Questionhi. i fractured my pelvis during a half- marathon race several mos ago. i NOW know i fractured it half way thru the race and continued hard to finish. As i was 7 weeks pregnant at the time, i did not get an x-ray. i assumed it was my persistant case of osteitis pubis flaring up and saw a chiropractor a few times. The injury did not seem to heal as it usually does, so i went to an ortho and he ordered an MRI - i wasn't entirely comfortable with this so i waited till almost the end of my 2nd trimester to have it done. it revealed a vertical fracture in my pubic bone that has still not healed - almost 4 mos. after sustaining the injury. i am now 31 weeks pregnant, pain in my pelvic region is increasing exponentially, and i'm wondering what the recommended protocol for birth is at this point. i recently saw my OB and expected him to have full knowledge of my condition, however, he had not been forwarded any info by my ortho. Obviously he wanted to see the MRI results before we discussed anything. I will be seeing him next week, and my ortho again in 2 weeks. i would love to know what my options are at this point - for pain relief, delivery, and post-delivery care. I have had 2 vaginal births previously, one at 38.5 weeks and the last at 37.5 weeks. The last delivery was quick and i barely made it to the hospital in time. I would appreciate any insight you might have - thanks, Suz
AnswerIt would be difficult for a pelvic fracture to heal under the pressure of a growing baby. I wonder, though, if you might have a separation of your pubic symphysis joint? There are coping techniques for pubic symphysis separation, most importantly pushing in the hands-and-knees position to prevent further damage. If your pain worsens when you stand on one leg, and gets better when you balance on both legs, this may be an option for you.
Beyond that, a bony break in your pelvis often becomes an indication for a c-section. Your pelvis flexes, stretches, and moves as the baby passes through at birth. If you have an unhealed break, that break will also separate and move during the birth; this would be very painful and detrimental to your healing. Consult with your OB and ortho. I know that you want to avoid a c-section, but be aware that going forward with a vaginal delivery under pain-relief could be worse, as it could do even further damage to your pelvis.
