How To Relieve Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
April 18, 2018Tailbone pain during pregnancy is the worst, and trying to find ways to relieve it can seem difficult. Pregnant women have to deal with enough pain, but dealing with tailbone pain is awful – you can’t even sit down without feeling uncomfortable. Luckily, with a little bit of research and a whole lot of trial and error, we at Bellefit have discovered a way to relieve tailbone pain during pregnancy.
Tailbone pain is something that pregnant women experience at any trimester. Scientifically speaking, the coccyx (tailbone) shifts because of the increase of hormones to the pelvic area. This means that you may experience pain while sitting or standing. Rather than grit your teeth and push through it (as many women do), it is best to try and relieve your symptoms as much as possible.
In order to relieve tailbone pain during pregnancy, you can try to adjust your posture, move around regularly, change your sleeping position, or get a girdle to help relieve the pressure off of your tailbone.
Adjusting Your Posture to Relieve Tailbone Pain While Pregnant
There are a few ways you can adjust your posture, and make sure the pressure on your tailbone is at a minimum – ensure you are sitting properly, go to a chiropractor, and partake in some prenatal yoga/stretches.
Ensure you are Sitting Properly
A quick and easy way to try to relieve tailbone pain while pregnant, is to adjust your position when you sit down. I know it is tempting to slump over in defeat at your desk, or slouch down and take a quick power nap, but this is just going to make the pain worse. In order to relieve pressure off your tailbone you need to:
- Sit up straight with you tailbone directly in line with your spine
- Your feet flat on the ground
- And you head/neck straight forward
For some pregnant women, it is easier to invest in a medicine ball that they can sit on as it helps you to be more mindful of your posture and also prevents slouching.
Go to a Chiropractor
For many women, this may not be an option, however if you have the time and money to go to a chiropractor, it can work wonders to keep you aligned and feeling your best. Some women no matter how attentive to their body they are, and how much they are mindful of their posture, they will still need a little bit more help to make sure their spine stays aligned.
You have a child growing inside of you, your body is going to have to move around some organs and make room to accommodate them. This shifting can sometimes shift your spine, which can cause tailbone pain, due to the poor distribution of pressure on your body.
A chiropractor is a doctor who specializes in the spine. They know where all of your vertebrae are supposed to be placed to make sure that you are not experiencing pain. If your spine is all out of whack, you can go to a chiropractor and they can adjust it so that it falls back into place and properly distributes the pressure on your spine and tailbone.
Do Prenatal Yoga/Stretches
Another great tip that pregnant women all over the world use, is to stretch and strengthen the muscles in your lower back to ensure that they are keeping your tailbone in the correct position even under when there is extra stress to those muscles.
There are lots of free prenatal stretch videos on YouTube such as this one demonstrated by Dr. Samaira. These techniques can help to relieve back pain quickly and efficiently.
For a little bit of extra support and comfort on your tailbone, and for immediate relief, you can always try a donut shaped pillow. They make a world of difference in how you feel at the end of a long day of sitting. It also offers relief if you’re experiencing pregnancy hemorrhoids which feel excruciatingly painful to sit on. Once your baby is born, the pillow can be used once more to relieve pain in the perineal area.
Get Up and Move Regularly
It is essential to move around regularly throughout the day. If you don’t move around it is easy for the pressure on your tailbone to build and ultimately become very uncomfortable.
Think of it this way, when you are sitting in a car for a road trip, your legs start to fall asleep, and your butt gets sore (even if you’re not pregnant). Now imagine even more pressure on your tailbone – this can cause even more pain.
In order to prevent tailbone pain during pregnancy that comes from sitting for too long it’s important to get up and move every hour. There are even fitness trackers on the market that encourage you to be more active by giving you a gentle reminder that you’ve been too sedentary.
Change how you sleep
Many women who experience tailbone pain while pregnant may be sleeping in a position that can increase your likelihood of getting pain.
In order to reduce pain, it’s best to sleep on your side. It takes pressure off your spine and allows you to slip into restful slumber. If you are normally a back sleeper, try a c-shaped pregnancy pillow. These pillows allow you to lay comfortably in any position. You can wrap your arms and legs around it however you see fit. It’s well worth the expense because you’ll have greater comfort at night which is when many pregnant women experience tailbone pain the most.
Tailbone Pain While Pregnant? Purchase a Girdle
Girdles, can help relieve tailbone pain during pregnancy by relieving the pressure off of your tailbone and supporting your stomach. Just like you wouldn’t exercise without a sports bra, why are you expecting your body to endure the strain that comes from pregnancy?
Girdles help your tailbone pain by:
- Keeping your posture straight
- Distributing the weight from your belly to the surrounding areas
- Providing compression to keep your belly in place (like a sports bra)
- And preventing you from stressing your muscles
Not only are girdles great during pregnancy, many women use them after pregnancy! You’re paying to use it to relieve pain now, but you can also relieve pain later when you are not pregnant, by buying a postpartum girdle which helps you to treat Diastasis Recti.
You Can Relieve Pregnant Tailbone Pain
Now that you have some ideas of how to keep your tailbone supported and pain-free, you’ll be able to sit and lay comfortably throughout the duration of your pregnancy. If your pain is persistent and doesn’t go away after you’ve given birth, it’s time to talk to your doctor about it. There may be some type of treatment that he or she offers that provides you with long-term relief. Relieving tailbone pain during pregnancy is something every woman wants to know how to do. It provides greater comfort while sitting for even the shortest period of time. If you feel pain in your lower back, there are ways to relieve it easily. Follow the tips listed above so you’re able to sit longer without discomfort.