You can relieve pelvic girdle pain by keeping your knees together during movement, using a pelvic support belt, and performing gentle exercises that stabilize the core and pelvic floor. These methods reduce the uneven pressure on your pelvic joints and help restore your mobility during and after pregnancy by keeping the “ring of bones” at the base of your spine aligned.
While 1 in 5 pregnant women experience this “stabbing” or “grinding” sensation, it is not a normal pain you just have to endure until delivery. At The Mom Loft, we help women find lasting relief through our B-Pulse Chair treatment, which builds the deep muscle strength your joints are currently missing to stay stable and pain-free.
Understanding how to manage your daily movements is the first step toward getting your life back. Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP), which was once called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD), happens when the joints in your pelvis move unevenly. This can make simple tasks like walking, climbing stairs, or even turning over in bed feel nearly impossible. However, with the right mix of lifestyle changes and modern medical technology, you can significantly reduce the ache and protect your pelvic health for the long term.
In a Nutshell
- The “Knees Together” Rule: Always keep your knees together when rolling in bed or getting out of a car to prevent joint shearing.
- Supportive Equipment: Pelvic support belts provide an “external hug” that stabilizes the sacroiliac and pubic joints.
- Night-Time Comfort: Use pillows between your legs and under your bump to keep your hips level and reduce spine twisting.
- Pacing is Essential: Avoid long periods of standing or walking; change your position every 30 minutes to prevent stiffness.
- Restorative Tech: Medical-grade electromagnetic pulses can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that provide internal stability for the joints.
What exactly is pelvic girdle pain?
Before you can fix the pain, you need to understand where it comes from. Your pelvis is not just one solid bone; it is a ring of bones held together by very strong ligaments. There are three main joints: the symphysis pubis at the front and the two sacroiliac (SI) joints at the back.
During pregnancy, your body produces a hormone called relaxin. This hormone is supposed to soften your ligaments so your baby can pass through the birth canal more easily. However, sometimes these ligaments become too soft or relaxed before it is time to give birth. When this happens, the joints start to move too much or move unevenly. This creates inflammation and that sharp, stabbing sensation you feel in your groin, hips, or lower back.
How to relieve pelvic girdle pain at night?
For many women, the night is the hardest time. Trying to find a comfortable position when your joints are grinding can lead to sleepless nights and frustration.
The Magic of Pillow Placement
To relieve pelvic girdle pain at night, your goal is to keep your pelvis in a “neutral” position. When you lie on your side, the weight of your top leg can pull on your hip and twist your pelvis.
- The Knee-to-Ankle Pillow: Don’t just put a small pillow between your knees. Use a long body pillow or two standard pillows to support your leg from the knee all the way down to your ankle. This keeps your legs parallel and stops the top hip from “dropping.”
- The Bump Support: Place a small, wedge-shaped pillow under your belly. This prevents your bump from pulling your spine forward and putting extra pressure on your sacroiliac joints.
Mastering the “Log Roll”
Turning over in bed is often the most painful part of the night. Instead of moving one leg at a time, which “twists” the pelvis, use the log roll technique:
- Squeeze your knees together.
- Tighten your core muscles (think about pulling your belly button toward your spine).
- Roll your entire body as one solid unit—shoulders, hips, and knees moving at the exact same time.
The Silk Sheet Trick
If you find that your pajamas “catch” on the bed sheets, making it hard to roll, try using silk or satin sheets. The reduced friction makes it much easier to slide and turn without needing to use your pelvic muscles as much, which lowers the chance of a sharp pain spike.
What are the best exercises for PGP relief?
While it might feel like you should stay completely still, gentle movement is actually “medicine” for PGP. The key is to choose exercises that stabilize the pelvis rather than stretching it.
Cat-Cow Stretch
This is a classic for a reason. By getting on your hands and knees, you take the weight of the baby off your pelvic ring and lower back.
- How to do it: Inhale as you let your belly sink toward the floor and look up slightly. As you exhale, round your back like a cat and tuck your chin. This gentle rocking helps maintain mobility without overstraining the joints.
Seated Pelvic Tilts
You can do these even while watching TV. Sit on a firm chair or a birth ball with your feet flat on the floor.
- How to do it: Slowly tilt your pelvis forward (arching your back) and then backward (flattening your back). This tiny movement helps lubricate the joints and relieves the “stuck” feeling that often comes with PGP.
The B-Pulse Advantage
Sometimes, manual exercises aren’t enough because the pain is so high that you can’t properly engage your muscles. This is where the B-Pulse Chair makes a massive difference. The chair uses 8 Teslas of pulsed electromagnetic power to stimulate your deep pelvic floor muscles. In a single 30-minute session, it induces thousands of “supramaximal” contractions. These are deeper and more powerful than any Kegel you could do on your own. By building this internal “muscle corset,” you give your joints the physical support they need to stop grinding.
If you are wondering if this is the right step for your recovery, you can find the B-Pulse Chair cost on our pricing page to help you plan your treatment.
How to relieve pelvic girdle pain postpartum?
Many women expect PGP to vanish the moment the baby is born. While for some the relief is instant, for many others, the pain lingers. This is because your ligaments are still soft from the hormones, and your core muscles have been stretched for nine months.
If you need immediate, daily relief from the heavy pressure of your growing bump, learning how to tape a pregnancy belly for pelvic pain provides a comfortable, breathable alternative to wearing heavy maternity bands.
The “Relaxin” Recovery Window
It can take several months for your hormone levels to return to normal after birth, especially if you are breastfeeding. During this time, your joints are still at risk of moving unevenly.
- Gradual Strengthening: Start with very gentle core work. Avoid high-impact exercises like running or jumping until a professional confirms your pelvic floor is strong enough to handle the pressure.
- The DVT Warning: Because PGP can limit your movement, you are at a slightly higher risk for blood clots (DVT) in the weeks after birth. If you notice swelling or redness in one leg, call your doctor immediately.
What should I avoid doing when I have PGP?
Sometimes, what you don’t do is just as important as the exercises you perform. To keep the pain from flaring up, try to avoid these common triggers:
- Standing on One Leg: This is a major trigger for the “stabbing” pain in the pubic bone. Sit down to put on your underwear, socks, or trousers.
- Carrying Toddlers on One Hip: This “cocks” the hip to one side and puts extreme pressure on the SI joints. Use a carrier that centers the weight or ask for help.
- The “Stairs Strategy”: Stairs are a common enemy. Go up the stairs one at a time, leading with your “better” or stronger leg. When going down, lead with your “painful” leg. A good way to remember this is: “Up with the good, down with the bad.”
- Sitting Cross-Legged: This puts the pelvic joints in an asymmetrical position. Always sit with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent no higher than your hips.
Can heat, ice, or support belts help?
Non-medicinal home remedies can be a great way to manage daily aches.
- Heat vs. Ice: Use a warm (not hot) wheat bag or heating pad on your lower back or hips to relax tight muscles. If the pain feels like a “hot” or “burning” sensation in the front (pubic bone), a cold pack wrapped in a towel can help reduce inflammation.
- Support Belts: A pelvic support belt (or sacroiliac belt) acts like an external ligament. It wraps snugly around your hips (not your waist) to “squeeze” the joints together. This provides a sense of stability and makes walking much more comfortable.
Final words
Relieving pelvic girdle pain is about working with your body, not against it. By making small changes to how you sleep, how you move, and how you sit, you can prevent the “grinding” that causes so much distress. More importantly, by focusing on rebuilding your internal strength through gentle exercise and advanced medical technology like the B-Pulse Chair, you can move through your pregnancy and postpartum journey with confidence.
You don’t have to “just live with it.” There are safe, effective, and non-invasive ways to get back on your feet.
Ready to stop the ache and feel strong again? Book your free 10-minute B-Pulse demo today and experience the relief for yourself.
The Mom Loft 20 De Boers Dr Suite 420, North York, ON 1 (844) 666-5638