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I dealt with this with my first pregnancy and am dealing with it now for my second as well. It definitely seems much worse this time but I think its because I can't really take the time to stay off my feet as much. With my first pregnancy it seemed to slowly go away postpartum (maybe by 3 months pp) so I assume this time it will go away as well?

One thing that I know has helped me is sleeping with pillows between my legs. DH hates all the pillows I have to sleep with but I can definitely notice a difference between when I do and don't. I also have a support belt I wear for a few hours each day when I know I'll be moving/walking a lot, which helps a bit too.

My midwife did heavily push towards seeing a chiropractor or PT which I'm sure would probably provide a lot of relief but with DH's crazy work schedule, and having just moved to a new area with no family or friends, there is not way I can take my antsy toddler with me and have him sit still while I am receiving an adjustment/treatment. So I'm just dealing with it the best I can for my remaining 7 weeks.

If you get a belt make sure you get the type that you wear a bit lower on your hips to support your pelvis and not the 'maternity support belt' style that you wear under your bump that just takes weight off your back. I can't really recommend anything readily available over here, as mine was purchased overseas

It sucks. I'm a PT. it will get significant better once you give birth but don't be shocked that you might still have some lingering symptoms which should get dramatically better as the days go by post partum. If you are still having symptoms a few weeks after you give birth see a PT, ideally one who specializes in women's health
You want to avoid certain hip motions like swinging the leg out to the side. Take your time with stairs. Avoid standing with all of your weight on one hip or the other. Wear an SIJ belt. I have given some women walkers and crutches so they can do the things they need to do with less pain. Don't try to be a hero! Pubic symphysis pain is no joke and can be really really disabling. I feel for you I really do!!!

And take caution during birth. Whoever is holding your feet for you when you push make sure they hold them at the same height/equally. You don't want to irritate that joint any more than it already is.

@reverie: no you are not crazy. I've had to school some nurses on the L&D floor who are complaining about their patients with this "having low pain tolerances". I literally pull them aside and I'm like "listen basically their pelvis is trying to separate. It hurts like hell". Some women say it's worse than birth because it was so much longer lasting during pregnancy and more disabling.

@Littlebit7:
Thank you for saying all of this. I have a supportive and understanding doctor, but the rest of the medical team that I encounter has been less than supportive.

@reverie: can you leave a message for your OB and touch base before your appointment? A PT and Chiro can definitely help.
If you do need crutches- they do help! I was resistant to using them because I was worried I'd be less mobile, but that turned out not to be the case. I'm able to do more of my normal activities by using crutches throughout the day than if I wasn't using them. I don't use them all day, mostly just in the evening when the pain is the worst.

I had SPD with my first pregnancy too and I started to feel better soon after I delivered. It took a while to return to normal but I noticed a dramatic reduction in pain even a day after delivery. I had a epidural so I am not sure how I felt the day of delivery.

I would try to see a PT or Chiro around your due date or even during early labor to make sure your pelvis is aligned as much as possible. When it's aligned it makes delivery easier on your body.

I am so sorry you are suffering. It's rough physically and psychologically. It's not in your head, you don't need to toughen up. Let your spouse and friends support you as much as they can.

Is your LO a toddler? I have a two year old that is used to being carried and held most of the day. We put step stools all over the house for him and told him anytime he asks for "mommy couch" I will drop everything to meet him on the couch for cuddles.

We've been using the decrease in my mobility as a chance to get him used to Dad doing daycare drop off, bath time and part of our bedtime routine. Dad is going to have to take over those jobs 100% when baby arrives and at least this way my LO is blaming mommy's owwie instead of his little sister for the change in our relationship patterns.

I've found icing my pubic bone to be really helpful. Spending a little time in a warm bath or pool helps too, just not too long. If I stay too long it's painful to get out.

I hope the SI belt provides some relief. My PT okayed me wearing it along with a normal maternity support belt and the combo helps a lot.

If the pain is interfering with sleep, let you OB know. There are some prescription pain medications that are safe to take right now, and also some sleep aids. Obviously it's not ideal to be taking strong medicine , but sleep deprivation can really mess with pain perception and make life unbearable quickly. Its important to take care of yourself and get enough rest and keep your pain tolerable. If you try to power through the pain you'll burn out really quickly.

I hope this helps and I hope your doctor is helpful.

I had this with my first pregnancy. Walking was awful and so was showering - standing on one foot to get in or shave my legs was excruciating. But it resolved right after delivery and I never noticed more than a once in a blue moon twinge after. I'm 10w with my 2nd and I'm not looking forward to it again.

@reverie: so so hard! My son is 28 months and will be 2&1/2 when his sister is born in April.

DS has adapted pretty quickly to couch and bed snuggles and we have a rocking chair that I sit in and then my husband places our son in my lap. It helps.

Also, I don't know what your family's rules are about rough housing but I was having a hard time with not being as active with DS as I usually am. So what I do is place a lot of extra pillows on my bed and sit in the bed while having a pillow fest with DS. We do a little bopping of each other with the pillows but mostly DS likes to bury me in pillows and yell "peek a boo" while I shake the pillows off. Then he makes a pillow mountain and climbs all over it while I cheer on the brave mountaineer. It lets us have some activish fun but is easy on my joints.

It's not easy. I've shed some tears about having to adjust so many things in my lo's world too. It just sucks.

I think I'm dealing with this and round ligament pain. It hurts so much standing on one leg and trying to push my foot down into my boots. It was so bad yesterday I went to triage to make sure everything was ok.

I'm so sorry. I had it terribly and it was such a nightmare. Make sure when you order the support belt you get an actual SI belt (I used the Serola, you can get it on amazon). The "maternity support" belt just did nothing for me, and the real SI belt made a huge huge difference. I also saw a chiropractor, physical therapist, and got prenatal massages. Not sure which of those things worked, but with all together I managed to get through it.

@JoyfulKiwi: really? Only 7 mins??? I was told around 40 mins which would just be impossible for my toddler to sit still even if I confine him to his stroller. Maybe I'll call a few other chiro places that my midwife recommended, to see if there are places that won't take as much time.

@reverie: my son is easily frustrated too by the fact that mom isn't able to pick him up and I have definitely gotten emotional to DH about the fact that I can't pick up DS and play as easily with him before his sister gets here :(.

As for birth with my first, I was able to have my med-free birth that I wanted without too much difficulty, I would research a few birthing positions to try out in case the pain is unbearable in one position, so you can always try a different one. Just don't be afraid to say something if a certain position is too painful because certain positions could cause damage or make your recovery more difficult.

@reverie: I had two c-sections but for different reasons.