When it happens · 4 min read
Pelvic girdle pain, and why walking suddenly hurts
Getting out of the car became a production. Rolling over in bed wakes you up. Stairs are a negotiation. This has a name — pelvic girdle pain, sometimes called SPD — and being told it's just part of pregnancy is not the correct answer.
Last updated August 9, 2026
What it is
Pain arising from the joints of the pelvis: the pubic joint at the front, the sacroiliac joints at the back, or both. Classic triggers are walking, stairs, standing on one leg to dress, getting in and out of a car, and turning over in bed. Some people describe a clicking or grinding. It affects around one in five pregnancies.
The usual explanation is relaxin loosening the ligaments, but it's more about how load is shared across a changing pelvis than hormones alone — which is exactly why targeted treatment works and why waiting it out doesn't.
What actually helps
Keep your knees together when moving — swing both legs together getting in and out of the car, and out of bed. Sit down to get dressed rather than balancing on one leg. Take stairs one at a time, leading with the less painful leg. Shorter steps. Avoid standing on one leg, wide-legged positions, and heavy lifting or carrying a toddler on one hip.
A pelvic support belt helps many people. A pillow between the knees at night, and one supporting the bump, makes side-lying tolerable. Swimming often feels good, though avoid breaststroke leg kick, which opens the pelvis wide.
The referral to ask for
Physiotherapy from someone experienced in pelvic health is the mainstay treatment, and it's what guidelines point to. Ask directly: "I'd like a referral to a women's health or pelvic physiotherapist." They can assess how your pelvis is loading, fit a support belt properly, give you specific exercises, and — importantly — advise on positions for labor that won't make it worse.
That last part is worth arranging in advance. Many people with significant pelvic girdle pain have a comfortable range of hip abduction that's smaller than the positions typically used for pushing, and knowing that number before labor is far better than discovering it during.
When it's something else
Sciatica — shooting pain down the back of one leg, sometimes with pins and needles — is a different problem and also physiotherapy territory. But sudden severe pain, real weakness in a leg, numbness in the saddle area, or any loss of bladder or bowel control needs urgent medical assessment rather than a physio appointment.
Common questions
- Will it go away after birth?
- For most people it improves substantially in the weeks after delivery. Some need continued physiotherapy postpartum — and that's available and worth taking up rather than waiting to see.
- Should I just rest?
- Complete rest tends to make it worse by deconditioning the muscles supporting the pelvis. The aim is modified activity — staying mobile within limits that don't flare it — which is exactly what a physio helps you calibrate.
- Is it safe to keep exercising?
- Usually yes, with modifications — swimming and stationary cycling are often tolerated when walking isn't. Avoid anything with wide-legged positions or single-leg loading, and get specific guidance rather than guessing.
If it's this, not that
Still not sure
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