Booble Blog: How to relieve pelvic pain during pregnancy?

In the second edition of our Boogle Blog, we’re going below the support belt, touching on all things ‘pelvis’ and how to deal with any discomfort you may experience during pregnancy.

Pelvic pain is one of the most common things a pregnant woman will experience and affects almost all of us. If you speak to a professional they may refer to it as Pelvic Girdle Pain (GPD), or Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD), but right now we’re going off the books and calling it that Lower Uncomfortable Ouchy Thing That’s Super Annoying When You’re Making A Human (LOOTTSAWYMAH).

So let’s look at what causes pelvic pain and how you can treat it.

Causes of pelvic pain during pregnancy

If you think about what your body is doing right now and all the changes that are going on in there, you can only imagine how many things may be causing you discomfort.

The main culprit that we know of is a hormone called relaxin, and as you may have guessed from the name, its aim is to soften and relax your ligaments to prepare for delivery. The problem with that is it also loosens your joints which can cause all sorts of pain from an achy tailbone to clicky hips.

Along with hormones, other things that may be causing you to yell out occasionally are:

• Growth spurts of the baby
• The pressure of your baby’s weight or
• Symphysis pubis dysfunction - an inflammation that can occur in the joints during pregnancy

Where and when pelvic pain may strike

Women can experience pain in, and all around the pelvic area (yay, lucky us!). But most commonly it affects the perineum, lower back, centre of the pubic bone and the round ligament - a ligament that starts at the top of the uterus and ends at your groin. As it begins to stretch, it can cause sharp, stabbing pains on one or both sides of your abdomen.

While any place where pain strikes will be uncomfortable, it’s generally harmless and can be managed with exercise, physio and support-ware.

Pelvic pain usually starts to kick us in the crotch around the middle of the pregnancy, and tends to get worse as we get further along. However, everyone is different and depending on your body-type, you may start experiencing discomfort earlier or later in the pregnancy.

How to relieve pain & discomfort

Other than actually having your baby, there are a few things you can do to make that discomfort more bearable. Things like floating in water to remove that heavy feeling, getting plenty of rest (easier said than done if you have other kids, we know), using an ice pack to reduce any inflammation that may have occurred, or by making an appointment with a physio who specialises in GPD.

There are also some great products that we highly recommend you get your hands on.

Things like a pregnancy pillow. These soft, comfy things are lifesavers, and come in a huge range of shapes and sizes. To help find the best one for you, check out the top 10 best pregnancy pillows in Australia.

Then there’s pregnancy support belts. These are usually recommended by physiotherapists for instant pain relief, and if you’ve ever tried them before, you’ll be nodding your head along as you read this. These beauties lift and relieve pressure as soon as you put them on and are proven to correct posture. To save you searching, add this to your cart - the New Beginnings Back Support Belt. Created with adjustable velcros tabs and an additional side panel that can be repositioned for optimum comfort and support, it’s a must-have for any growing bump.

And lastly, but not lessly (if that’s even a word), our very favourite, the New Beginnings Back Support Tube. This soft microfiber tube has been designed to support the pelvis and lower back during pregnancy and is made with a unique control band that extends from your back to your sides and under your growing belly, providing shape and total support throughout your pregnancy.

Of course, if you’ve tried all of these things and pain is still affecting you, you should chat to your doctor or OB/GYN, as there may be something else they can recommend.

If you’re finding yourself Googling everything from boobs and bums to bubs and bibs, visit our New Beginnings website, where you’ll find a range of helpful articles, products and tips for navigating this new chapter of your life - mummahood.