Pelvic Girdle Pain in Pregnancy

Safe physio-led online exercise program for Pelvic Girdle Pain in Pregnancy

Pelvic Girdle Pain in Pregnancy Overview

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) in pregnancy is a common condition affecting up to 60% of expectant mothers, causing discomfort in the pelvis, hips, lower back, and pubic bone. It is linked to joint, ligament, and posture changes as the body adapts to pregnancy. Early physiotherapy, posture support, and tailored exercises can help relieve symptoms and protect pelvic health.

Quick Facts & Key Points

What it is: Pain around the pelvis during pregnancy, often affecting the pubic bone and sacroiliac joints.
Onset: Typically between 20–28 weeks gestation, but can start earlier, especially in later pregnancies.
Causes: Changes in joints, ligaments, biomechanics, and posture as your body supports your growing baby.
Prevalence:
- Up to 60% of pregnant women experience mild to moderate PGP.
- Around 20% have symptoms severe enough for clinical care.
Symptoms:
- Sharp pain when rolling in bed, climbing stairs, or standing on one leg.
- Clicking, grinding, or shearing sensations in the pubic bone.
- Deep aching in the buttocks or lower back.
Screening: No universal screening; many women report feeling unsupported as it’s often seen as “normal.”
Management: Early intervention with PGP-specific exercises, posture adjustments, and physiotherapy.
Support program: The Empowered Motherhood Pregnancy Program offers physio-led exercise tailored to PGP management.

In this article, we'll cover:

- What is Pelvic Girdle Pain during Pregnancy
- What does pelvic girdle pain feel like?
- How do you relieve pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy?

- What aggravates pelvic girdle pain?
- Can pelvic girdle pain make it hard to walk during pregnancy?
- What are the best exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy?

What is Pelvic Girdle Pain during Pregnancy
What does pelvic girdle pain feel like?
How do you relieve pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy?
What aggravates pelvic girdle pain?
Can pelvic girdle pain make it hard to walk during pregnancy?
What are the best exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy?

What is Pelvic Girdle Pain during Pregnancy?

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) refers to pain around the pelvis during pregnancy. PGP presents in multiple different regions throughout the pelvis and typically has an onset between 20-28 weeks gestation (although it can start earlier, especially in second and third pregnancies). PGP is most commonly experienced in these areas:

Pubic symphysis (front of the pelvis)
Sacroiliac joints (back of the pelvis)
Gluteal muscles (due to overcompensation)
Sometimes sciatic nerve symptoms (radiating pain or numbness down the leg)

You may feel:

Sharp pain with movements like rolling in bed, standing on one leg, or climbing stairs
Clicking or grinding in the pubic bone
Deep aching in the buttocks or lower back
A shearing or grinding sensation in the pubic bone

Despite being common, it’s often poorly understood and poorly managed. In addition, women with pelvic girdle pain can often write it off as sciatica and assume that they have to put up with the pain. Consequently, a significant portion of affected women do not receive adequate treatment or are unaware that treatment options exist. In this article, we break down the causes, symptoms, and most effective ways to manage PGP so you can move with less pain and more confidence.

pregnancy pelvic girdle pain safe exercise

Joint and Ligament Changes

During pregnancy, your body undergoes extraordinary hormonal shifts to support your growing baby and prepare for birth and breastfeeding. Key hormones like relaxin and progesterone play a crucial role; they soften your ligaments to allow the pelvis to widen in preparation for birth.

This increase in ligament laxity means your pelvic joints may move more than usual. While your pelvis remains strong and stable, this added mobility can sometimes cause discomfort or pain, especially around the sacroiliac joints or pubic symphysis. This is known as pelvic girdle pain (PGP).

In short, these hormonal changes are essential, but they can also make your pelvis more sensitive to load, movement, and posture.

Load and postural shifts

During pregnancy, the lumbar spine region becomes maximally stressed due to large changes in your posture. The main postural changes that occur are:

Increased Lumbar Curve: The increased weight through the abdomen leads to a more pronounced arch through the lower back. This change typically occurs around 20-30 weeks.
Widening of the Pelvis: In preparation for birth, the pelvis begins to widen. You may notice you stand with your legs slightly wider, and the weight distribution between your legs can change. This is more pronounced around 30-40 weeks.
Forward Head and Rounded Shoulders Posture: Increased weight through your abdomen and breast tissue, alongside a shifting centre of gravity, can cause your head, neck and shoulders to round forward, often leading to upper back pain. This is a common experience in the third trimester.

Muscle imbalance or weakness

Pre-existing postural patterns, muscle imbalances, old injuries, or how you carry a toddler can all create uneven movement through the pelvis. This increases strain and inflammation. If the core, glutes, or deep stabilisers aren’t supporting the pelvis effectively, the body may compensate in ways that increase stress on the pelvic girdle.

What does Pelvic Girdle Pain feel like?

Pelvic girdle pain refers to pain around the entire pelvis. The lumbar spine (the lowest section of the spine), the sacrum (the upside down triangle shaped bone below the lumbar spine), our hip bones (the ilium), and the pubic bone (the bone located at the very front of the pelvis) all join together to form the pelvis collectively. The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is like a connection point between the lower part of your spine and the bones of your pelvis. It is the bridge that joins these two parts of your body together.

Pelvic girdle pain feels different for everyone. Whether your pain is mild or more intense, it deserves support. We know that even mild symptoms can impact how you move, sleep, and feel day to day. And that’s exactly why we created the Empowered Motherhood Program Pelvic Girdle Pain Safe Program, to help you stay strong, mobile and mentally well, no matter where you’re at.

Pain in specific areas of the pelvis

This may include stabbing, aching, or burning pain in the front (pubic bone), lower back, hips, or inner thighs. It’s often felt on one side but can occur on both.

Pain with specific movements

You may notice pain when walking, climbing stairs, turning in bed, standing on one leg, or getting in/out of the car. Some people describe a clicking or grinding sensation.

Pain that worsens with activity

PGP can build up over the day. It may feel manageable in the morning but worsen by evening or after prolonged standing, walking, or lifting.

If you're feeling pelvic discomfort that affects how you move, it could be PGP. The EMP’s online pelvic pain–safe workouts are specifically designed to support and modify movement for those symptoms—so you can stay active, safely.

How do you relieve pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy?

When even putting on underwear hurts, it’s tempting to stop all movement. But long-term rest can weaken the muscles that support your pelvis and actually worsen your pain.

This is what we call the pelvic girdle pain cycle, and it’s exactly why the EMP exists.

Our Pelvic Girdle Pain Safe Program includes physio-led Pilates, strength, cardio, yoga and stretch classes designed to help you move safely and confidently.

With the right support, many women reduce their pain, regain strength, and return to everyday life without relying on medication.

Swap lunges for squats or split squats. Keep upper body exercises in a neutral stance.
Sit down to dress and avoid standing on one leg.
Distribute weight evenly through both feet. Avoid leaning on one hip or carrying children on one side.
Keep exercising. Stopping completely can worsen pain. EMP workouts are designed to support you safely.
Avoid wide stances. Use smaller ranges in glute exercises and shorten your step when walking.
Gently engage your pelvic floor and deep abs before standing, walking, or rolling in bed. This supports the pelvis.
Use a trigger ball or foam roller to release glute tension. Try EMP’s fascial release and stretch videos.
Avoid stairs, hills, and uneven surfaces. Use EMP’s safe cardio and strength workouts to stay active.
Apply ice to your pubic bone at night to help reduce inflammation.
Keep knees and feet together when rolling in bed or getting in and out of the car.
Use a pelvic support belt for extra stability during movement.
Place a pillow between your knees while sleeping for pelvic support.
Do a few pelvic tilts before standing up to ease pressure on your pelvis.

What aggravates pelvic girdle pain?

Certain movements, postures, and habits can make pelvic girdle pain worse, but knowing what to avoid is the first step to feeling better.

Asymmetrical or one-legged movements

This includes standing on one leg to put on pants, lunges, stair climbing, or pushing a shopping trolley—all of which place uneven stress on your pelvis.

Within an exercise class, this may include

Static or walking lunges.
Step-ups.
Bulgarian Split Squats.
Crescent Lunge or Warrior I.
Warrior III, Dancer's Pose or Tree Pose.

Prolonged standing or walking

Over time, this increases the load on pelvic joints, especially without adequate core and glute support. It’s often the “cumulative” effect that leads to flare-ups.

Walking long distances, taking long strides, walking on un-even surfaces or walking up and down stairs repeatedly may aggravate your pelvic girdle pain.

Deep squats or twisting movements

Some exercises, stretches, or even household tasks can overload the joints if not performed with proper control.

This can include

Deep lunges or wide-legged squats.
Yoga postures such as Warrior II or Virabhadrasana, Goddess Pose, Wide Leg Forward Fold, Baddha Konasana or Butterfly Pose and Malasana or Yogi Squad
Sitting in low, bucketed chairs or couches.

Avoiding common aggravators and replacing them with PGP-safe movements is central to the EMP approach. You don’t need to stop moving. You just need the right kind of support.

Can pelvic girdle pain make it hard to walk during pregnancy?

Yes. Pelvic Girdle Pain can significantly affect your ability to walk. For some women, even short distances feel painful or impossible. Not to mention the impossibility of keeping up with a way-too-energetic toddler. This can be distressing, but it is treatable.

Instability of the pelvic joints

When the joints aren’t functioning optimally, walking can cause excessive movement or “slippage” that leads to sharp or radiating pain.

Muscle guarding and fatigue

To protect the pelvis, other muscles (like the lower back or thighs) may overcompensate. This leads to tightness, imbalance, and further discomfort.

Poor load transfer through the pelvis

Without strong core and glute activation, the load of walking doesn’t transfer efficiently across your pelvis, causing pain and fatigue.

What are the best exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy?

Exercise can be one of the most effective tools for managing PGP, when done safely and specifically for your body. The key is choosing the right movements.

Glute and core strengthening

Targeted activation of the glutes and deep core stabilisers (like the transverse abdominis) helps improve pelvic alignment and reduce joint strain.

Pelvic stability over mobility

Exercises that promote stability—like wall sits, modified bridges, or supported clams—are safer than stretches or open-chain movements that create more mobility in already-lax joints.

Movement with minimal load and impact

Controlled Pilates-based exercises on the floor or using props like a ball or resistance band can build strength without aggravating symptoms.

All Your Questions, Answered:

How common is pelvic girdle pain

Should I wear a belly binder or belt to help manage my pelvic girdle pain

What exercise should I do to reduce my pelvic girdle pain

When should I see a health care professional? And who should I see?

When does Pelvic Girdle Pain usually start in pregnancy?

How should I birth with Pelvic Girdle Pain?

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Pelvic Girdle Pain in Pregnancy