Rolling over in bed shouldn’t take a strategy meeting. Yet for some pregnant people, that one movement makes the hips or pelvis ache more than a whole afternoon on their feet. Getting out of the car or taking the stairs can do the same thing. Those details are worth telling your prenatal care team, especially if the pain is making it hard to get around.
People say “hip pain” for several different spots: the outside of a hip, the low back, the groin, or the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. The location alone can’t tell you what’s causing it. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain, for instance, can be felt across the lower back or pubic area and may spread into the thighs. The NHS guide to pelvic pain in pregnancy describes trouble with turning in bed, walking, stairs and getting out of a car. If that sounds familiar, ask your doctor or midwife about it. They can decide whether an assessment or a referral to a pregnancy-focused physical therapist makes sense.
Notice when it shows up
Before you call it “just pregnancy,” note what you were doing when the pain began and what changes it. Is it one side or both? Do you feel it in the groin or near the pubic bone, or mostly in the muscles of the outer hip? Is the hard part walking, climbing stairs, sitting a long time, or finding a position to sleep? Those answers make a more useful conversation with your care team than simply saying your hips hurt.
Comfort adjustments can help some people get through the day. The NHS suggests resting when needed, wearing supportive shoes, and avoiding movements that worsen pelvic pain. It also recommends a pillow between the legs for support in bed. These aren’t a test to see whether you have pelvic girdle pain, and you don’t need to keep trying something that feels worse. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ pregnancy back-pain guide likewise discusses side sleeping with pillow support later in pregnancy. Ask your care team for advice that fits your situation.
Where massage fits
A prenatal massage gives you time to rest, get comfortable and talk through areas of muscle tension. It isn’t a way to diagnose pelvic pain, change the position of your joints, or replace care from your doctor, midwife or physical therapist. If pain is affecting your walking or daily life, bring it up with them even if you’re also considering a massage.
At OC Massage Therapy’s prenatal practice in Newport Beach, Javier asks about your stage of pregnancy, prior pregnancies, previous massage experience, and any high-risk pregnancy or medical restrictions that could affect the appointment. He has used a supportive side-lying pillow kit with prenatal clients for over ten years. For some work on the arms and neck, he uses a semi-reclined position. If a position is uncomfortable, he adjusts it. You don’t have to stay still through discomfort to be a “good” massage client.
Tell him where you’re uncomfortable and what your care provider has advised. Javier can explain how he would adapt the massage around your comfort and any restrictions from your care provider.. Javier often hears from prenatal clients about low-back, sciatic, hip and neck discomfort or swelling, but that doesn’t mean a particular symptom has a simple muscular cause or that massage will fix it.
When to call your care team first
Call your doctor or midwife if the pain is severe, keeps going, or makes it hard to move around. Don’t wait for a massage appointment when pain comes with fever, burning during urination, or vaginal bleeding: ACOG lists those as reasons to contact your obstetric care provider. New weakness, concerning swelling, or a new symptom you can’t explain also deserves their guidance. Your own provider’s instructions take priority over general advice on a website.
If you’ve already discussed the discomfort with your care team and want to ask about a comfortable prenatal session, contact Javier. Tell him how far along you are, where the discomfort is, and whether your provider has given you any restrictions. No need to diagnose it yourself before you reach out.