Causes of Hip Pain in Pregnancy

During pregnancy, pregnant women often need to support a relatively large embryo, and most of the nutrients they consume are absorbed by the child. Therefore, the body of pregnant women is in a relatively fragile stage, and they should always pay attention to their own health problems to avoid affecting the physical development of the child. Especially for pregnant women with weak constitutions, many pregnant women have experienced hip pain. What causes this?

What causes pelvic pain in pregnant women?

The human pelvis is composed of the sacrum, coccyx and left and right hip bones. The bones of the pelvis are connected by the pubic symphysis in the front of the pelvis and the sacroiliac joints, sacrococcygeal joints and two pairs of sacrotuberous ligaments and sacrospinous ligaments in the back. The pelvis, which is tightly surrounded by several bones, acts like a single bone. For women who are not yet pregnant, the pelvic joints are inactive, so there is no pain.

Once a woman is around 10 weeks pregnant, her ovaries secrete a substance called "relaxin", which makes the fibrous cartilage and ligaments of the sacroiliac joint and pubic symphysis become loose and soft, and the sacroiliac joint and pubic symphysis become wider and more mobile. By the late stages of pregnancy, the pubic symphysis widens by an average of 0.3-0.4 cm, and the sacrococcygeal joint moves posteriorly by up to 2 cm, to facilitate the fetus's passage through the bony birth canal during delivery.

However, if the ligaments are too relaxed, the pubic symphysis will separate, the sacrum will not be able to fix the left and right ilium, and the pelvis will lack stability. When pregnant women walk, sit, go up and down stairs, or turn over, the bones of the pelvis will move separately, pulling on the fibrous cartilage and ligaments between the pubic bones, causing pain in the pubic and sacroiliac joints. In severe cases, the pain will radiate to the groin or perineum, and even make it difficult for pregnant women to move. In fact, this has nothing to do with calcium deficiency during pregnancy.

What to do if pregnant women have pelvic pain

1. Support belt

Experts recommend that all pregnant women can effectively avoid and relieve pelvic pain by using a support belt during pregnancy, especially those with more obvious pain symptoms, who should use a support belt as early as possible. Its main function is to stabilize the pubic symphysis, thereby reducing displacement during activity. However, be careful when using the support belt for the first time. It is best to do so under the guidance of a doctor to avoid putting pressure on the abdomen, which can cause various discomfort symptoms.

At the same time, when using the support belt, you should also pay attention to taking it off when you go to bed at night, so as to avoid the support belt twisting due to bad posture during sleep, thereby compressing the abdomen.

2. Small activities

At the same time, experts also remind pregnant women that when symptoms such as pelvic pain occur, they must not endure the pain at this time. Also note that if some movements make you feel pelvic pain, you should try to avoid doing these movements. If you don't pay attention and let the pain worsen, not only will you experience various uncomfortable symptoms, but it may also take a long time to recover. And in daily life, doing some small activities can also relieve pelvic pain.

But be careful when doing some small activities or movements. It is best to avoid exerting force on your waist. You may not have any symptoms of pain at the time, but the pain will gradually appear later or when you go to bed.

3. Get plenty of rest

Pregnant women should pay more attention to rest during pregnancy, especially during the 6th to 8th month of pregnancy. At this time, as the fetus gradually grows, the pregnant woman's activities become increasingly clumsy and restricted. Therefore, it is very necessary to sit down and rest frequently, which can relieve fatigue in the abdomen and waist. But when sitting down, you should try to keep your back straight and give it good support to avoid exerting force on your waist.

Although you should rest more, you should not stay in bed for a long time, as this will inevitably make the pelvic pain more obvious. At the same time, be careful to avoid lifting or pushing heavy objects, as these will make the symptoms of lower back pain in pregnant women more obvious.

4. Climb the stairs

Pregnant women who live in high-rise buildings should try to avoid climbing stairs and use elevators instead. If you must climb stairs, you should also pay attention to the fact that it is best to take one step at a time, and it is best to step the stronger or more convenient leg onto the step before taking the other leg. Be sure to avoid keeping your legs apart for a long time, otherwise you will most likely fall.