Not only did I have developmental reasons for wanting my children to have a bigger age gap, I also wanted to give my pelvis a good chance at recovery before falling pregnant again. I felt safe enough to do so from the time that would mean a 3 year age gap.
I continued with yoga for as long as I could in my next pregnancy and bought a locally-produced pregnancy yoga DVD. I didn't last long with either real classes or the DVD ones. I remained active for about 22 weeks and I had to stop riding at about 23 weeks because of the familiar sensation of a sledgehammer being driven up between my legs every time I dismounted, even when using a really tall mounting block. Reluctantly, I put up my bridle and spelled my horse, yet again. Not that he minded - his lazy nature is quite suited to pregnancy-induced breaks!
I aggravated my pelvis much less in the second pregnancy because I was much more aware of it from the beginning, and also because I was seeking the right help as soon as it flared up again. My tubi-grip got a second run, I had crutches at the ready and I had lined up a course of acupuncture for later on. I even treated myself to a pregnancy massage. My osteo appointments were every 3 weeks for a couple of months and then fortnightly, until the last 3 weeks of the pregnancy when I was going weekly. At each session she would bring my pelvis back into alignment, after the right side would slip so far forward as to be at a 45 degree angle to the left side. Amazingly, I didn't really feel this through my lower back, though I know my sacrum was working overtime to keep some kind of balance.
I had also arranged for a disabled parking permit, by now, to facilitate my attendance at university classes, as well as general errands requiring the car. I would not have even thought of it, but a dear friend with mobility issues herself, suggested it and convinced me that I wasn't defrauding the system.
I used the crutches for one day in that entire pregnancy, and instead of going to social occasions with resentment I decided to pick and choose which invitations I'd accept depending on the anticipated topography and seating arrangements. No matter how much people pledge to be of help, if I know I'm going to be uncomfortable I just have to listen to my inner voice that knows better.
This time we planned a homebirth and the midwives (one of whom was involved in my first pregnancy) were well and truly up to date with my SPD treatment. During the birth itself I realised I would have to turn around and be on my knees for crowning because my pelvis had, more or less, dictated so. It was the first time in either birth that I had felt my pelvis complain and I assuaged it immediately, with no drama.
Again, I had a week or two of the illusion that the SPD was gone, and this time I was prepared for its return.
I went back to my osteo (I had changed clinics again by the time I was pregnant this second time) with my newborn and had more adjustments done. By this stage I was using another osteo, as my favourite one had gone on maternity leave!
I continued to use the osteo at this clinic until we moved to the country a year later. Meanwhile, I went back to yoga classes when my next baby was old enough to leave behind for a couple of hours and the studio was only a short walk from home, anyway. My horse riding was intermittent and largely dependent on how heavily my conscience weighed on me for unfinished uni assignments. Every ride was savoured and gave me something to work on. Dismounting posed no issue for my pelvis as it had during pregnancy.
These are my recollections of life with a dodgy pelvis. I have now had SPD for almost 8 years. It's not a defining feature of my life, it is just one I have to account for. For me, the SPD did not go away after birth, as happens for some women, and it did not become less of a problem for the second pregnancy, though it was much better managed in between. I was able to surrender my disabled parking permit by the time my second child was 3 months old.
In daily life I have to be mindful of my ergonomics and adhere to my well-learned occupational health and safety practices (from my work life before children) if I was to avoid a fix-it trip to the osteo. I had lapses in my body use awareness where I would have to make a last-minute appointment to alleviate the pain and start again, but generally, moving my body in the way everyone needs to be mindful of keeps my pelvis happy, in its non-pregnancy state. The upside to this is that when I'm not pregnant my pelvis is no more an impediment to my volunteer firefighting than many other volunteers' beer bellies...in fact, much less so!
More to come on my PGP since my second child, so stay tuned if this has been of interest to you thus far. Even if this does not resonate personally, you may very well come across someone in your life who has PGP or doesn't realise that she has it. If you don't know what it is, you can't get help for it!
I continued with yoga for as long as I could in my next pregnancy and bought a locally-produced pregnancy yoga DVD. I didn't last long with either real classes or the DVD ones. I remained active for about 22 weeks and I had to stop riding at about 23 weeks because of the familiar sensation of a sledgehammer being driven up between my legs every time I dismounted, even when using a really tall mounting block. Reluctantly, I put up my bridle and spelled my horse, yet again. Not that he minded - his lazy nature is quite suited to pregnancy-induced breaks!
I aggravated my pelvis much less in the second pregnancy because I was much more aware of it from the beginning, and also because I was seeking the right help as soon as it flared up again. My tubi-grip got a second run, I had crutches at the ready and I had lined up a course of acupuncture for later on. I even treated myself to a pregnancy massage. My osteo appointments were every 3 weeks for a couple of months and then fortnightly, until the last 3 weeks of the pregnancy when I was going weekly. At each session she would bring my pelvis back into alignment, after the right side would slip so far forward as to be at a 45 degree angle to the left side. Amazingly, I didn't really feel this through my lower back, though I know my sacrum was working overtime to keep some kind of balance.
I had also arranged for a disabled parking permit, by now, to facilitate my attendance at university classes, as well as general errands requiring the car. I would not have even thought of it, but a dear friend with mobility issues herself, suggested it and convinced me that I wasn't defrauding the system.
I used the crutches for one day in that entire pregnancy, and instead of going to social occasions with resentment I decided to pick and choose which invitations I'd accept depending on the anticipated topography and seating arrangements. No matter how much people pledge to be of help, if I know I'm going to be uncomfortable I just have to listen to my inner voice that knows better.
This time we planned a homebirth and the midwives (one of whom was involved in my first pregnancy) were well and truly up to date with my SPD treatment. During the birth itself I realised I would have to turn around and be on my knees for crowning because my pelvis had, more or less, dictated so. It was the first time in either birth that I had felt my pelvis complain and I assuaged it immediately, with no drama.
Again, I had a week or two of the illusion that the SPD was gone, and this time I was prepared for its return.
I went back to my osteo (I had changed clinics again by the time I was pregnant this second time) with my newborn and had more adjustments done. By this stage I was using another osteo, as my favourite one had gone on maternity leave!
I continued to use the osteo at this clinic until we moved to the country a year later. Meanwhile, I went back to yoga classes when my next baby was old enough to leave behind for a couple of hours and the studio was only a short walk from home, anyway. My horse riding was intermittent and largely dependent on how heavily my conscience weighed on me for unfinished uni assignments. Every ride was savoured and gave me something to work on. Dismounting posed no issue for my pelvis as it had during pregnancy.
These are my recollections of life with a dodgy pelvis. I have now had SPD for almost 8 years. It's not a defining feature of my life, it is just one I have to account for. For me, the SPD did not go away after birth, as happens for some women, and it did not become less of a problem for the second pregnancy, though it was much better managed in between. I was able to surrender my disabled parking permit by the time my second child was 3 months old.
In daily life I have to be mindful of my ergonomics and adhere to my well-learned occupational health and safety practices (from my work life before children) if I was to avoid a fix-it trip to the osteo. I had lapses in my body use awareness where I would have to make a last-minute appointment to alleviate the pain and start again, but generally, moving my body in the way everyone needs to be mindful of keeps my pelvis happy, in its non-pregnancy state. The upside to this is that when I'm not pregnant my pelvis is no more an impediment to my volunteer firefighting than many other volunteers' beer bellies...in fact, much less so!
More to come on my PGP since my second child, so stay tuned if this has been of interest to you thus far. Even if this does not resonate personally, you may very well come across someone in your life who has PGP or doesn't realise that she has it. If you don't know what it is, you can't get help for it!
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