Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction

I think I may have a mild case of this. For those of you who don't know, this can sometimes happen during pregnancy. Basically all this means is that the ligaments surrounding the pubic bone and the bones on either side of the bottom of your spine drift apart - as is the case anyway since ligaments and things are all shifting around as your body changes. What makes this a little bit different than normal, is that it happens too early in the pregnancy, and is rather painful, particularly at night. If you're interested, you can read more about it at the link below:

• Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction.

I don't know for sure that I even have this, but judging from the pains I experience whenever I lay down, I'm going to go with the fact that I probably am, albeit mildly.

The most common is pain and difficulty when walking. Some women describe the feeling of their pelvis coming apart. 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.

The pain is generally felt in the pubis and/or the sacro-iliac joints, but can also be experienced in the groin, the inner side of the thighs, the hips and in one or both buttocks.

I'll admit that it sometimes hurts to get dressed standing up, especially when I have to lean forward to pull on a skirt or shorts or something. It hurts more when I'm getting out of the car, and hurts even MORE when I'm sleeping and have to roll over in the middle of the night. They say putting a pillow between your thighs helps alleviate this and other back pains, but I can't attest to that. In fact, in my case, it hasn't helped at all.

I can barely even explain the pain that I feel anyway. It doesn't shoot down the front of my thighs, the pain usually stays localized and feels like it's within the actual pelvic bone (the one that runs between your thighs, I have no idea what that's called) itself. It makes it very difficult to turn from side to side while sleeping, or even getting out of bed to go to the bathroom. Of course, when I do manage to wake up to go to the loo, I can barely walk anyway because the pain is so great. And SOMETIMES I'll get pain in my lower left hip bone, at the back. This was first thought to be sciatica, but after reading through the SPD information, I no longer believe that to be the case.

I have my Dr. appointment on Monday and I'm going to ask him if this is what I have so at least I know, though apparently nothing can be done about it during pregnancy so it's just something I'll have to live with. (Along with the numb hips and thighs, and the numb arms on ocassion...)

I slept badly last night though surprisingly I wasn't in any pain from the SPD, but I did have a back ache that has continued into my waking hours. I think it was because I fell asleep on our makeshift couch last night, which is nothing more than a single spring bed with four blankets ontop that serve as a mattress. It's very bouncy and sags deep in the middle but is surprisingly comfortable; my back now seems to be disagreeing with that.

Not sure what we're doing today, only that it's Saturday and seems to be rather nice out and I do know we're going to be leaving the house, I'm just not sure where we're going. We've been looking at upgrading my computer system for a few months now, so MAYBE we might go and do that... Not that we really have an extra $900 to spend, and I'd rather get the baby some furniture for that, or me some more clothes because god knows I'm fast running out of them! But on the other hand... I REALLY want a new system. I really really do.