Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy
MenuPelvic pain in pregnancy
Spotlight on:
The wrong sort of pregnancy exercise can aggravate pelvic girdle pain, but get the exercise right and it can significantly ease your discomfort. Pregnancy Pilates is one of the best forms of exercise for pelvic girdle pain, and my week-by-week online pregnancy Pilates programme is the perfect way to stave off pelvic pain.
Try it for FREE and feel the difference!
Along with back pain, pelvic pain in pregnancy is a common, and frequently related, problem. So please don’t feel that you are alone – there are lots of other mums-to-be having to get through pregnancy with various types of back and pelvic pain.
Why pelvic pain in pregnancy?
The pelvis is made up of four bones, and these are organised into two halves which join at the front at the symphysis pubis, and at the back at the sacroiliac joints. Where these bones meet at the sacroiliac joints, ligaments join them together, keeping the pelvis strong and stable. The two sacroiliac joints are the strongest in the entire body, and they need to be because they transfer and support all your body weight.
During pregnancy, your body almost immediately starts to increase production of the hormone relaxin, and it is this hormonal change which leads to significantly greater elasticity of the ligaments in the pelvis and throughout the joints in your body. This, in turn, increases your range of movement and means that your joints are less stable during pregnancy.
This probably all sounds a little technical but, in short, it can be summarised as follows:
- During pregnancy your body increases the production of the hormone relaxin so as to aid with childbirth
- Increased relaxin levels lead to pelvic instability
- Pelvic instability leaves you vulnerable to pelvic pain in pregnancy as the ligaments are no longer able to provide the support which they normally would
- For advice and useful tips on managing pelvic pain in pregnancy, download my FREE guide to Pelvic Girdle Pain which you’ll find in the top right hand corner of this page.
Download your FREE guide from the top right hand corner
Pelvic girdle pain (PGP)
PGP is also commonly referred to as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is an umbrella term used to describe pelvic pain in pregnancy which has various causes. As already mentioned, hormonal changes in pregnancy lead to joint instability and this commonly affects the back and pelvis. If you have had lower back pain in the past or perhaps injured your back or pelvic area prior to pregnancy, the likelihood is that these past injuries will start to niggle again because of the laxity in the joints and reduced stability in the pelvis.
Due to the increased relaxin levels in your body the symphysis pubis – which is the bony point in front of your bladder where the two halves of your pelvis meet – starts to widen and separate by a few millimetres as your pregnancy progresses. Along with the increasing weight of your baby bearing down on the pubic area, this can cause pain in the following areas:
- The pubis
- The groin
- The inner thighs
- The bottom
- The hips
You may experience the following symptoms:
- Pain when walking
- Pain when going up and down stairs
- Pain getting in and out of the car, the bed, and the bath
Diastasis symphysis pubis
Diastasis symphysis pubis (DSP) is a severe form of PGP/SPD, where the pubic bones separate by 9mm or more causing a great deal of pain. The condition cannot be treated in pregnancy and it is very important not to do anything which could aggravate the problem. There are quite a few reputable organisations which provide support and advice and I’ve included their details – along with lots of tips on managing this unpleasant condition – in my FREE guide to Pelvic Girdle Pain. Get hold of your copy from the top right hand corner of this page, and I hope you find it really useful.
Download your FREE guide from the top right hand corner
Managing pelvic pain in pregnancy
For mild to moderate pelvic pain in pregnancy, there are all sorts of little adjustments to your daily life which you can implement immediately. Not all will be right for you, so it’s very much a case of giving them a go and seeing what works. My FREE Guide to Pelvic Girdle Pain is a must-have, so do make sure you download it from the top right hand corner of this page. In the meantime remember the following really important points:
- Try and avoid or limit any activities which make matters worse. You certainly DON'T want to be "working through the pain".
- Avoid any movements which involve separating the legs out wide e.g. stepping in and out of a car. You need to swivel instead, keeping the legs together.
- At night use a thin pillow between your legs to keep the knees and ankles very slightly apart.
- Try using localised gentle heat treatment on the painful area.
- And, of course, be sure to download my complete FREE guide to Pelvic Girdle Pain which you’ll find in the top right hand corner of this page.
Download your FREE guide from the top right hand corner
Keeping knees slightly separated when lying on your side to ease pelvic girdle pain
Pregnancy Pilates is one of the best forms of exercise for pelvic girdle pain, and my week-by-week online pregnancy Pilates programme is the perfect way to stave off pelvic pain.
Try it for FREE and feel the difference!
