Back Issues and pregnancy-Bad Disc/Bone Tumor/SI Joint-ADVICE?

I had three back surgeries to attempt to fix a couple of herniated discs at L5-S1 and L4-L5 between my first and second children. My back was injured at work in the military and they dithered around with getting me an MRI for 3 years! So by the time they did an MRI the SI nerve in my left leg was "dying". They tried taking the pressure off but the nerve never recovered (they can't regenerate). Now the damage done to the nerve and the disc that is still herniated cause muscle spasms in my back if I'm not careful how I use it. During my pregnancy with my second child I had a spasm that lasted for my entire second trimester so I was on bedrest and Percocet for months along with crutches (for when I needed to go to the doctor or physical therapy). I was allowed to crawl around my house to try to keep up with it as much as I could because my condition wasn't a danger to the pregnancy. I was a pretty pathetic sight! lol! Finally the spasm released and I was able to slowly get back to moving around. Muscle spasms are excruciating (it's basically a charlie horse, but mine involve all of the muscles of my back and last for months with no relief). I also had back labor because I have a tilted uterus and it SUCKED if I remember it right! But it was over long ago and I can barely remember it. I only really remember holding my son for the first time, how proud my husband was of me and the huge smile on my older son's face when he saw his little brother.

My best advice is to just roll with the punches. Explain the situation to your doctor and your concerns exactly like you described it on here and get his/her advice on what you can do. Maybe ask if there is any kind of specialist that is available to deal with pregnancies in orthopedically disabled women and get a consult. Follow the advice you're given, don't hold back when describing your pain and most of all, just take care of yourself the best you can. If that means staying in bed for a few days here and there to rest and recover then so be it.

And remember, pregnancy is a temporary state of affairs. It'll be over soon enough and then you will have a beautiful gift of a child to make it all worth it. It doesn't matter HOW the baby is born. Having a C-section won't make you a bad mom. All that matters is that you keep yourself and baby healthy. Concentrate on that and let the dreams of a perfect pregnancy and delivery go.

Best of luck to you and congratulations on your first child!

B.,
Oh I feel for you!!! That must be so hard to have all at once!! I'm not sure your OB will be a lot of help (mine wasn't as far as epidural questions or anything other than labor/delivery) with my last baby. We had questions about the epidural and he side-stepped my questions about possible side-effects (I'd had a spinal tap that gave me the dreaded spinal headache). I would schedule an apt with the anesthesiologist that will likely do your epidural and bring in that MRI. I spoke to mine for a good 30 minutes before I'd let him poke me, and it was well worth the talk AND the epidural poke! I had my baby 40 minutes later (just following a 20 minute complete sleep it was SO nice!). You'll have to have an epidural for a c-section so you'll want to have all the info you can on that. With an epidural and back labor and severe back trauma like you've got you may want to look seriously into the c-section idea. Cover your bases, ask lots of questions. I never know which ones to ask, so write ALL the questions you get on here down... it might make for a really great apt!

Good luck. I don't envy your situation. It sounds VERY painful. I'm so sorry you have to be in such pain.

V.
PS Horses are magnificent amazing creatures. Thanks for taking time to train them!!

Hi B.,
I'm not sure about your birthing questions. I would ask your ob about a c section and issues regarding your recovery, epidural and insurance coverage. I don't think most people have "back labor" unless the kiddo is facing the wrong way when he/she comes out. I would DEFINETLY ask your ob for a referral to a specialist that can help you out with this painful situation, like an orthopedic dr. or even a physiatrist (not psychiatrist- it's a doctor that specializes in rehab medicine). A chiropractor cannot help you with other treatments -like perhaps a steroid injection.

In the meantime, though, you might look into finding a pool you can float around in, maybe in the deep end using a noodle or other floatie. That will perhaps give you some temporary relief. Good luck, I'm sorry you are going through this! Stay strong!

Hi--
A couple things. Have you tried pre-natal yoga? It is gentle and easy and helps to stretch the muscles that are pulling on your SI joint. Made a world of difference for me. Also, they will teach you exercises that will keep the baby in the right position---face down rather than up. This will take the pressure of the baby off your lower back.
Secondly, try taking a little extra magnesium to relax your muscles. Be careful--too much will cause diarrhea.
Third, have you checked into cold laser therapy? Won't hurt baby but might help you.
Next, the relaxin as it increases should help relieve some of the tension on those joints.
They have "belly bands" that you can place under your growing belly to support your back--try that as you get bigger.
This will sound odd, but try doing gently crunches where you hold you stomach together (to keep the muscles from separating)--keeping your core strong will help your back.
The beginning of pregnancy can sometimes hurt worse as your uterus make it's way out of the cradle of your hips---the pain actually eased up for my second trimester.
As for labor pain, everyone's is different and I wouldn't do a C-section unless it is medically necessary. It is a difficult recovery and it is bad for baby. And labor may not be as bad as you think it will. Remaining calm is actually the best way to keep the pain at bay ---being nervous causes the fight or flight reflex to kick in and rushes blood to your extremities--exactly where you don't need it. You need to keep the blood flow to your uterus so it doesn't cramp up like any other muscles when it doesn't get enough oxygen. Try reading a hypnotherapy labor book for more on that topic.
Rest as much as possible---cooking a human is hard work, after all!
Take it one day at a time and remember that pregnancy is not a permanent condition.
I would recommend talking to a doula or midwife.
Who knows, you might be lucky and have a quick labor. One of mine was 18 hours---the other was 2 (because the baby was in the perfect position.)
Good luck!
J.

I think you need to request an orthopedic consult from your OB. It'd be even better if you could get someone who specializes in these types of ortho cases. Talk to your OB and your primary doc about who you should see.

Good luck!

C.

I would think that a birth doula and an epidural would be a better option than a c-section, you know, less risk involved. Make an appointment with one of your hospital's anestesiologists, with your latest MRI's and/or xrays in hand. Only they can tell you if an epidural would be risky. A birth doula can help with natural pain relieving techniques before you get the epidural.

C. M., CBE, CLD
Westsside Birth Connection

I know that you said that chiropractic care cannot fix your issues, but I'm a big believer in it anyway, when you are pregnant...even for moms with "normal" back. So I wouldn't rule that out for comfort options.

I have a friend who has several metal rods in her back - a lot of issues. One thing that I would look into if I were you, is hypnobabies. www.hypnobabies.com. It's the same philosophy as those that use hypnosis to lose weight or stop smoking, yet this SELF hypnosis is designed for childbirth. It helps to reduce pain, for some women, it completely eliminates it. I am a doula and attend to hypnobabies births and have seen INCREDIBLE things. I'm going to do it with my next baby. Anyway, the reason that I say that is because, to relieve your back, you could labor a lot on your hands and knees, or even stomach (with a belly pillow or bean bag) to reduce the stress on your back. There is also a belly lift that we do the relieves your back. Then, you can always push your baby out while you are on your hands and knees. This is actually very common and I have seen moms do this and push their babies out in a few pushes, whereas the last time they pushed on their backs, it took them two hours to push their baby out.
There are a lot of options for labor and childbirth. We just need to learn about them because the "norm" teaches us that it's scary, you have to get pitocen, an epidural, and you have to lay in the bed the whole time on your back. I'd encourage you to do a lot of research and reading. I know you have huge limitations with your back, but there are some great ideas out there. Good luck to you! And even after all you can do, sometimes a cesarean is necessary, and that is okay too. I'd talk to a lot of people, even several OB's and CNM's to see what their experiences and opinions are. It's amazing how different people are and what agenda is most important to them - yours or theirs.
I wish you the best!

I have had chronic back pain for years, although no one could tell me why. Sometimes I couldn't get off the floor or even sit on a toilet. When I got pregnant the first time, the relaxin made the pain completely disappear during my ENTIRE pregnancy and delivery. I know everyone is different so it may not be the case for you, but before you panic and fear your pregnancy know that you may be just fine!

You can lay on your back for quite some time during your pregnancy before you get uncomfortable. I bought a home traction machine from eBay and it was awesome! You lay on it, strap yourself in, and it stretches you apart. It doesn't fix the problem but gives you incredible relief! And it fits under the bed. I don't know if it would help your particular pain, but think about looking into it.