You might:
- Feel a sharp pain in your pubic bone with stairs, walking, or standing on one leg
- Brace yourself before rolling over in bed or getting out of the car
- Ache through your hips, low back, or tailbone by evening
- Walk slower, shorter, or with a waddle that arrived way too early
- Have mentioned it at an appointment and heard “that’s just pregnancy”
If any of this sounds familiar, pelvic floor physical therapy can help.
What’s actually happening
Pregnancy changes your center of gravity, your load, and your hormones, and your pelvis is where all three meet. When the muscles around the pelvis can’t keep up with those new demands, joints like the pubic symphysis and SI joints get irritated. That’s pelvic girdle pain, and it’s one of the most common and most undertreated parts of pregnancy.
Two things to know. First, this pain is not damage, and it doesn’t mean your pelvis is unstable or that your body is failing at pregnancy. Loose ligaments are normal; pain happens when muscles haven’t yet adapted to support them. Second, it’s treatable now. Strengthening the right muscles, adjusting how you move, and managing load reliably reduce pain during pregnancy. “It will go away after the baby” is a hope, not a plan, and for many women untreated pain follows them postpartum.
Dr. Sarah’s tip: If rolling over in bed or getting out of the car makes you wince, keep your knees together while you do it. Moving your legs as a unit instead of one at a time dramatically reduces the shearing force on your pubic joint. It’s a small mechanical change you can use tonight, and it’s a preview of how much of this pain comes down to strategy, not severity.
What care looks like at Floored
- Private, one-on-one sessions with Dr. Sarah, every visit
- Treatment that’s safe in every trimester: hands-on work, targeted strengthening, and movement strategies for the things that hurt right now
- Practical solutions for sleep positions, lifting toddlers, work, and staying active
- Labor prep built in: pushing mechanics, positions, and what to do in the first weeks after birth
The goal is a pregnancy you can move through, not one you grit your teeth through.
Common questions
Is physical therapy safe while I’m pregnant?
Yes, in every trimester. Treatment is adapted to where you are, and staying strong and mobile benefits both you and your delivery.
Won’t it just go away after the baby comes?
Sometimes. But you’d spend the rest of your pregnancy in pain waiting to find out, and pain that isn’t addressed often persists postpartum, when you’re lifting a baby all day. Treating it now is the better bet on both ends.
Do I need my OB or midwife to sign off?
No referral is needed. Oregon allows direct access to physical therapy, and we’re happy to coordinate with your birth provider.