During my first pregnancy I started developing SPD, symphysis pubis dysfunction, around 20 weeks pregnant. It has affected my postpartum recovery and how I approached subsequent pregnancies!
I was still working full time as an Army Nurse, while also trying to keep up my fitness routine. IT was a struggle for sure!
First Pregnancy
When my SPD started, it didn’t start out bad. It only hurt when I would do certain single leg movements, but we were able to adjust accordingly so I was still able to do most of the workouts pain free.
As pregnancy progressed though, the SPD pain just continued to get worse and worse. As the weeks went by more and more movements became painful and sitting or laying in bed even started becoming painful.
When I was 36 weeks, sleeping was the worst. My pubic bone would feel like it was burning and only felt good if I slept completely propped up with all the pillows.
I had started seeing a webster certified chiropractor around 28 weeks and that provided a lot of relief, but I had to go weekly or else it would get super painful again.
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My friend recommended getting a ball and squeezing it between my thighs to help with pain relief…but that only would provide relief during the squeezing. Afterwards it would still hurt just the same.
I did not know that you could see a pelvic floor PT during pregnancy at this time, and neither did my midwife! (Had I known I would have RAN to see one during my pregnancy) I thought that pelvic pain was just something that happened and that we had to deal with till baby was born. Once baby was out, the pelvic pain would go away….but this was not the case.
First Pregnancy Labor Worries
Once I had hit 37 weeks, I knew that labor was going to happen any time. I was scared though because I felt like I was already in so much discomfort from my SPD pain. How was I going to tolerate labor.
This was a huge fear as I was getting closer to closer to my due date.
During my pregnancy I was doing Spinning Babies 3 sisters of balance when I could, but as I got closer and closer to my due date the side lying release became intolerable because of the pain.
I remember the day before my labor started, my husband was doing side lying release and I just began to cry because it 1. Hurt so much and 2. I was so afraid that labor was going to be more painful than this pain was.
My friend recommended taking a nice bath, get a good cry out, and then try to get some sleep. Sure enough it must have helped because I woke up in labor! A good fear release to get the labor vibes flowing.
First Pregnancy Labor with SPD
During my labor, I didn’t notice my SPD pain AT ALL!! So all my fears associated with it being worse than my SPD and that I would not be able to handle it was for nothing! My body did not want to do any lunges or any crazy single leg movements willing and this could have been because of my SPD pain subconsciously.
I only started noticing the pain again when I was trying to lay on my side during postpartum that my pubic bone still felt off.
Postpartum Rehab
During my postpartum recovery I was dealing with the SPD pain here and there along with prolapse. I saw a pelvic floor PT for around a year postpartum to target and recover from those two things.
I learned that I don’t use my glutes and my adductors were TIGHT. My hip flexors were compensating for my lack of activation in my glutes. This all could have lead to my SPD pain!
She recommended that when I get pregnant again to see a pelvic floor pt during to prevent any SPD pain in future pregnancies.
When I was cleared by PT, I started to follow the Postpartum Fitness Program to help with my SPD pain.
Second Pregnancy
As soon as I had a positive pregnancy test, I RAN to get my pelvic floor PT referral. I did not want SPD pain again (or for my prolapse to worse). We worked together to work on PRI type movements to help prevent the SPD by addressing different things.
I continued to do the Prenatal Fitness or Pelvic Stability Program alone. I had dealt with a subchorionic hemorrhage from week 12-24, which limited my workouts to low weights and body weight typed movements based on how my bleeding was.
I started seeing the same chiropractor around 14 weeks once a month as a prevention method as well!
Thankfully this not hurt my SPD prevention journey! I did not have ANY SPD pain till closer to 32 weeks, which started right when we started our journey from North Carolina to California. I was not moving much during our move and when we got to California I was in PAIN.
I searched out a massage therapist and a chiropractor in my area just to get some relief! The chiropractor unfortunately was an hour drive away but I was desperate! She showed me different ways for me to reset my Pubic bone at home if i had any breakthrough pain and it was soooooo helpful. Thank you the SPD pain resolved once I saw the chiro and was able to start getting in movement again!
I had no issues again during my labor and birth with my SPD pain!
Second Postpartum Recovery
During my postpartum recovery I started having some of that burning feeling in my pubic bone again. It wasn’t as bad as it was when I was pregnant with my first, but it didn’t feel great to lay on my sides.
I started seeing Pelvic Floor PT again postpartum to ensure my prolapse was good and recovering AND that my SPD pain would improve and go away.
With targeted exercises for along with doing the postpartum fitness program I was able to get it to go away finally!!
Over the next 19 months I would find that if i had a flare up of pain, it was usually due to me being inactive for a longer period of time. I would do some pelvic stability work and adductor work and it would go away!
I was able to rehab it and get back to running again! I did the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in November…right before getting pregnant again
Third Pregnancy
With this third pregnancy I am trying to be mindful of my SPD pain. I have continued to be able to do all of the movements as prescribed with no pain, and hoping this continues throughout this pregnancy!!