Antenatal Pelvic Girdle Pain Exercises

Understanding Pelvic Girdle Pain in Pregnancy

Pelvic girdle pain feels like a sharp or dull ache around the lower back, hips and pubic area. Many women notice sacroiliac joint discomfort that spreads to the thighs or groin.

Everyday triggers include climbing stairs, getting in and out of a car, standing on one leg, or turning in bed. The growing baby shifts the centre of gravity, which adds strain on the sacroiliac joints. Gentle movement can reduce stiffness and support pelvic stability. Results differ for each woman.

Women’s health physiotherapy focuses on safe, controlled activity rather than complete rest. These antenatal pelvic girdle pain exercises in Jaipur are general suggestions only and do not replace a proper assessment.

Why Pillow-Supported Exercises Can Help

A simple pillow creates support and stability for the pelvis. When placed between the knees in side-lying, it keeps the top leg level and stops the pelvis from twisting. In sitting, a pillow behind the lower back encourages neutral spine alignment. In standing, it gives feedback so the lower back does not arch excessively.

This support reduces uneven pull on the sacroiliac joints and promotes better posture. The moves are low impact and suitable for pregnancy related pelvic pain in the second and third trimester. Always move slowly and stop if pain increases.

Side-Lying Moves for Sacroiliac Relief

Lie on your side with a pillow between your knees. Keep the bottom arm under your head or in front for comfort. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Pelvic tilt in side-lying: Gently tilt your pelvis so the lower back flattens slightly toward the bed. Hold for three seconds, then release. Repeat eight to ten times. Avoid twisting the lower back; the movement should stay small. Looking for a Physiotherapist Near Me? Our team in Vaishali Nagar, Jaipur can assess you in person.

Top leg lift with support: Keep the pillow between the knees. Lift the top knee a few centimetres while keeping feet together. Lower slowly. Do six to eight lifts on each side. This strengthens the outer hip muscles that help pelvic stability.

Clamshell with pillow: Place the pillow between your knees. Keep ankles together and lift the top knee while keeping the pelvis still. Perform eight slow repetitions per side. Focus on controlled breathing and never force the movement.

Sitting Exercises with Pillow Support

Sit on a firm chair. Place a pillow behind your lower back or under your hips if needed for comfort. Keep feet flat on the floor.

Seated pelvic tilts: Sit tall. Gently rock your pelvis forward to create a small arch in the lower back, then tuck the pelvis under to flatten the curve. Move smoothly for ten repetitions. This helps improve control of the pelvic joints.

Gentle hip openers: Sit with the pillow supporting the lower back. Place one ankle on the opposite knee, keeping the movement within a comfortable range. Hold for ten seconds and switch sides. Do not bounce. Read more about our Women's Health Physiotherapy.

Posture resets: Sit forward on the chair. Roll your shoulders back and lift your chest slightly. Hold the upright position for five breaths. This reduces strain on the sacroiliac joints.

Standing Moves to Ease Pelvic Girdle Discomfort

Stand with your back lightly touching a wall. Place a thin pillow or folded towel behind your lower back for feedback.

Wall-supported pelvic tilts: Gently press your lower back into the pillow to flatten the curve, then release. Repeat ten times. Keep the movement small and controlled.

Weight shifts: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Slowly shift weight from one foot to the other while keeping the pelvis level. Hold each shift for three seconds. This improves balance and reduces sacroiliac joint discomfort.

Standing hip flexor stretch with support: Place one foot slightly forward. Keep the pillow against your lower back. Gently tuck the pelvis and feel a mild stretch at the front of the back hip. Hold for ten to fifteen seconds per side. Avoid arching the back.

When to Seek Professional Help in Jaipur

These moves are general and every pregnancy differs. If pain continues, spreads to the legs, or makes walking difficult, an in-person assessment is important. A women’s health physiotherapist can check posture, joint alignment and muscle strength before giving tailored guidance.

Trivayu Physio Center in Vaishali Nagar offers women’s health physiotherapy and ante-natal programmes. The team includes experienced physiotherapists who manage pregnancy related pelvic pain with manual therapy, exercise therapy and posture correction. Home visits and online consultations are also available. Book an assessment to receive advice suited to your stage of pregnancy. You may also find Pelvic Floor Exercises After C Section for New Mothers useful.

Common questions

What are safe antenatal pelvic girdle pain exercises using a pillow?

Safe options include side-lying pelvic tilts, seated pelvic tilts with lumbar support, and standing weight shifts performed with a pillow for stability. Always keep movements slow, pain-free and within a comfortable range.

Can side-lying exercises help sacroiliac joint pain in pregnancy?

Yes. Placing a pillow between the knees in side-lying helps keep the pelvis level, reduces twisting forces on the sacroiliac joints and supports gentle strengthening of the hip muscles.

How often should I do sitting and standing moves for pelvic girdle pain?

Most women can perform these moves daily for ten to fifteen minutes, split into two or three short sessions. Stop if pain increases and adjust according to comfort.

Is it normal to have pelvic pain in the second and third trimester?

Mild to moderate pelvic girdle pain is common as ligaments loosen and the baby grows. However, severe or constant pain should be checked by a physiotherapist or doctor.

When should I see a physiotherapist for antenatal pelvic discomfort?

See a women’s health physiotherapist if pain limits daily activities, disturbs sleep, or does not ease with rest and gentle movement. Early guidance can support better function during pregnancy.

These antenatal pelvic girdle pain exercises in Jaipur using a pillow offer a starting point for managing sacroiliac discomfort at home. Combine them with good posture, rest breaks and sensible daily habits. For individual assessment and a complete programme, contact Trivayu Physio Center on WhatsApp or call +91 90570 65065 to book an appointment.

When to see a doctor, not a physiotherapist

Physiotherapy is not the right first step for everything. Seek medical assessment promptly if any of the following apply to you:

• A fit or a blackout, or if you collapse or cannot be woken properly. Call an ambulance or get to the nearest hospital emergency department.
• Any bleeding from the vagina, or any fluid leaking or gushing from the vagina, at any stage of pregnancy. If the bleeding is heavy, or you also have severe tummy pain, pain in the tip of your shoulder, or you feel faint or dizzy, call an ambulance.
• Your baby moving less than usual, or any change in the usual pattern of movements. Call the hospital where you are booked straight away, even in the middle of the night. Do not wait until morning, and do not try to get the baby to move first.
• A severe headache that will not settle, blurred vision or flashing lights, sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, pain just under your ribs, or feeling very unwell or being sick. Get your blood pressure checked the same day.
• Severe, constant or one sided pain in your tummy, pain that does not settle after resting for 30 to 60 minutes, or a tummy that feels hard, tight and tender to touch.
• Before 37 weeks: regular tightenings or contractions, period type cramps, or a backache that is not usual for you. Call the hospital where you are booked the same day.
• Numbness or pins and needles around your back passage, your genitals or your inner thighs, losing control of passing urine or opening your bowels, not being able to pass urine at all, or new weakness or loss of feeling in one or both legs. Go straight to a hospital emergency department. Pregnancy does not explain these symptoms and they have to be treated within hours.
• Pain in your back or in your side just below the ribs along with a temperature, shivering, vomiting, or feeling cold and clammy, whether or not it stings when you pass urine. Also get checked the same day for burning when you pass urine, needing to pass urine far more often than has been normal in this pregnancy, or urine that looks cloudy, pink, red or brown.
• Pain, swelling, warmth or redness in one leg, or one leg, thigh, groin or buttock looking bigger or feeling heavier than the other. Go to hospital the same day. Do not wait to see whether it settles, and do not assume that swelling higher up the leg is ordinary pregnancy swelling.
• Sudden breathlessness, breathlessness when you lie down, chest pain, coughing up blood, a racing heart, or feeling faint. Call an ambulance and do not wait to see whether it settles.
• Any fall, road accident, or knock to your bump, even if you feel completely well afterwards. Get checked the same day.
• Pain following a significant fall, road accident or other major injury
• Fever, chills or feeling generally unwell alongside the pain
• Weakness that is getting worse, or numbness that is spreading
• Unexplained weight loss, or a past history of cancer
• Pain that is constant, wakes you at night and does not change with position

If you lose control of your bladder or bowels, develop numbness around the groin, or have chest pain or breathlessness, treat it as an emergency and go to hospital.

Safety limits and when this does not apply

• We treat only the muscle and joint side of pregnancy pain. The doctor looking after your pregnancy stays in charge of your antenatal care, so keep every scan and check up, and anything in the list above goes to them or to a hospital, not to us. Check with them before you start or change any exercise programme, particularly if you have been told you have high blood pressure, a low lying placenta, a twin pregnancy, a stitch in the cervix, or you have had any bleeding or early contractions.
• Shortwave diathermy and TECAR are not used anywhere on the body during pregnancy, and therapeutic ultrasound is never applied over the tummy. Electrotherapy, laser, dry needling and acupuncture are not applied over the abdomen, low back or pelvis at any stage of pregnancy.
• Spinal manipulation, traction and forceful hands on techniques are not used during pregnancy.
• Do not lie flat on your back for long periods, particularly after 16 weeks, because the weight of your bump presses on the main blood vessel bringing blood back to your heart and this can make you feel faint. Work in side lying or propped up instead, and change position if you feel dizzy or sick. Do not let yourself get overheated either: no hot packs or deep heat over the tummy or low back, no sauna, no hot yoga, and no strenuous exercise in hot weather.
• Pregnancy hormones make your joints looser, so stay inside a comfortable range. Avoid end range stretching, deep or wide squats, wide leg movements and standing on one leg to dress, avoid heavy lifting, and never hold your breath and strain. Take care with anything where you could fall or be knocked in the tummy. Stop straight away and get advice if an exercise brings on tummy pain, tightenings, dizziness, breathlessness at rest, chest pain, a headache, any leaking of fluid, or any bleeding.
• This article is general information. It is not an assessment of your problem, and it cannot account for your medical history, medication or imaging.

References

1. NHS: Pelvic pain in pregnancy
2. NHS: Back pain in pregnancy
3. NHS: Pregnancy symptoms you need to get help for
4. NHS: Pre-eclampsia
5. NICE guideline NG201: Antenatal care

How this article was produced

• Evidence. Guidance on women's health physiotherapy here follows the 2 sources listed under References above.
• Clinical experience. Practical points on what tends to help in the clinic reflect the experience of the Trivayu physiotherapy team in Vaishali Nagar, Jaipur, and are not the same as trial evidence.
• Opinion. Where we suggest a preference or an approach, that is our clinical judgement. Other qualified clinicians may reasonably differ.
• Author. Dr. Hritika Choudhary, B.P.T, M.P.T.
• Published. 31 July 2026.