Nope, Hives and Eczema Are Not the Same Thing—Here’s How To Tell Them Apart

Low-back pain during pregnancy is a pretty common complaint. And it’s no surprise: Your growing baby bump adds extra weight (that your back must support and shifts your center of gravity, screwing with your posture. But for some expectant birthing parents, the aches and pains also linger a little lower in the tailbone (read: in the rear).

Your tailbone, or coccyx, sits right above your butt and behind your uterus—aka, your womb. It’s also connected to your pelvic floor muscles. When you’re pregnant, this area goes through a lot of changes (more on this later), making it a hot spot for potential pain. In fact, approximately one third of pregnant people get tailbone pain, also known as coccydynia, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center. Though it usually goes away once you deliver your baby, tailbone pain after giving birth, and throughout postpartum, is possible.

Here, learn more about your tailbone and pelvic floor in pregnancy, how long tailbone pain lasts, and postpartum care tips to relieve this (literal) pain in the butt.

What causes tailbone pain after birth?

“The pelvis goes through a lot” during pregnancy and childbirth, says Christine Greves, MD, an OB/GYN at Orlando Health Women’s Institute Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Florida. “From the bones, to the muscles, to the vagina, to the ligaments,” all these changes can coccyx pain after birth, Dr. Greves says. Some more specific examples include:

Looser ligaments

In the third trimester, your body releases hormones that soften the spot between your tailbone and sacrum—the part of your pelvis above your tailbone, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This makes the tailbone more flexible so it can move (to give your baby room to grow and enough space to pass through during birth). Problem is, the muscles and ligaments around your tailbone may grow a little too loose, Dr. Greves says. When this happens, they can no longer properly support the tailbone, which may cause muscle tension and pain.

Tight pelvic floor

To compensate for loose pelvic ligaments, your pelvic floor muscles—the basket of muscles that sit at the bottom of your pelvis—can contract to stabilize your body, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center. Thing is, your pelvic floor muscles are also connected to your tailbone, so if they become tight, it can cause pain in this area.

Extra weight

During a healthy pregnancy, you gain weight as your baby grows. But these extra pounds can put pressure on your tailbone and make it lean backwards, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Plus, your bigger belly alters your center of balance and shifts your posture, which can both add strain on the tailbone, per UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Tailbone injury during birth

While uncommon, it is possible to have a bruised or broken tailbone after birth, from the delivery itself. Pressure on your tailbone during birth (from the baby passing through the birth canal) is typically the cause.

Other causes of pregnancy and postpartum tailbone pain can include the following, according to the Cleveland Clinic and UT Southwestern Medical Center:

• Prolonged sitting: With swollen feet and ankles, you may find yourself taking a load off a lot more during pregnancy, especially towards the end. But sitting for long stretches can put excess pressure on your tailbone.
• Constipation: Thanks to pregnancy (and postpartum) hormones, you might be a bit backed up in the bathroom department. Unfortunately, constipation can play a part in tailbone pain.
• Not getting enough exercise: Pregnancy fatigue is real, and it might be tough to muster the energy to exercise like you usually do. But lack of physical activity can contribute to tailbone pain.

Can tailbone pain happen after a C-section, too?

“Anything is possible,” Dr. Greves says. Even if you end up having a cesarean, you still have some of the same risk factors for tailbone pain post birth:

• Your body still releases the same ligament-loosening hormones to prepare your pelvis for a growing baby and a vaginal birth. Your ligaments can stretch too far —and strain your tailbone—even if your little one doesn’t make an exit through your birth canal.
• Weight gain during pregnancy still puts you at a higher