Pregnancy Pain Isn't Just Hormones: What You Can Do to Feel Better

"You're pregnant. Pain is normal."

If you've been told that your pubic pain, SI joint pain, sciatica, hip pain, or round ligament pain is simply caused by pregnancy hormones and there's nothing you can do about it, I want you to know something:

There is often much more to the story.

Yes, pregnancy hormones like relaxin create changes in the body. They help prepare your body for birth by allowing tissues to adapt and expand. But blaming every ache and pain on hormones can leave you feeling powerless—as if discomfort is something you simply have to endure until delivery.

The good news? Many pregnancy-related pains are influenced by mechanical factors, movement patterns, muscle tension, strength, mobility, and how your body is adapting to your growing baby.

And those are things we can often improve.

Why Pregnancy Pain Happens

As your baby grows, your body undergoes significant changes.

Your center of gravity shifts forward. Your rib cage may flare. Your pelvis adapts. Muscles that once worked effortlessly may become overloaded, while others become weaker, tighter or less active.

This can contribute to common pregnancy complaints like:

• Pubic bone pain (SPD or symphysis pubis dysfunction)

• SI joint pain

• Sciatic pain

• Hip pain

• Round ligament discomfort

• Low back pain

What's important to understand is that pain isn't always coming from where you feel it.

For example, pubic pain may be influenced by:

• Tight adductor (inner thigh) muscles

• Hamstring tension

• Glute weakness

• Core dysfunction

• Sacroiliac joint restrictions

• Baby's position

• Postural changes throughout pregnancy

• Rib angle and the thoracic spine

I've worked with many pregnant moms who struggled to roll in bed, walk comfortably, climb stairs, or get out of the car—and saw significant improvements after addressing these underlying factors.

If hormones were the sole cause, movement changes, strengthening exercises, postural alignment, and hands-on treatment wouldn't help.

Yet they often do.

3 Things You Can Start Doing Today

1. Move Smarter, Not Harder

One of the biggest triggers for pubic pain is rolling in bed.

A few simple adjustments can make a surprising difference:

• Keep your knees and feet together when rolling.

• Bring your knees into more of a fetal position (about 90 degrees of hip flexion) for better leverage.

• Instead of pushing yourself to roll over with one foot or arm, pull yourself in the direction you want to go using your arms and legs together.

• Use your core and breath to assist the movement.

Sometimes changing the mechanics of a movement reduces irritation immediately.

2. Address Muscle Tension and Weakness

One of the most overlooked contributors to pregnancy pain is muscle tightness and weakness.

In particular, I frequently find tight hamstrings and inner thighs in pregnant moms dealing with pelvic and back pain. These muscles are often both tight and weak—which sounds contradictory, but it isn't.

Think of a hand that can't fully open. Not only is it limited in its ability to lengthen, but it also can't create an efficient grip. Leg muscles work similarly. For optimal function, they need to be able to lengthen, shorten, and generate force throughout their available range.

When a muscle is constantly held in a shortened position, it often loses strength and control. During pregnancy, this can contribute to changes in posture, movement patterns, and how forces are transferred through the body.

Tight hamstrings can pull the pelvis into a more posteriorly tilted position, increasing stress through the pelvis and lower back.

Tight adductors (inner thigh muscles) attach directly to the pubic bone and influence:

• Pelvic floor function

• Pelvic movement

• Posture

• Load transfer through the pelvis

While stretching can be helpful, it's rarely the entire solution. The best results often come from combining mobility work with appropriate strengthening. First, create more space and movement in the tissues, then teach the muscles how to function and generate force within that new range. That's where lasting relief and improved movement often happen.

3. Improve Your Posture and Weight Transfer

Pregnancy naturally changes posture, but sometimes those changes create extra stress on sensitive areas.

You may notice:

• Your growing belly pulling your spine into a bigger curve

• Your ribs expanding and lifting upward

• Your upper body leaning backward

Over time, this can increase pressure through the pubic bone, hips, SI joints, and low back.

When standing or walking, try:

• Creating spinal elongation (opposite of compression), by reaching up through the top of your head

• Stacking your ribs over your pelvis

• Gently engaging your core during movement

• Paying attention to how you shift your weight from one leg to the other

Walking and stair climbing are essentially single-leg activities. The better your body can manage those weight shifts, the less strain often gets transferred to irritated structures especially the pubic and SI joints.

You Don't Have to "Just Deal With It"

While some discomfort can be part of pregnancy, suffering through pain doesn’t have to be

Many pregnancy-related aches improve when we identify the underlying contributors and create a plan that supports your body's changing needs.

Sometimes the solution is strengthening. Sometimes it's mobility work. Sometimes it's movement retraining, hands-on treatment, or simply understanding why your body is responding the way it is.

The key is knowing that you have options.

You deserve to enjoy your pregnancy and stay active without constantly worrying about every step, every stair, or every turn in bed.

If you're experiencing pubic pain, SI joint pain, sciatica, hip pain, round ligament pain, or persistent back pain during pregnancy, I'd love to help.

Together we can identify what's driving your symptoms and create a personalized plan to help you move with more comfort and confidence throughout pregnancy.

Ready to feel better? Book a session today and let's get to the root of your pain so you can get back to enjoying this season of life.