Pelvic pain after pregnancy

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is a common problem during pregnancy which usually improves after birth. However, 1 in 10 women will have pain that continues.

If you are experiencing pelvic pain after your delivery the following tips may be helpful:

  • Keep as active as you can whilst listening to your body
  • Take regular breaks and try to pace yourself
  • Take regular pain relief until the pain settles
  • Try some gentle stretches, such as the ones in our video or some gentle postnatal yoga.

If your pain does not improve, please seek advice from your GP or healthcare professional who may refer you to Pelvic Health Physiotherapy.

This video is available with subtitles in other languages at the bottom of this page.


This video is available with subtitles in other languages.

Pelvic floor exercises

  • It is essential you start pelvic floor exercises as soon as possible after you have had your baby.
  • You can start your pelvic floor exercises after you have gone for your first wee and your bladder is functioning. If you have a catheter in, wait until this has been removed and you have been able to pass urine.
  • Start exercising your pelvic floor muscles 3 times a day after the birth of your baby. This should be within 2 weeks of delivery, but you can gently start activating the muscles as soon as you feel comfortable after the birth, even if you have had stitches.
Back to pregnancy and after childbirth

Videos with subtitles in other languages:

Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain – Urdu subtitles

Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain – Somali subtitles

Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain – Punjabi subtitles

Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain – Polish subtitles

Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain – Bengali subtitles