Tailbone Pain during Pregnancy

The joys of pregnancy can often be marred by a number of complications. One of such medical conditions is tailbone pain during pregnancy. Some women suffer from tailbone problems before getting pregnant, whereas, others experience pain in their tailbone (also known as coccyx) as it rubs against the lower back, due to the baby putting pressure on the bone. Even during childbirth as the baby passes through the birth canal, it may cause injury to the tailbone. The injury may be a bruise, chip or even fracture in the tailbone.

How to Deal with Tailbone Pain during Pregnancy

Here are a few ways that have been found useful by many women, to get relief from tailbone pain during pregnancy:

• Those women who already have a history of tail bone problems, should get tests and treatments done before planning to conceive. It is for the simple reason that once pregnant, a number of such tests or treatments can't be done, as they may cause injury to the baby in the womb.
• It is important to inform one's obstetrician, midwife or any other health care professional involved in childbirth, if one had tailbone problems earlier or develops any pain or discomfort in the bone during pregnancy.
• All this was about preventive measures. In case, one does experience tailbone pain during pregnancy, she should consider sitting on soft cushion to avoid pressure on the coccyx due to her own weight. Wedge cushions are a good option, as these have a triangle wedge shape cut that does not allow the tailbone to come in contact with the cushion, as one sits on it. One can also consider using a donut cushion that has a hole in the center.
• A woman suffering from tailbone pain during pregnancy should avoid sitting on hard surfaces. She should not sit for long on any surface, be it hard or soft. One may not feel pain if she is sitting on a soft surface, but a pregnant woman with a tailbone problem may experience a sharp pain as she gets up from her seat. To avoid such a scenario, a pregnant woman with tailbone pain should always get up slowly after sitting for long, as this reduces the chances of experiencing discomfort as one gets up from a sitting position.
• Certain medicines provide relief form tailbone pain. However, when pregnant, one needs to be careful about the medicines being taken. NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or opoids (narcotic drugs) should be avoided during pregnancy as these may cause problem to the baby or during delivery. Tylenol (acetaminophen) may however be allowed. However, it is best to consult one's physician before taking any drug to relieve pain during pregnancy.
• Consider non medical ways of curing tailbone pain during pregnancy. Some of the options available are, massages or relaxation techniques, soothing baths or applying ice to the area. There are some salts that may be added to bath. Such baths have a welcome soothing effect on the pain.
• The cat pose is also a good option. Get some massage done on the tailbone area while in the cat pose. This can help sometimes. However, massage is not comfortable for everyone. Listen to your body. In case, it hurts discontinue the massage. Doing the pelvic tilt while in the cat pose may help to shift the baby off the tailbone, to a more comfortable position. Although, the position of the baby may not be the cause of tailbone pain, it helps in alleviating some of the stress in the area.
• Some women have reported relief from tailbone pain by sitting on the birth or exercise ball.

Pregnancy is undoubtedly the best experience for a woman. However, it is very important to take care of oneself during this stage. Tailbone pain during pregnancy is just one of the many complications that a woman may have to face. Proper diet, rest and specific pregnancy exercises can ensure good health of both, the mother and her baby.