What Causes Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy
Although it can start as early as the first trimester, pregnancy pelvic pain becomes more frequent as the due date approaches. What causes the aches and discomfort as your pregnancy develops is described here.
According to White, light cramping in the area can occur during the first trimester due to the uterus stretching. Early on in pregnancy, Giles continues, pelvic pain may also be brought on by hormonal changes, constipation, or changes in your level of activity. In the first trimester, there are a lot of changes, making it challenging to tell one discomfort from another. You should be on the lookout for any changes in your bowels or bladder, pain during sex, difficulty urinating, incontinence, or generalized pelvic pain, advises Giles.
Pelvic pain in the second trimester
Your joints become more mobile and flexible during the second trimester thanks to the hormone relaxin, which helps make room for your developing baby. Prenatal yoga can benefit greatly from this, but Giles warns that it may also cause more joint and muscle pain. Additionally, according to White, when your pelvic floor muscles are under stress from sudden movements, you may experience back pain or pelvic pressure.
Meanwhile, your bump is expanding, and the body adapts by adjusting its spinal position, which can contribute to balance issues and joint strains in the front and back of the pelvis, says Karen Brandon, PT, DSc, a clinical specialist in women’s health physical therapy and spokesperson for the APTA. You’re working to keep yourself upright, and this translates to big changes in your posture, which can trigger pelvic pain and dysfunction, Giles adds.
How to Relieve Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy
The good news is that pain doesn’t have to be accepted as normal throughout pregnancy or after delivery, according to Giles, who advises seeking the assistance of a pelvic floor physical therapist with prenatal experience to help eliminate pain and restore some sense of normalcy during pregnancy. They can suggest stretches and workouts to tone the nearby muscles and relieve some of the pressure on the nerves and ligaments.
Other ways to mitigate the discomfort include:
Additionally, it’s critical to move slowly, maintain proper posture, and Sometimes all you need is to relax for a little while. “It’s important to follow up with your OB provider to seek more care for this issue—or with a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health assessment and treatment,” Brandon advises. “If you don’t get better with resting.”