couch, and dad has to go get work done. I feel massively guilty on days where Noah doesn’t get to go outside and play at the park. I feel bad about myself because I’m 100% not able to work out at all, and just taking a walk outside can put me on the couch for the next two days because the pain will be so bad.

I’ve been googling SPD like crazy throughout my third trimester, and I’ve only found a couple of somewhat helpful articles. I’ve listed 3 things below that have helped me with a little bit of relief. They only help a little, and there hasn’t been anything that has 100% made the pain really go away.

3 THINGS THAT HAVE PROVIDED SPD PAIN RELIEF

  1. Keeping My Knees Together When Getting Out of Bed or Out of The Car– The pain will be really bad if your legs are separated and you’re trying to get out of bed. This tip has helped me during those countless trips to the bathroom during the middle of the night.
  2. Avoiding Long Walks & Carrying Heavy Things- I’ve really had to baby myself lately. If I don’t, the pain will get really bad. Recently I was so fed up with not moving off of the couch that I took our regular morning walk with Dylan and Noah. I also went to do some shopping that day. That night I was in terrible pain. I also have completely stopped picking Noah up. If he wants to be picked up, I let Dylan do it. The times I’ve tried, it’s made things really bad.
  3. Taking 100% Rest Days- When I take an entire day and basically lay on the couch all day, I’m so much better the next day. I’ve made the mistake of thinking I was completely better, walked too much, and then the pain came right back. Even if you feel like you’re better, the issue is still there, so always remember to take it easy.

I would love to hear what worked for you if you’ve gone through SPD as well. A lot of you have been reaching out about tips on Instagram, and it’s been awesome. I appreciate every single one of them! Cheers to this baby girl coming soon, and the SPD going away!

XO,

Lee Anne

11 Comments

  1. Cassie Rea on August 14, 2017 at 7:50 am

    I’m so sorry you’ve been having to deal with this, friend! Pregnancy is definitely so hard on our bodies. I was not one of those women who was like, “I feel healthier than ever when I’m pregnant!!” I felt closer to my death than ever lol. Hang in there, girlfriend!
    XOXO, Cassie Rea
    http://www.cassierea.com

  2. Amy M Loochtan on August 14, 2017 at 8:31 am

    Leeann, I am so sorry you’ve been in so much pain! Just think how much the end is worth it and if it means anything, I hope to be half as fab as you when I’m in my 3rd trimester!

  3. Amanda Elizabeth - Meet at the Barre on August 14, 2017 at 11:10 am

    You poor thing that sounds terrible! I can’t imagine having to rest like that and running after a toddler. I hope you get some relief soon!

  4. miriam on August 14, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    oh wow, i’m so sorry you’re going through this– it sounds awful especially when you’re taking care of a little one.
    Hang in there girl! xoxo

  5. Kate on August 14, 2017 at 12:34 pm

    Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear this pregnancy has been tougher, and hope each day gets better as you get closer to meeting your baby girl. Those last few weeks are rough with a capital woof, but I can’t imagine how much harder it’s been for you. Sending hugs <3
    Green Fashionista

  6. Ashley on August 14, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    Aw, hang in there! Pregnancy can take such a toll on our bodies and it’s even harder when you have a toddler! Sending you healing vibes and be sure to take care of yourself! xo

  7. Ashley @ Fancy Ashley on August 14, 2017 at 9:23 pm

    I’m so sorry you’re feeling this awful. I had rough pregnancies with both my kids. I had some days where I could barely walk because the pain was so bad. It’s so hard, I know! Praying that you feel better soon. XO

  8. dawn on August 14, 2017 at 10:25 pm

    Im so sorry! I can imagine how much harder it is with a toddler. I hope you get all the rest you need!

  9. Sandy a la Mode on August 15, 2017 at 1:52 am

    Thank you for sharing your heart. So sorry you are going through this!

  10. Crystal on September 5, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    I have SPD also- my midwife says its normal and that she experienced this pain as well. Ultimately, I haven’t slowed down much when I know I should…guilt of gaining more weight, guilt of being lazy, just overall guilt of feeling like I am being dramatic. Not sure if this is too personal, but did this affect you and Dylans…*ahem* adult activities if you know what I mean? Bc with my SPD, a lot of movements, positions, etc just brings on sharp pain, etc. I

  11. Winny on September 17, 2020 at 6:14 pm

    I just found this blog post (I’m late to the party, I know lol). I was googling SPD for a friend who now seems to be dealing with it and found this post which is interesting because I follow you on IG & had no idea you’d dealt with SPD. I had SPD during my pregnancy & it was awful. It started during my 8th month & didn’t let up till after birth. It came on one morning as I was trying to get out of bed. I discussed it with other women because since it was my first pregnancy I didn’t know if it was normal. A lot of women said that pregnancy is uncomfortable & even painful. That I just had to deal with it. But it didn’t feel okay to me. It wasn’t just uncomfortable. It was excruciating and debilitating! Eventually I had to stop working 2 months earlier than I’d planned because I could barely walk. I tried the physical therapy with a prenatal PT. That didn’t help. The PT gave me the pregnancy belt which barely helped. My pain would continue even with rest & I was literally screaming from the pain most of the day & night. After numerous discussions with several doctors & tons of research I finally acquiesced to trying prescription painkillers the last 4 or 5 weeks of pregnancy. It wasn’t my preferred choice but the fear was I’d be so exhausted from pain by the time labor finally hit I’d have to have a C-section. I so didn’t want a C-section so I decided the painkillers would be more reasonable than all the other risks associated with my already high risk pregnancy. Thankfully, it worked out fine. I FINALLY got some pain relief, I didn’t need a C-section and baby was born beyond healthy. That baby is almost 10 years old now and couldn’t be healthier! I think with SPD each woman needs to do what she must to be able to survive those weeks till birth.

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