If you’ve ever experienced any kind of pelvic pain or discomfort during pregnancy, you’ve probably searched (and searched!) for some sort of solution. Especially if it hits earlier on in pregnancy and you know that you have so many more weeks (or months!) before your baby arrives!
A lot of doctors will chalk it up to “normal” pregnancy pain and that you just have to deal with it.
I tend to disagree. Pain is never normal and there ARE things you can do to help it!
What is pelvic pain?
Pelvic pain is defined as any pain or discomfort that is present within the joints of the pelvis.
This includes the sacroiliac (or SI) joints in the back as well as the pubic symphysis joint in the front. This is often referred to as SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) or PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain).
Structurally, the bones of the pelvis form a ring and so a lot of times, if there’s pain in one joint, there is also pain in another joint (or joints) since everything is connected.
Managing your pain and discomfort is key to a more enjoyable pregnancy!
What are some common symptoms of pelvic pain?
If you’re having pain in the pubic symphysis you may be feeling:
- Pain in the front of the pelvis
- Pain in the groin/”crotch” or inner thigh area
- Sensation of grinding or movement in the front of the pelvis
- Difficulty and pain any time you’re standing on one leg, like getting your pants or shoes on, when doing the stairs, or getting into your car
- Pain with walking
- Difficulty with turning over in bed
If you’re having pain in the SI joints, you may be feeling:
- Low back pain
- Pain just to the right or left of the lower spine
- Pain into the glute or buttock area on one or both sides
- Pain that radiates down the leg
- Sensation of clicking or movement in your back when you perform certain movements
- More discomfort when you’re doing activities on one leg (see above for examples)
What causes pelvic pain?
The pelvis is where the muscles of the pelvic floor attach and where your uterus sits.
So as your baby grows in size, there is increased weight on the pelvic floor and increased strain on the joints of the pelvis.
This can either cause pain or increase pain that might already be present.
Additionally, when pregnant, the body produces relaxin, a hormone that creates increased laxity or movement in your joints.
More movement in your joints means less stability. Less stability can mean pain.
What are some ways to decrease your pain?
- Support your belly to decrease stress and strain on your pelvic floor muscles and joints of your pelvis
- Pay attention to how you move during normal daily activities and modify as necessary
- Do strength exercises as directed by a physical therapist to help stabilize your pelvic joints. (Doing the wrong exercises can actually increase your pain!)
Ways tummytape can help you
tummytape is a super simple and effective way to support your belly and the joints of your pelvis.
By providing belly support, it can help decrease your pelvic pain.
3 ways tummytape can help decrease your pain:
1. tummytape helps unweight your belly
By providing belly support and unweighting your belly, tummytape can decrease pressure on the pelvic floor and pelvic joints.
Less strain and pressure on these areas means less pain!
2. tummytape helps increase postural awareness
When you wear tummytape, it helps to remind you not to slouch or hunch forward.
When you stand up straighter and walk with better posture, not only does this give more room for your baby, but it also increases comfort for you.
Additionally, better posture means less strain on pelvic floor, your pelvis and low back/SI joint area. So this means less pain!
3. tummytape helps decrease muscle fatigue
When your belly is unweighted and you have better posture, your muscles don’t have to work as hard and can function more optimally.
When your muscles don’t have to work as hard, they don’t fatigue as quickly.
This means that the joints of your pelvis stay in better alignment for longer periods of time.
All in all, this leads to a happier pelvis, which means less pain for you!
tummytape for pain management
tummytape is such an effective way to help manage pain in the pelvis that you may experience in pregnancy.
It’s a solution to help decrease pressure on the pelvis and pelvic floor, improve your posture and decrease muscle fatigue.
These three things together can really help to decrease your pain and increase your enjoyment of being pregnant!
There are so many other things you need to focus on before your little one arrives. Don’t let pelvic pain get in the way!
Did I mention tummytape has a 100% Happiness Guarantee? If it doesn't work for you, you'll get a full refund on your purchase price - no questions asked! Shop now.
This article was written by Dr. Pope.
Rachel Pope is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Pregnancy & Postpartum Exercise Specialist and Run Coach for Moms. She's a long time runner, hiker and mom of 4. To learn more, visit www.rachelpope.co