Pelvic Pain

Some of my dear friends may have heard me talk about my "crotch pain". I have had a pain on the left side of my pubic area since the middle of my first trimester. It hurts to walk, to roll over in bed, and it especially hurts after yoga, which is what I've been doing to try to make it better - apparently it does not make it better. I asked my midwife who assured me it is my groin and not my crotch, though I insist that it is in fact my crotch. She recommended going to the chiropractor, though she didn't seem to know what it was. We even asked the OB I had a consultation with for my 20 week ultrasound. She actually said it was probably an injury I sustained because my ligaments are loose, and really has nothing to do with pregnancy. She also said to see a chiropractor. Not only do I insist that it is my crotch, but I insist it is pregnancy related.

Well, I finally got up the courage to google search "crotch pain" (I have googled groin pain during pregnancy and didn't seem to find a lot of help) and found the answer! Symphysis Pubis Disorder, or SPD. Symptoms include pain when you:
walk (yes!)
get in and out of the car (yes! yes!)
roll over in bed (oh, this is the worst)
and putting on your trousers (that simple movement of picking up my leg)

See where the symphysis pubis is? That's where it hurts.

I'm reading this information online and just thinking "Finally! An answer!" You know how that is when you finally figure out what exactly an ailment is; that alone is relieving. Well, there's really nothing that can be done. Its just one of those things. I read that one of four pregnant women suffer from SPD, and its just the pelvis relaxing and opening, which is definitely a good thing for childbirth, but when its relaxing and shifting it sort of misaligns, and this is what causes the pain, and why only some women get it. I guess only a few of us are misaligned. I'm supposed to try things like heating it, or wearing a maternity support belt (but that doesn't sound comfy).

I might go to the chiropractor and see if they can re-align me. I never did go even though that as the only advice I got from my midwife and doctor. Mainly because I hate pulling a name out of the insurance hat. You never know if you'll get a good one. I am a bit disappointed that neither my midwife or the OB knew what this was when it seems quite common on google. I have my 24 week appointment on Friday, so I'll ask/tell her about it then.

UPDATE 4/23/2010:
I did end up going to a chiropractor on Monday. It was SO much worse afterwards! It went from a little painful, to oh my gosh, I can barely walk. It was so much worse, and radiated from my pubic area all the way around my left hip socket and down my leg. Unfortunately, I was also on travel Monday afternoon through Wednesday evening, so I had to live with it. I had a 2nd appointment on Thursday. By this time, the pain had died down to about what it was before the chiro got ahold of me. Well, he did some more adjustments and said that he wished he could x-ray me to see the bones. After the adjustment yesterday it was way better! So, maybe he just had to "play around with it". Not sure, but it was so much better yesterday. I went yet again this morning, and he did a few more adjustments, so hopefully it will be even better. I hope he didn't twist me back up!

UPDATE 4/28/2010:
Well, after that magical visit last Thursday where I felt loads better, I went again on Friday and it went back to not at all better. I have now been to the chiropractor 6 times, and I feel the same, if not worse than I did before. I think I feel worse because it seems the more it is messed with the more it hurts, and it spreads. Yesterday my whole hip and hip flexor region hurt, but I think that it was just irritated, today it is back to just my pubic area. I just don't want it to keep getting worse. A friend told me it would come and go as things move and stretch as my pregnancy progresses, so I do hope it goes. Anyway, I'm discouraged because the chiro didn't seem to help. I read tons of stories online about how women found complete relief from the chiro visits, but I'm not getting it so far.