• Skip to main content
  • Skip to navigation
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
Government of Western Australia Crest
Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia Crest

Additional Menu

  • Accessibility
  • Contact us
Go to WA Government search
  • For patients and visitors
    • Emergencies
    • Aishwarya's CARE Call
    • Coming to Fiona Stanley Hospital
      • Visiting our hospitals
      • Finding your way
      • Maps
      • Facilities
      • Parking and transport
    • Coming to Fremantle Hospital
      • Visiting our hospitals
      • Map of Fremantle Hospital
      • Facilities
      • Parking and transport
    • Coming to Cockburn Health
      • Visiting our hospitals
      • Maps of Cockburn Health
      • Parking and transport at Cockburn Health
    • Visiting our hospitals
    • Being a patient
      • Understanding your surgical journey
      • Your hospital admission
      • Understanding where you will receive care
      • During your hospital stay
      • Ordering patient meals
      • Elective surgery
      • Outpatients
      • Private patients
      • Treatment costs for overseas visitors and students
      • Going home from hospital
    • Support during your stay
      • Pastoral care
      • Peer support workers
      • Supporting Aboriginal patients and families
      • Supporting people with disability
    • Keeping you safe
      • Reduce your risk of falls – Be SAFER
      • Preventing pressure injuries
      • About good hand hygiene
      • Preventing healthcare associated infections
    • Managing your health care
      • Patient rights
      • Goals of patient care
      • Talk about 'What matters to you?'
      • MySay healthcare survey
    • For families and carers
      • Pastoral care
      • Supporting carers
      • Supporting Aboriginal patients and families
      • Supporting patients with cognitive impairment
      • Understanding delirium
      • If you can't visit an older patient
      • The intensive care journey
      • After the loss of a loved one
    • Freedom of information
    • Feedback compliments and complaints
  • For health professionals
    • Information for GPs
      • SMHS GP Engage
      • GP Engage
    • Refer a patient
      • Service specific referrals
    • Library and Information Service
  • Our services
  • Our community
    • Volunteer with us
    • Consumer Advisory Council
    • 'Put it to the People' engagement platform
    • ED Consumer Advisory Group
    • Mental Health Consumer Advisory Group (Fremantle Hospital)
  • Our research
  • Work with us
    • Career opportunities
      • Allied Health
      • Corporate non-clinical
      • Graduates
      • Medical
      • Mental health
      • Nursing and midwifery careers
    • Fellowships
      • Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine
      • Medical Imaging Fellowships
    • Living in WA
  • News
  • About us
    • About FSFHG
    • About South Metropolitan Health Service
    • Feedback, compliments, concerns and complaints
    • Conduct and standards
    • Contact us
    • Executive
    • Our vision and values
    • Our history
    • Our Aboriginal heritage
  1. Home
  2. Our services
  3. Maternity
  4. Pregnancy care
  5. Physiotherapy during pregnancy
  6. Manage pelvic girdle pain

Manage pelvic girdle pain

Manage pelvic girdle pain

Two images of the female pelvic bones and a third image which is a lateral view of the skeleton showing the placement of the spine and pelvis.Your pelvic girdle is the ring of bones at the base of your spine. These bones and nearby ligaments and muscles support your torso (from your neck to the groin) and link your spine and legs.

During pregnancy these ligaments and muscles become more sensitive, and it may become harder to do certain activities. You may experience discomfort similar to that you feel from a bruise.

The following information may help minimise pain from your pelvis during daily activities while you are pregnant.

Activities to avoid

Try to avoid the following activities.

Twisting your body

Make sure you move your feet. When moving from a lying position to a standing position, turn to your side and push up with your hands.

Standing on one leg

Stand with equal weight on both feet. If you are standing for long periods of time, put one foot on a book or bottom shelf and change feet every ten minutes. Put your clothes, underwear and shoes on sitting down.

Crossing your legs

Sit symmetrically on the chair. Keep your hip bones, kneecap and middle toe in a line. Using a foot stool can help and find sitting in a more supportive upright chair may reduce pelvic and back pain.

Lifting and carrying heavy things

When lifting something from the floor, squat down and put it on your knee. Push up with your hands on your knees.

Vacuuming, sweeping or mopping

If unavoidable, try not to twist your body, lean forward or have your legs far apart.

Exercise safely
  • Try to avoid high impact activities such as running and jumping.
  • Walk rather than run.
  • Step rather than jump.
  • Maintain the strength of your abdominal, buttock, thigh and pelvic floor muscles by continuing to exercise.

Exercise in water

Exercising in water supports your body weight, enabling you to maintain strength and cardiovascular fitness without putting pressure on your pelvic girdle joints. It is also a great way to relax.

Try walking forward and backwards, swimming with a flutter or dolphin kick or exercising at the edge of the pool. Do not kick with breaststroke (frog kick).

Modify your movements

Changing the way you move can help reduce pelvic girdle pain.

Getting in and out of the car

Sit down on the seat and turn your body around, keeping your knees and ankles together, into the front of the car. To make this easier, slit a plastic bag down its sides and put it on the seat. The top half of the plastic bag should slide as you turn.

Shorten your stride length

After correcting your posture, walk with small steps. Wearing supportive shoes will also help to reduce pelvic discomfort.

Take one step at a time on stairs

Avoid stairs where you can. Try walking up and down one step at a time or in a sideways position. Be sure to use the handrail.

Sex

Having sex while lying flat on your back can aggravate pelvic girdle pain. Try other positions such as lying on your side with a pillow between your legs.

Take weight through your arms

To lessen the weight on your legs when walking, try leaning on your shopping trolley, pram, a chair on wheels, crutches or walking frame. When getting out of a chair, pushing up with your arms may help reduce pain.

Stand correctly

Tuck your stomach in and your buttocks under when changing your standing or walking position. Keep some of your body weight on the balls of your feet and soften your knees. Read more about maintaining good posture during pregnancy.

Put a pillow between your knees when sleeping

Have your top knee and toes in line with your hip when sleeping on your side. You may need two pillows for this. Remember to keep the pillow(s) between your knees when you turn.

Watch tips to manage pelvic girdle pain

Strategies to manage low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy

Stretches for low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy

More information

Find out more about physiotherapy during pregnancy, pregnancy care, or return to the Maternity page.


Last Updated: 07/03/2024
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Footer menu

  • wa.gov.au
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Brought to you by the Department of Health, Western Australia

© Government of Western Australia 2018 to