Aches & Pains After Birth
Many women have pains in their hips and/or pelvic joints up any time during pregnancy and up to three months after giving birth.
The culprit is Relaxin, the hormone that makes the joint ligaments relax in preparation for birth. According to an article on the Babyworld UK site, the hormone causes the ligaments to overstretch in approximately one in 35 women. The cause is a condition called diastasis symphysis pubis (or SPD) that occurs when the ligaments don’t or can’t tighten up again in the weeks after birth. Since the symphysis pubis is designed to hold you pelvis still while you’re walking or standing, the loose ligaments make for greater discomfort when you climb stairs, try to get in and out of your car or even get out of bed.
“Although it appears to be a firmly fixed circle of bone, the pelvis is actually four separate bones jointed together - the sacrum and coccyx at the back and at the sides the two hip bones which curve around to meet at the front. These are joined at the front by the symphysis pubis,” reads the article on Pelvic Joint Pain.
Experiencing the pain of SPD may delay your plans to get back your pre-pregnancy shape. According to American massage therapist Kate Jordan, many excercises should be avoided while the woman undergoes treatment:
- In particular, if a woman has pelvic pain, she should not be encouraged to do back exercises, or any kind of vigorous exercise. Exercise will only increase her pain, especially the following day. She should avoid stairs, standing on one leg, extensive walking, extreme ranges of motion of her back and pelvis, standing, heavy lifting and prolonged sitting. She should also avoid bed rest, since this will weaken supportive muscles.
Most cases of SPD disappear within three months after the birth. For persistent cases, treatments include wearing a pelvic belt, massage, chiropractic treatments, and physio therapy. Pain that persists past three months, may require surgical intervention. It is important to seek referrals to a specialist if your pain hasn’t stopped or significantly diminished by your 12th post partum week.
Tags: hip_pain, over_stretched_ligaments, pelvic_pain_after_birth, post_partum_recovery, SPDRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Weeks 6 to 12, Women's health
14 opinions for Aches & Pains After Birth
Sarah
Feb 24, 2006 at 1:39 pm
My goodness! According to that woman’s opinion, there are not many positions to wait out those three months - perhaps standing on one’s head?
I have long winded and quite opinionated response to this here:
Having been one of the 1 in 35 with significant laxity from an unheard of early 5 months on (actually the incidence of all types of pelvic laxity and pain in pregnancy is much higher than this, more like at least 1 in 2 I think…), and having had impressive pelvic pain both posteriorly and now anteriorly too- I can heartily disagree.
I read and reearched as much as I could and finally got some help thorugh a referral from my OB. I would recommend instead being assessed by a physiotherapist with osteopathic training and experience.
The exercises and stretches and massage work done in three weeks with my PT allowed me to walk and move comfortably again - and that was after he thoguht he was going to have to BIND my pelvis because it was so loose. He did stop me from jogging, though I was hoping to do this as long as possible throughout my pregnancy! He said the pounding produced too much shear stress on the pelvis, but walking was actually okay.
The thing with the pelvis is this, it is round, and the joints don’t hold it together very well, true. The weight of a baby pushing things outwards. The abnormal tilt the sacrum adopts to adjust to the belly forward pull and thus the lordotic curve of your lower back forward…well let’s just say it can make quite a mess unless it is balanced properly by your MUSCLES. That means you need to try to consciously tuck your butt IN and forwards, and try to hold your belly IN even though you really want to show off that pregnant bump!
The long and the short of it is that you have to do some work to keep those muscles strong and supportive.
Again I think the best thing is to get assessed by someone to see exactly what your bones are doing and go from there.
Phew!
Sorry just had to rant.
Sarah
Feb 24, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Okay - sorry let me refine this . I agree heartily with the Baby World UK article. It is quite good.
Babylune » C-Section Recovery
Mar 8, 2006 at 6:43 am
[…] Dr. Sarah, a friend of mine whose expert commentary makes writing this blog an extra pleasure, gave birth to a beautiful little boy last week. After three hours of pushing, she had an emergency Cesarian Section. I’ve been planning an article on recovering from a c-section for a long time. I am writing it today for Sarah and her baby to welcome her to the world of motherhood. […]
Babylune » Mom-Me Versus Me-Me
Mar 18, 2006 at 8:22 am
[…] Now, I am a mother. I have a fading tattoo on my hip with stretch marks running through it. I face challenging choices brought on by my former self. Do I get the ink re-touched or do I just get the darn thing removed? I no longer have the income to go to the Elmwood for regular spa maintenance. And, with the aches and pains of pregnancy and delivery still troubling me, plus the safety issues of balancing a baby in my arms, I wear running shoes almost all the time. […]
Babylune » Mom-Me Versus Me-Me
Mar 19, 2006 at 1:38 pm
[…] Now, I am a mother. I have a fading tattoo on my hip with stretch marks running through it. I face challenging choices brought on by my former self. Do I get the ink re-touched or do I just get the darn thing removed? I no longer have the income to go to the Elmwood for regular spa maintenance. And, with the aches and pains of pregnancy and delivery still troubling me, plus the safety issues of balancing a baby in my arms, I wear running shoes almost all the time. […]
Babylune » C-Section Recovery
Mar 19, 2006 at 1:42 pm
[…] Dr. Sarah, a friend of mine whose expert commentary makes writing this blog an extra pleasure, gave birth to a beautiful little boy last week. After three hours of pushing, she had an emergency Cesarian Section. I’ve been planning an article on recovering from a c-section for a long time. I am writing it today for Sarah and her baby to welcome her to the world of motherhood. […]
Babylune
May 15, 2006 at 2:05 am
[…] After months of hip pain, I decided I felt good enough to go for my first jog since giving birth. It must have been about 10 days ago. I haven’t gone again because it’s taken me this long to come to terms with my frustration. I used to run 5K in just under 30 minutes. It’s not fast but, at least in my mind, it was a respectable distance in a respectable time. After more than a year on the side-lines, I was out of breath after just a few minutes. I had to do the pattern of 1-minute jog, 1-minute walk, 2-minute jog, 2-minute walk that people jogging for the first time need to do. I felt humiliated even though there was no one watching but me and my expectations. […]
Babylune » More on Abdominal Amnesia
May 15, 2006 at 2:19 am
[…] After a woman gives birth, her muscles are in a state that I call abdominal amnesia. The muscles there have lost their memory. You may not even be able to feel the muscles when you consciously attempt to tighten them. […]
angela
Jun 20, 2006 at 6:15 am
hi i just had a baby 2 weeks ago i was fine until yesterday i got very strong pains in my bottom and lower back like a wanting to go toilet plus i have pressure to the front of my vagina its very uncomfuable to walk or sit can you tell me what this is or is it common i have took painkillers but it dosent seem to shift. yours thankfully ,angela.
kbaggott
Jun 20, 2006 at 6:50 am
Angela-
Are you having any trouble going to the toilet? If so, go now.
It is normal to have problems walking or sitting if the ligaments of your hips and pelvis haven’t tightened up again yet. Then again, it can also be hard if you aren’t resting enough and have either hemorroids, had an episotomy or are recovering from a c-section.
If you have any kind of fever or feel a bit clammy, you might have a little infection and should see a doctor or a mid wife right away. Are you still bleeding? If it is still heavy and you feel weak, with these symptoms, you should also go to the doctor.
Here is a list of normal postpartum discomforts, click to check out the posts on each topic.
http://www.babylune.com/a-long-list-of-discomforts/
Babylune » A Long List of Discomforts
Oct 31, 2006 at 12:06 pm
[…] Back, hip or pelvic joint aches and pains – Some of the ligaments that relax, enabling you to give birth, take longer to recover than others. After my first child was born, my hips hurt for almost a year before things tightened up again. […]
Babylune - Another Blogger’s Charity Challenge
Apr 9, 2007 at 6:46 am
[…] suppose, I would want the most practical information to survive. New mothers are in a physically and emotionally vulnerable state. So I’d like the long list of discomforts and the related […]
Richard McKenzie
Nov 28, 2007 at 9:24 pm
3 year ago my wife had a baby, since then she sometimes suffer with stomach pains more so when she is standing or walking for longish periods, can you give me anysuggestions what may be the cause.
kbaggott
Nov 28, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Richard- Did she have a caesarean section or a normal vaginal birth? If it was a c-section, then the scar tissue may have grown together so that it is obstructing her bowel and she will need further sugery.
If it was a vaginal birth, I am a bit stumped. Some women are more prone to gall stones after giving birth, but after three years, that should have been discovered.
A discussion with a doctor is certainly in order.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: