Relief Measures for Pregnancy Pelvic Pain

To say this pregnancy has been different than my son's would be an understatement. It seems like at every turn, this one has been the exact opposite of my pregnancy with Ethan, One new aspect to this pregnancy has been Symphysis Pubis Dysfuction or SPD.

SPD is when the ligaments surrounding the pelvis are so relaxed that the alignment of the pelvis and pubic bone is off, causing anywhere between strange sensations to extreme pain. The culprit of this misalignment and pain is the hormone relaxin that is preparing the body for birth. Many times SPD effects subsequent pregnancies.

My experience with SPD has been pretty painful. With Ethan, I had been able to walk at least 45 minutes every day. But for most of this pregnancy, pain surrounding my hips made walking for extended periods of time unbearable. And don't get me started on the odd sensation when I tried to run! Blah! Sitting and even sleeping did not offer the relief I desperately desired. After some light research, I learned that total relief would not come until after delivery (and potentially some time after that).

Even if eliminating SPD would not come until after delivery, I needed some temporary relief measures to cope with the pain. The following list is a few things that I found to be the most helpful when dealing with SPD.

1. Take a Bath
Possibly the easiest (and most relaxing) relief measure. I tried to take one or two baths every week throughout my pregnancy. Adding both Epsom salt and Lavender essential oil did wonders for the pain, even if it was short lived.

2. Do Some Yoga 
Soft, restorative flow seemed to make the pain more bearable. Some poses that were particularly helpful were the half pigeon pose and the goddess pose.

3. Essential Oils 
I used peppermint oil roll on with fractionated coconut oil. I also used theYoung Living oil blend Valor directly on my body putting 3 drops on each shoulder and 3 drops on balls/bottoms of the feet.

4. Midwife Directed Exercises
After discussing my pain with my midwives, they suggested some simple exercises, Lie on back with knees raised, partner puts hands on outside of knees while you push knees outward for resistance. Same position, except partner put hands on inside of knees, squeeze knees inward for resistance.

5. Chiropractic Care
Getting chiropractic adjustments will not eliminate pain, but making sure that the rest of your body is aligned and not causing any additional pain may help relieve any undue stress to the area.

If any of you are suffering from pelvic pain associated with pregnancy, I hope that these offer a bit of comfort. Taking a bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil was by far my favorite method to relieve the pain. I knew I could always look forward to that part of my day or week. I would love to hear about anything you have tried that did the trick for mitigating pelvic pain during your pregnancy!

Vi ses senare!
Emily