Experiencing Tailbone Pain
Are you suffering from tailbone pain during pregnancy? Does it annoy you and make it unbearable for you to sit and do your job? Undoubtedly, it is the most annoying and irritating pain that you can endure while being pregnant.
Tailbone pain might occur during the whole pregnancy period in some women, while others might not experience it. Sadly, there isn’t much clarity about the causes of the pain and it is something that you just have to face. Tailbone can occur other than pregnancy as well due to several reasons but we will discuss its reasons and treatment during pregnancy.
But there are still some ways that you can try to lessen or tackle the pain and today we will discuss everything about this annoying pain.
All About Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
Lower back pain is significantly normal during pregnancy because there is a constant weight of the baby on your back. But tailbone pain is different as the tailbone is present at the end of the spine just behind the uterus. It supports the uterus, bladder, and bowel in several ways.
Even though it is super frustrating to experience this pain, it is fairly common among a vast number of pregnant women. The commonly known reason for tailbone pain during pregnancy is the release of the hormone ‘relaxin.’ Relaxin makes the pelvic ligaments loose so that there is more room for the baby’s growth but it ultimately causes tailbone pain.
Since the pelvic muscles are directly connected to the tailbone, it starts hurting when these muscles become loose. Moreover, the weight of the baby also puts pressure on the tailbone resulting in excruciating pain in the tailbone.
Sometimes the pain becomes so unbearable that you cannot even sit properly. In that case, walking and a little stretching exercise might help. However, this pain does not go away completely during the whole pregnancy period.
Start of Tailbone Pain
Tailbone pain can occur at any time during the pregnancy. It might immediately start in some women when they get pregnant while others may experience it during the second or third trimester. It depends on the body type of the pregnant woman.
When the baby starts growing inside the body, he puts pressure on the tailbone which results in tailbone pain. So, you can experience tailbone pain any time during the 9 months of pregnancy because there is no fixed time.
Initially, you will experience some discomfort while changing your position but with time it becomes excruciating pain which is unbearable in some cases. You should not take this pain lightly and immediately contact your doctor so that he can identify if there is some issue or not.
Is Your Tailbone Pain Serious Threat?
You should self assign yourself and look out for any signs of your tailbone pain being serious. Some of the signals that show the threat of tailbone pain are:
- Severe excruciating pain when you stand up after sitting for too long
- Pain during bowel movement
- Difficulty moving and changing position
- Pain during sex
- Extreme pain during bowel movements
Since you cannot take any risk during pregnancy, you should consult your doctor when you experience the above-mentioned symptoms. The tailbone pain might be common in women during pregnancy but you should still be reassured by consulting your doctor so that there is no risk.
Tips to Tackle Your Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy
Indeed, it is nearly impossible to permanently treat tailbone pain during pregnancy, but some tips and tricks can help decrease the pain temporarily. These tips will make the pain bearable, and you will be able to continue with your job or house chores easily.
Posture
The first and foremost thing you need to make right in your life is posture. If your posture is poor, it will increase your tailbone pain twice or thrice. So, you need to identify whether your posture is good or bad and start working on it as soon as you get pregnant. Having a good and balanced posture will help decrease developing tailbone pain.
Regular Breaks During Work
Tailbone pain becomes worse when you sit for long periods at work. The pain becomes unbearable when you stand up after sitting for hours at the same spot. It is crucial to take breaks after regular intervals at work. You can take a short walk after every 15 or 20 minutes, and you will surely experience less pain.
Pain Killer
Pain killers can also be effective in the treatment of tailbone pain. But you should only eat a pain killer if your doctor allows it. Do not try to self-treat at home. Moreover, you should avoid using a lot of painkillers during pregnancy as they can have harmful effects.
Pregnancy Pillow
A U-shaped or V-shaped pregnancy pillow is a lifesaver for women who suffer from constant backache and tailbone pain during pregnancy. The pillow provides support to the back while you sleep peacefully in bed, reducing the back pain issue in most pregnant women. So, investing in a good pregnancy pillow is a must for women who experience back or tailbone pain.
Visit Therapist
Sometimes nothing works for tailbone pain during pregnancy, and that is when you need to get a good massage to help calm down the pain. But you must visit a professional therapist for the therapy so that there is no risk involved. He will give a good massage according to your condition without harming the baby or your overall health.
Treat Constipation
Constipation is common in pregnancy, and it can lead to further problems. Your tailbone pain might lessen if you treat constipation first. You can use various remedies to treat constipation and also increase your fluid intake.
Hot Water Bottle
For temporary treatment of tailbone pain, try using a hot water bottle. A warm compression to the tailbone helps decrease the pain instantly by relaxing the pelvic muscles.
Hard Surfaces
Sitting and lying on hard surfaces further increase the pain in the tailbone. You should get a good and comfortable office chair to decrease the tailbone pain. When you sit on soft surfaces, your pain will significantly reduce.
Exercises for Tailbone Pain
In addition to our tips, there are a few exercises that you must keep performing when you are pregnant. These exercises will minimize the risk of developing tailbone pain and also decrease the intensity of the pain. So, some of the recommended exercises for tailbone pain are:
Walk
The most recommended and beneficial exercise during pregnancy is walking. It also has numerous other benefits, not only for tailbone pain during pregnancy. If you have tailbone pain, you should walk as much as possible and avoid sitting for long intervals.
Your pain will decrease when you take regular walking breaks for 5 to 10 minutes. Walking relaxes the body muscles and keeps you active throughout the pregnancy period. So, you should prefer walking or standing over sitting for more than 30 minutes.
Pregnancy Yoga
Another healthy and beneficial exercise of pregnancy is pregnancy yoga. It is a true miracle that helps decrease and treat tailbone pain. You will get the maximum benefits of pregnancy yoga if you start doing it as soon as you get pregnant.
However, it is a tricky exercise, especially during pregnancy, so you should do it under professional supervision. You should register in the regular yoga classes and avoid doing it alone at home.
Stretching
General stretching exercises are also excellent for tailbone pain. These exercises help prepare the muscles for relaxation as the baby grows, so you should start doing mild stretching from the start of pregnancy. Your muscles will become stretched already, and you will not have to face tailbone pain issues.
Even if you did not start stretching early on, get started today and ease your pain.
Tailbone Pain After Pregnancy
When a woman suffers annoying tailbone pain throughout the pregnancy, she wants to get rid of the pain right after delivery. It becomes a reality for most women as the pain goes away right after delivery, and they forget about the pain they experienced during their whole tenure.
But some women might not be lucky enough to get rid of the tailbone pain even after delivery. The trauma of delivering the baby can cause severe problems and tailbone pain like pelvic floor dysfunction. However, it is treatable with some medications or, in extreme cases, with surgery.
So, it depends from woman to woman and delivery to delivery whether the tailbone pain will go away postpartum or not.
Final Takeaway
Tailbone pain is indeed extremely annoying and uncomfortable. It becomes unbearable when your work demands long shifts of sitting in the same spot. But we discussed a few tips and tricks in this article that you can try to tackle tailbone pain.
Even though you cannot permanently treat the pain, you can decrease its intensity and make it bearable for yourself. So, try to strictly follow these tips to make your pregnancy period enjoyable. Good luck!
Sources:
https://www.articleinsider.com/how-to-use-a-pregnancy-pillow/
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/tailbonecoccyx-pain-during-pregnancy-a-quick-guide/
