During pregnancy, some women experience a pain known as, pelvic girdle pain. In this post, we go over everything you need to know about pelvic girdle pain pregnancy, pelvic girdle pain treatment, pelvic girdle pain symptoms, pelvic girdle pain stretches, pelvic girdle pain early pregnancy, and more!
What’s Pelvic Girdle Pain?
Pelvic ligaments are more mobile during pregnancy and birth due to the hormone relaxin. This hormone provides your pelvis with the mobility needed to birth your baby. However, the increase in this hormone can cause imbalance and sometimes a pain called pelvic girdle pain (PGP).
A ligament is an elastic band of tissue that connects bone to bone and provides stability to the joint.
Pelvic girdle pain refers to pain in your pelvic bone, inner thighs, lower back, and/or outer hips due to the joints moving unevenly.
PGP affects roughly 1 in 5 pregnant women, impacting their mobility and quality of life during pregnancy.
Where is Pelvic Girdle Pain Located?
The pelvic girdle is a ring of bones at the base of your spine. However, pelvic girdle pain can also affect the sacroiliac joints at the back of the pelvis and/or the symphysis pubis joint at the front.
Therefore, pelvic girdle pain can be felt at the back of the pelvis/base. of the spine, at the front of the pelvis, hips, and/or thighs.
PGP used to be known as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD).
Want to know more about sacroiliac (SI) joint pain? Check out: SI Joint Pain During Pregnancy (Coming soon!)
How Does Pelvic Girdle Pain Feel?
Pelvic girdle pain ranges from a dull ache to a sharp stabbing pain depending on the severity.
How is Pelvic Girdle Pain Diagnosed?
The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology states that you should tell your midwife or OB about your pain. Then, you should be offered an appointment with a physical therapist who will make an assessment to diagnose pelvic girdle pain [1].
This assessment involves looking at your posture and your back and hip movements and ruling out other possible causes of your pelvic pain during pregnancy [1].
Is Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy Normal?
Pelvic pain during pregnancy is not normal. However, it is common, since many women experience imbalance or pressure on their ligaments or nerves due to the increased weight of their uterus/baby!
Pelvic Girdle Pain Symptoms
PGP can range from mild to severe pain, but it is treatable at any stage during pregnancy, and most often occurs later in pregnancy due to the increased weight on your pelvis.
Symptoms of PGP can include:
- Pubic pain, pain in the lower back, hips, thighs, or knees
- Clicking or grinding in your pelvis
- Pain worsened by movements, such as:
- walking on uneven surfaces or for long distances
- opening your knees, like when you’re getting in or out of the car or bed
- standing on one leg, like when you’re walking up the stairs, putting pants on, or getting in or out of the bath
- rolling over in bed
- during sex in some positions
What Helps Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy?
Pelvic girdle pain treatment options include:
- Try Kegel exercises and pelvic tilts on your birth ball to help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. I recommend checking out this Trideer Birth/Exercise Ball as it is a trusted and durable birth ball brand that I have committed to purchasing from for years now as a birth worker!
- Stretch and strengthen your pelvic and lower back muscles. You can find 7 lower back and pelvic stretches and 4 exercises in: How to Use 7 Lower Back Pain Stretches in Pregnancy!
- Swimming for exercise. Because of the buoyancy experienced while in the water, swimming takes the pressure off of the sciatic nerve. Check out: How to Exercise in Pregnancy for a Better Labor
- Try alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, and massage therapy. But, be sure to find practitioners who are certified or experienced with treatment during pregnancy!
- Also, gaining weight at a steady pace may be advantageous to minimize how quickly your body is experiencing all of these changes, that are already happening quickly as it is!
- Ask your midwife or OB for a referral to a physical therapist who will help you build strength and good posture if self-practice and correcting aren’t helping.
Pain Relief for Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy
The best tips to relieve pelvic pain during pregnancy include:
- Warm showers, warm compresses, or a heating pad for 10 minutes at a time
- Relaxing off of your feet. Still, remember to use good posture to promote optimal positioning of your baby as you near childbirth. Keep your heart space over your pelvis while sitting or lying down.
- Sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs and good posture
- Also, consider sliding a pillow to your back to provide back support with a pillow between your legs for lying down or sleeping. Further, a more firm mattress may provide more back support if needed.
- Avoid sitting for long periods of time
- Gently stretch the muscles (keep reading for the best lower back pain stretches during pregnancy!)
- Sleep on the opposite side of the pain (if the pain is on one side)
7 Pelvic Girdle Pain Stretches
These 7 pelvic girdle pain stretches will guide you in gently stretching and relaxing the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your pelvis and lower back to hopefully bring you some relief.
Hot tip: If you have a heating pad, use it to warm up and loosen your pelvis and lower back before beginning these stretches. Then, following your stretches or exercises, or if simply want some relief, use ice as ice is used to decrease inflammation and soothe activity-related flare-ups.
I highly recommend this Extra Large Heating Pad that comes with 6, easy to use, heat settings from Amazon!
1. Pelvic tilts and circles
For this stretch, you’ll want to get out your birth ball and sit on it with your knees at a 90° angle.
Next, ensure your heart is over your pelvis and release any tension your shoulders by dropping them down.
Place your hands on your knees and take a deep breath in as you tilt your head up and open your chest. Then, breathe out as you round your back and tuck your chin to your chest.
Repeat this stretch however much you’d like!
2. hip adductor squeezes
Come to the edge of a chair or couch with a tall back and shoulder stacked above your pelvis, and your feet are flat on the ground.
Now take a soft ball, pillow, or yoga block and place it between your knees. When you’re ready, squeeze your knees together and hold for 3 seconds, then release enough not to let the ball fall.
You can do this 10 times at least once a day but up to 3 times a day if you’d like.
3. hip abductor pulses
Sit on the edge of a seat the same way as the previous movements above, place your palm on the outside of your opposite leg, then do the same with your other palm, crisscrossing your arms.
Then you’re going to keep your arms and hands firmly in place but now push your legs firmly into the palms of your hands for 3 seconds to feel the resistance.
If you have a resistance band, then you can use that instead. Just place the band just above your knees and pull your knees open just enough to feel resistance but not too far and hold for 3 seconds, then rest and repeat 10 times 1-3 times a day.
Also, you might be wondering, “what’s the difference between adductor and abductor?” Essentially, a hip abduction is pushing resistance away from the body, while a hip adduction is to press resistance toward the body.
4. bird-dogs
Get into a tabletop position, and your knees should be hip-distance apart, with your wrists in alignment above your shoulders.
When you’re ready, straighten your right arm off the ground as you’re lifting and lengthening your left leg off the ground so that you’re working in opposites.
Ensure you’re engaging your core each time and keep your back flat, not arched, or this can make your lower back hurt even more.
5. seated hip-opener
For the seated hip-opener, sit the same as you did for the hip adductor and abductor movements and bring one leg up so your ankle rests on the opposite knee and flexes your foot.
Then gently drive the knee that is up toward the ground enough to feel a stretch.
If you want a deeper stretch, bring your chest gently down toward your leg.
6. cat-cow
Sit with your legs crossed, on a birth ball, or on hands and knees for these movements.
If you have a birth ball or are considering getting one, firstly, I recommend getting one if you’re pregnant, and be sure to check out: How to Use a Birthing Ball (coming soon!).
Once you’re seated, ensure your heart is over your pelvis and release any tension your shoulders by dropping them down.
Then, place your hands on your knees. Take a deep breath in as you tilt your head up and open your chest. Next, breathe out as you round your back and tuck your chin to your chest.
Repeat this stretch however much you’d like!
7. Reclined twist
To get into your reclined twist, first lie down prone on your yoga met or the carpet.
Next, hug your knees into your chest for a gentle stretch. Following, release one leg out straight.
Then, bring your bent knee across your body, with your foot resting on the extended knee.
While in this stretch, relax your shoulders and turn your head to rest facing the opposite direction that your knee is pointing.
Is Pelvic Girdle Pain a Sign of Labor?
PGP isn’t necessarily a sign of labor. However, restless back ache is a sign of early labor that you might experience that might feel like worsening PGP.
Furthermore, as you get later into your pregnancy, the hormone relaxin continues to increase, loosening your pelvic ligaments and potentially causing PGP. Still, this isn’t usually a sign of early labor.
Check out: The Early Labor Signs You Need to Know!
You may also be wondering, “can pelvic girdle pain cause early labor?” and no, pelvic girdle pain does not cause early labor.
Is Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy Dangerous?
No, pelvic pain during pregnancy is not dangerous for you or your baby, aside from its affect on your quality of life when you’re in pain.
Keep in mind, the earlier you begin lower back pain stretches and exercises, the sooner you can treat or greatly improve your discomfort. Ideally, start these stretches and exercises while trying to conceive or in early pregnancy to prevent pelvic pain during pregnancy.
Check out: How to Exercise During Pregnancy for a Better Labor for everything you need to know about weight gain during pregnancy, benefits of exercise during pregnancy, prenatal exercise recommendations, and more!
Why is Pelvic Pain Worse at Night?
Your pelvic pain might feel worse at night depending on how you’re sleeping or if your mattress is too firm or too soft for your pelvis and lower back.
Check out the tips under “Pain Relief for Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy” (above), and consider getting a pregnancy body pillow to support your ligaments and posture during your rest and sleep.
I recommend checking out the MomCozy Maternity Body Pillow as this pillow has enough shape to use is for sleep or propping yourself up to sit comfortably. This body pillow also has a soft, breathable fabric and adequately provides the all-around lower back, pelvic, and neck support that you need during pregnancy!
Will Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy Affect My Labor?
Pelvic pain during pregnancy might affect your labor if you aren’t able to resolve your pain through stretches and exercise before labor begins. Try labor positions such as, side-lying or on all-fours as these might feel better than others.
The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology says to let your birth team know about your pelvic pain during pregnancy so that they can help you move around and change labor positions as needed. For this reason, plus even more benefits to your pregnancy, labor, and birth, check out: 7 Reasons You Need to Hire a Birth Doula!
Further, the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology states, “You may find a birthing pool helps to take the weight off your joints and allows you to move more easily. All types of pain relief are possible, including an epidural.” [1]
Will My Pelvic Pain Go Away After Birth?
PGP usually improves after birth. However, around 1 in 10 women will have ongoing pain [1].
If this is the case, it is important that you continue to receive treatment and work with a women’s health physical therapist.
Questions or Comments?
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below👇🏻
Talk soon, mama!
– Katelyn Lauren
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DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
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