Management

Helpful Tips

Walk in supportive and comfortable shoes, swing arms and wear a backpack, rather than a handbag for symmetry. If walking is painful try shortening your stride length or slowing your speed.

Be as active as possible, avoid aggravating positions or movements where possible.

Sit down to get dressed.

Keep your legs together when turning in bed and when getting out of a car.

Avoid heavy lifting, ask for help.

Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees.

Keep moving regularly and exercising if you are able to.

Seek help from your GP/midwife if the pain is persisting.

Get into bed in your hands and knees and turn onto your hands and knees to changes sides in the night.

When to seek medical attention:

Numbness around the genital region and or inner thigh area.

Incontinence of the bladder and or bowel.

Inability to pass urine.

Increased weakness or loss of sensation in the lower limbs.

Persistent back/pelvic pain that is not improved with rest.

Pelvic girdle pain and lower back pain

About one in five women will experience back pain or pelvic girdle pain (pain in and around the pelvis) at some point during their pregnancy. Pain may be felt in the pubic region, inner thigh, back. It may be worse on one side or on both sides. The severity of this can vary from one person to the next.

If your pain persists for more than two weeks or it is affecting your ability to carry out normal day to day tasks then you should tell your midwife or GP. In approximately 85% of cases, the pain resolves within a few weeks of giving birth. If the pain does persist after this, please tell a health professional.

The pain can be caused from changes to your posture which will affect the muscles and joints around your back and pelvis. This can allow more uneven movement to occur around the pelvis which can cause pain. It is important to identify what activities or movements are triggering your pain. You will be asked this by the health professional who is seeing you.

In an uncomplicated pregnancy you can expect: Increased tilting of the pelvis (anterior tilt). This also causes more arching of the lower back. See diagram below

Changes to the muscle length and strength of the abdominal muscles, back muscles and pelvic muscles.