Common, but not normal
Turning over in bed, climbing stairs, putting on your trousers standing up — it all hurts. The pain sits low in your back, at the pubic bone, in your buttocks, or runs down your leg. Many pregnant women are told “it’s the pregnancy, it’ll pass after the birth” — and spend months putting up with it.
Low back pain and pelvic girdle pain are among the most common complaints in pregnancy. They make sense: the body is changing fast. But common does not mean nothing can be done. Many pregnant women find relief with the right support, and caring for this now is also preparing for birth and the postnatal period.
What may be at the root
- A shifting centre of gravity. Your growing bump tilts the pelvis forward and increases the curve of your lower back.
- Hormones and ligaments. In pregnancy, ligaments become more flexible. The pelvic joints — the pubic symphysis and sacroiliac joints — may become less stable and more sensitive.
- Pelvic asymmetries. A joint that moves less makes another one work twice as hard.
- Overloaded muscles. Glutes, pelvic floor and back muscles compensate and become tense.
- Breathing and visceral mobility. As the uterus grows, the diaphragm and abdominal organs have less room; how you breathe and move affects your back.
How we can help
In the consultation we listen to how your pregnancy is going and assess posture, pelvis, breathing and pelvic floor. Techniques are always adapted to pregnancy, in comfortable positions — side-lying or sitting — and in coordination with your obstetrician or midwife.
Pelvic physiotherapy helps with adapted exercise, strategies for everyday tasks and, where useful, guidance on pelvic support belts. Osteopathy aims to improve the mobility of the pelvis, spine and abdomen with gentle techniques. Acupuncture, with points chosen carefully for pregnancy, may be a complement for pain relief. It can also be the start of “Parto em Movimento”, our body-based birth preparation.
What you can do now
- Move as one block. To turn in bed, gently squeeze your knees together and roll your whole body; to get into the car, sit down first and then swing both legs in together.
- Avoid standing on one leg — put your trousers on sitting down, and take stairs one step at a time if your pubic bone hurts.
- Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees, to keep your pelvis aligned.
If this sounds like you, get in touch. Pregnancy deserves to be lived with more comfort.