Most expecting mums report feeling some form of physical discomfort after 20 weeks of pregnancy. If you’ve started to experience pregnancy joint pain, lower back pain during pregnancy, and other aches, you’re in the right place!

UpSpring has compiled a great list of tips and tricks to help relieve and explore ways to correct the root causes of your pelvic and hip pain during the second and third trimesters.

By the second and third trimester of pregnancy, you’re probably asking yourself “why does it hurt to lie on my side” and “why do I have pelvic and back pain?”. Well, we have a few possible reasons to explore and solutions to help relieve it.

During the last two trimesters of your pregnancy, your body begins releasing a hormone called relaxin, which enables your ligaments to loosen. Relaxin enables the pelvic ligaments and pelvis to spread wide enough to give birth to your baby! However, it’s also these ligaments that hold the sacroiliac joints together and help to connect your spine to your pelvis. When these ligaments start to loosen, everything can get out of alignment and nerves can get irritated or pinched.

*Please Note: Sometimes discomforts during pregnancy are normal, but some may be indications of possibly larger issues. Please consult your doctor if you have questions or concerns. We encourage our mums to seek medical attention, especially during pregnancy, as some conditions and issues can become complicated quickly.

 

Try these tips for relief from hip pain

 1

Place a body pillow between your knees and a bit under the belly. After about a week, the pain in your hips should begin to disappear as your spine recovers from poor alignment and it relieves some of the pulling effect that your growing belly can have on your hip and back ligaments.

 

2

Physical therapy and targeted exercises. Some women have a tilted or rotated pelvis which can cause pelvic pain. A physical therapist will be able to identify the anatomical issues and create a therapy routine that can help you a lot. Do you have a rotated pelvis? Some women have severe hip pain that can make almost any movement excruciating. A good physical therapist will also be able to show you how to get your pelvis back in place at home to help minimise discomfort and hip pain during pregnancy between sessions.

 

3

When you're walking, clench the hip and glute muscles of the leg you're stepping with (i.e., when your right foot is forward, clench your right butt-cheek). While you may feel a little goofy, this one simple exercise will help strengthen the muscles around your hip joints. Try walking like this a couple times a day and you should notice a difference in a week or so.

 

4

Get a chiropractic adjustment. For some mums, seeing a chiropractor can help keep everything moving and aligned properly during pregnancy.

 

5

Sciatic nerve pain typically gives people more pain on their left and occurs in most women who are pregnant. Soaking in a warm bath, or using a heating pad, can also help to ease hip pain during pregnancy. Some women even report that a cold ice pack can help too.

 

6

Lie on an air mattress! It might sound silly but sleeping on an air mattress can also help alleviate hip and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Best part, you can pick one up at Target for less than one those pricey pregnancy pillows.

 

7

Try an under-the-belly, wedge-shaped pillow for sleeping at night. Use a pillow between your knees that fits the entire length of your inseam for best support.

 

After delivery, heal with our recovery apparel

Once you have delivered your bundle of joy, Upspring's line of postpartum recovery products for new mums offer support and compression to recover and heal. If you are still experiencing loose hips, you may want to try Upspring's Shrinkx Hips postpartum hip wrap. Shrinkx Hips helps stabilize the pelvis and hips after delivery and also gently guides hips back to their pre-pregnancy position (now that's a push present you may not have heard about before!).

For additional support in your mid-section, try our Shrinkx Charcoal Postpartum Belly Wrap. The Shrinkx Belly Wrap combines customisable compression with charcoal infused fabrics to help you feel your best after baby. Easily adjustable to fit your changing size postnatal, Shrinkx Belly is designed with compression, which has been shown to help minimise pain, swelling and provide slimming support for your belly and waist.