Pelvic pain third trimester causes and best natural remedies for pregnant mothers

Tahmina Noor

Published: 12/06/2026
Updated: 12/06/2026

“Pelvic pain third trimester” is a very common issue for pregnant women, but simple steps and exercises can provide quick relief naturally.

The last three months of pregnancy or the third trimester is a special time of joy for every mother. 

pelvic pain third trimester

However, along with this joy, some new problems also start to appear in the body. Especially towards the end, many mothers and sisters start experiencing a kind of heavy and uncomfortable pain around the waist, lower abdomen and groin.

Many mothers and sisters in the village consider this problem normal and tolerate it with their mouths closed. But if you are a little aware and follow some simple rules, this pain can be reduced to a great extent. If the mother’s body is healthy, the baby in the womb will also be healthy, so it is most important to take care of yourself in these last days.

What is the real cause of pelvic or lower abdominal pain in the last three months? 

By the end of pregnancy, the uterus of mothers becomes very large. As a result, it is very normal to have pressure on the lower abdomen. However, some specific physical changes are behind the severe pain or biting sensation that occurs in the joints of the lower abdomen during this time.

Many mothers want to know from us, why did you suddenly start having so much pain in your waist and groin at this time? 

The main reason for this is that Allah Almighty has created our body in such a way that the mother’s path is easy during childbirth. And for this reason, some of the veins and bone joints inside the body start to soften.

The effect of the relaxin hormone and changes in the body’s balance 

During pregnancy, a special hormone or juice called relaxin is produced in the mother’s body. The function of this hormone is to loosen and soften the bone joints of the pelvic region, i.e. the lower part of the waist.

Many mothers feel that “pelvic pain third trimester” is shifting or increasing when they try to walk or sit.

Because these bones are soft, mothers feel severe pain while walking or moving around in bed.

Baby weight gain and extra pressure on the uterus

In the last three months, the baby in the womb starts to grow very quickly and its weight increases. As the baby slowly starts to descend, the entire pressure of its head falls on the mother’s pelvis or pelvic bones.

Pregnancy changes the whole body structure and “pelvic pain third trimester” develops mainly due to this heavy pressure on the pelvic floor.

Because of this extra weight, mothers find it very difficult to sit, stand or even walk a little.

Pubic symphysis dysfunction or SPD

This is a major cause of pelvic pain. The place where the bones on both sides of our abdomen meet is called the pubic symphysis. If this joint becomes too loose during pregnancy, even moving your legs slightly can cause a stabbing pain in the groin.

Round ligament strain or muscle spasm  

As the uterus grows, the ligaments that hold the abdomen in place put extra strain. Especially when you get up suddenly from bed or cough, you may experience a whip-like pain on one side of your lower abdomen.

What mistakes do village mothers make at home during this pain? 

There is a trend in our village that whenever pregnant mothers experience any pain, they are told, ‘It’s nothing, just bear it.’ Many times, mothers massage or apply heat incorrectly to reduce pain, which can cause harm to the unborn child.

Another big mistake is that many mothers lie in bed all day due to pain. If they do not move at all, the blood circulation in the body decreases and the muscles become stiffer. As a result, the pain increases many times more than it decreases.

Standing continuously or lifting heavy objects 

Village mothers have to do a lot of household work, such as fetching water, threshing rice or lifting heavy buckets. At this late stage, bending down suddenly or lifting something heavy can cause serious injury to the pelvic bone joints.

Expert doctors state that “pelvic pain third trimester” worsens instantly when a pregnant woman lifts any heavy object.

So you should stay away from any heavy work during this time.

Wrong sleeping and sitting habits

Many people sleep on their backs or sit hunched over while sitting. When you sleep on your back, the entire weight of the uterus falls on the large blood vessels in the back, which also prevents the baby from getting oxygen.

You must avoid wrong sitting postures because “pelvic pain third trimester” can be reduced simply by maintaining a straight back.

While sitting, you should always sit upright with a soft pillow or cushion behind your back.

Simple household chores and rulesHow to do them and their benefits
Sleeping on your backSleeping on your left side with a soft pillow between your legs reduces pressure on your bones.
Warm compressApplying a warm water bag to the back of the waist or lower abdomen for 10 minutes can provide relief.
Pelvic Support BeltSpecial belts are available in the market for pregnant mothers, which help to hold the extra weight of the abdomen.

Light exercise and ways to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic area

In the last days, it is better to take a light walk inside the house without lying down at all. In addition, ‘Kegel exercise’ or pelvic floor exercise is very beneficial for this pain. 

You have to hold the lower muscles for 5 seconds as if you are holding back urine and then release them. Doing this several times a day strengthens the muscles in that area.

Discover more here: Dizziness in pregnancy second trimester

Using the right shoes and rules for climbing stairs

At this time, heels or high shoes should not be worn. You should wear very soft and even shoes. You should take your feet one by one very carefully while climbing stairs. 

If you follow these daily movement tips carefully, “pelvic pain third trimester” will remain under control naturally. There should be no rush.

When will you understand that this pain is not normal and you should go to the doctor?

In the last three months of pregnancy, not all pains can be cured with simple or home remedies. Sometimes, there may be signs of a major danger hidden behind this pelvic pain, which our village mothers often do not understand.

So, doesn’t the question arise in your mind that when will I understand whether this pain is causing any harm to the baby? 

Yes, if the pain is accompanied by shivering and fever, or there is a severe burning sensation and foul odor during urination, then you should understand that there is an infection inside.

Signs of premature labor pain or preterm labor

If you feel that there is a specific time or rhythm of the pain—for example, the lower abdomen tightens and hurts every 10 minutes and the waist is pinching from the back, then this may be a sign of labor pain.

Regular physical checking is essential because “pelvic pain third trimester” could sometimes blend with early labor contractions.

Neglecting this condition can lead to premature birth, which is very risky for the baby.

Signs of bleeding or water breaking

If a small amount of blood is seen with severe pain in the lower abdomen or groin, or if the water suddenly starts leaking through the vagina or breaking in large quantities at once, then you should not stay at home for even a second.

Medical emergency arises if “pelvic pain third trimester” is accompanied by any kind of vaginal bleeding.

This can be a sign of the placenta or the placenta becoming loose.

Sudden decrease in baby’s movements-

If the normal movements of the baby in the stomach (at least 10-12 times a day) suddenly decrease or seem to stop altogether along with the intensity of the pain, then it is a sign of lack of oxygen in the baby.

Excessive headache and body swelling – 

If the pain is accompanied by sudden blurring of vision, severe headache, and excessive swelling of the hands, feet, and face, then it is a major symptom of eclampsia or high blood pressure.

Responsibilities of family members during this difficult time of pregnancy and some important advice

The family has the most important role in relieving the physical pain of the pregnant mother. Especially the men of the house and the mothers-in-law should be extra careful towards the mothers during this time. If the mother is in a good mood and free from worries, many physical pains can be easily tolerated.

For your convenience, the things that the family members can do for the well-being of a mother are summarized in points below:

  • Comfort: The mother should be kept completely away from difficult tasks like lifting heavy buckets, folding clothes or bending down to wipe the house.
  • Food: Calcium and vitamin-rich foods such as milk, eggs, small fish and enough vegetables should be included in the daily diet.
  • Rest: After cooking in the afternoon, arrangements should be made so that the mother can sleep peacefully for at least two hours and at least eight hours at night.
  • Mentality: The mother should always be treated well and courage and mental strength should be provided to overcome the fear of childbirth.

How village mothers should prepare for the days of delivery in advance

In the last three months, when the pain in the waist and lower abdomen indicates that the time of the baby’s arrival is approaching, it is good to make some preparations from then on. If there is a sudden problem at night in the village, it is difficult to get a car or a doctor.

So, you should get a good midwife or midwife and the hospital number in case of emergency.

If you plan your hospital journey in advance, “pelvic pain third trimester” won’t cause extra mental panic during delivery.

It would be wise to make arrangements for a blood donor in advance, according to your money and blood group.

Some special advice from an experienced doctor that mothers need to know

Sometimes, mothers are afraid to go to the doctor or do not open up about their pain out of shame. But if you follow the doctor’s advice, this last period can be very relaxing.

Doctors always say, never sit with one leg on the other during this time.

Clinical reports show that “pelvic pain third trimester” can be greatly reduced by resting your feet flat on the floor while sitting. When getting out of bed, always tilt to one side first, then slowly rise up on your hands. Standing up suddenly can cause severe tension in the abdominal muscles.

Conclusion

The pelvic or lower abdominal pain of the last three months of pregnancy or the third trimester is a familiar experience for every expectant mother. This is mainly due to the changes in hormones inside the body and the weight gain of the fetus. 

The ordinary and simple mothers and sisters of our village often endure this pain silently, which is not right at all. A little awareness, following the correct rules of lying down, light Kegel exercises and a little extra love and support from family members can make these difficult days much easier and happier. 

However, if any symptoms like water breaking, blood appearing or the baby’s movements decreasing appear outside of the normal pain, then you cannot sit at home hoping for any poetic treatment or cure. In that situation, you should quickly take the child to a government hospital or an experienced doctor. Only if the mother is healthy will our future children see the light of day in a healthy way. Therefore, it is our responsibility to pay maximum attention to the body of every mother in these last days.

FAQ – Some common questions and answers

1. Is this stabbing pain in the lower abdomen normal in the last three months of pregnancy?

 Yes, it is completely normal. This pain occurs due to the baby’s weight gain and the softening of the bone joints.

2. Can any ointment or balm be massaged for the pain?

No, you should never massage the abdomen or waist with any intense heat or forcefully in the wrong way.

3. What is the safest home remedy to reduce groin pain?

 It is safest to put a soft pillow between your legs while sleeping and apply a warm water bag to your waist.

4. What type of shoes is best to wear during this time? 

Avoid high heels or hard shoes and wear soft, flat or even shoes.

5. If the pain is too much, can you take painkillers from the pharmacy on your own? 

Absolutely not, taking any kind of painkillers without a doctor’s advice can cause great harm to the baby.

Related Articles

abusive head trauma in children

The essential points to know about abusive head trauma in children along with its prevention and management

Abusive head trauma is importantly a serious form of abuse and it can happen at any time in the family.It also remains as the potential one to cause severe together with life threatening injury to the child.Abnormal and violent shaking with forceful strikes of the child can raise certain health issues to the child as they remain prone not to tolerate such incidents.

As the neck musculature is weak in comparison with large head size may make them more susceptible to acquire head trauma.That is why it is very essential for you to know the causes,risk factors,warning signs and some effective preventive measures in order to tackle such incidents.That’s why it is mandatory for us to ensure a safe environment for the guardians and care givers of the child.

In this article,we try to cover all the important aspects of abusive head trauma that help make you knowledgeable about the causes,risk factors and preventive measures of abusive head trauma in children.

What is the usual understanding of an abusive head trauma to your child?

Abusive head trauma refers to head, neck or brain injury that happens when someone shakes or hits a baby on their own purpose and it can easily hurt a baby. It only takes 1 or 2 hard shakes to seriously hurt a baby’s brain that result in development of shaken baby syndrome,a type of abusive head trauma.

Babies have large and heavy heads in comparison with their bodies, and their necks remain vulnerable to getting injured easily.They can’t have the full control over their head movement as easily as older children or adults do.If you shake a baby,it can vigorously move their head backward and forward in a very quick succession.

This action can shake the baby’s brain and can be very dangerous simultaneously.Rough play like tossing your baby in the air or onto a soft bed are  just as dangerous as you throwing them in air with anger or frustration.No parent or other caregiver should ever shake a baby in order to ensure their brain’s safety or to prevent any abusive head trauma in children.

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What things escalate the occurrence of abusive head trauma 

Various risk factors for AHT have been identified by experts that corelates with peculiarities of the child, the caregiver as well as the broader social environment.Though it is very challenging to understand these variables in order to guide the prevention, screening, and early intervention efforts of the abusive head trauma in children.

Child-related risk factors include the following:

  • Persistent crying is difficult to soothe and it is more prominent in children who are 6 to 8 weeks of age.
  • Infantile colic which means frequent episodes of prolonged crying without medical cause.
  • Delayed growth along with poor learning and abnormal movement. 
  • Ongoing health issues requiring medical attention.
  • History of prematurity or low birth weight
  • Multiple births like tweens,triplets births.
  • Unplanned pregnancy together with social and emotional difficulties.

The general contribution of Caregiver and family characteristics augment AHT risk

Caregiver and family-related factors may also augment the risk of happening of abusive head trauma in children who are still very young.These comprise young parents with limited social support, low socioeconomic status, low self-confidence, limited education, or lack of prenatal care with additional risks that may arise from limited childcare experience, difficulty managing stress or frustration.

Mental health challenges, substance use, single-caregiver situations, or previous involvement with child protective services also assist in the happening of abusive head trauma. Certain community-level factors that have the close association for further increased vulnerability are:

  • Social isolation with restrictive access to amusing spaces.
  • Poverty along with Unemployment. 
  • Exposure to domestic violence that comprise partner violence
  • Lack of adequate community support services. 

Incidence rate of abusive trauma to the child

The accurate proven rate of determination of abusive head trauma in children remains challenging and this is due to the absence of a centralized reporting system.It also accumulates the variability of clinical presentations.That is why there is frequent underrecognition of abuse in the family. Abusive head trauma often results from uninterrupted maltreatment rather than it generally having the association of a single acute event. 

In the United States (US), the approximate evidence based incidence of acute head trauma in children who are younger than 1 year generally calculates from 25 to 35 per 100,000 in each year.Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the most common cause of fatal physical abuse in children and the infants are the most vulnerable group who account for the majority of related deaths.

Age Variation who possess acute head trauma

The incidence of abusive head trauma in children actually has a peak age between 6 and 8 weeks and it lines up with the period of excessive infant crying, namely “purple crying period.” The report of mortality rates due to abusive head trauma in families ranges from 10% to 20% and it has a significant drop rate after 1 year of age.Thereby it makes the overall count approximately 3.8 per 100,000 annually.

Geographical distinction of abusive head trauma

Geographic distinction of abusive head trauma in children has been perceived within the entire US.The experts counted the highest incidence based on evidence in the Midwest and the lowest in the Northeast of the country. There is no clear or conclusive explanation that has been notified for these regional variations across the country. 

Sentinel Injuries of the child to cause abusive head trauma

Sentinel injuries frequently antecede a formal diagnosis of child ill-treatment.Consequently it almost counts nearly 25% of children who are later diagnosed with abuse present with previously unacknowledged injuries.Among the findings,bruising and intraoral trauma are the  common ones and it is more particularly in children younger than 3 years of age.As many as 20% of these cases may go unrecognized during initial medical evaluations.  

Variation in Clinical Practice

Clinical practice variation further has the effects on diagnosis of abusive head trauma in children and this is due to biases on caregiver demographics and socioeconomic status.Moreover ethnicity may also affect assessment verdicts.Standardized screening protocols can enhance the identification of abusive head trauma (AHT) and thereby help ensure more consistent evaluation and treatment when ultimately reduce variations and disparities in patient care. 

How abusive head trauma affects a child’s brain and bodily systems 

The factors like biomechanical forces are closely involved in AHT typically include combinations of rotational along with translational, and impact forces. These injury processes may be the outcome of violent shaking, blunt impact, or both simultaneously. Experimental studies comprising computational models, human surrogates together with animal research, and postmortem analyses have emerged the concept of how such forces injure your child’s brain. 

Infants are particularly more susceptible due to close associations of several anatomical and physiological features that favours the occurrence of head trauma.Thereby this also includes a relatively large head-to-body ratio, immature neck musculature,excessive ligamentous laxity, partially ossified skull, and higher intracranial fluid content. These characteristics help amplify the impacts of acceleration-deceleration and rotational forces and thus end up with increasing the risk for diffuse brain injury as well as making them prone to get abusive head trauma in children.

Possible outcomes of abusive head trauma to the child 

Constant shaking can cause the head and neck to move rapidly back and forth which thereby can help stretch and damage your child’s brain blood vessels.After that this may lead to bleeding such as subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and brain swelling inside your baby’s skull. As pressure inside the skull increases, blood flow to the brain may fall than normal level and also cause injury. Similar to traumatic brain injury, diffuse axonal damage can also affect a baby’s brain function and result in fluctuation in coordination. Direct impact may also cause fractures or concussions. 

Why does abusive head trauma happen?

Many parents and caregivers experience exhaustion and frustration and there may be at times, you might have a temptation to shake your crying baby in order to stop them to cry.It’s important to remember or keep in mind that vigorous shaking can cause serious brain issues and causes abusive head trauma in children.In order to avoid these episodes of exhaustions,you can try try these tips.

  • Place the baby safely: Set them in their cot or crib.
  • Step away: Move out of hearing range for a short break.
  • Collect yourself: Take deep breaths to regain your calm.
  • Phone a friend: Call someone you trust for immediate support.

What are the best ways to comfort your baby who is crying non-stop? 

There are a few things you can try if there is no end in sight of your baby’s crying.

First,you need to check if the crying is due to something straightforward conditions.For instance:

  • Does their tummy need to fill up?
  • Are they uncomfortable because they need a change?
  • Are they feeling a bit under the uncomfortable weather or flushed?
  • Are there any painful gums that make them fussy?
  • Do they struggle to settle down because of exhaustion?

Some important tips to calm down your baby

If there is no clear cause of their continuous crying,then you can try these tricks that can help calm your baby.These are: 

  • Give them a warm hug.
  • Gently rub their back or tummy.
  • Push them back and forth in the stroller.
  • Softly sing a lullaby or talk to them while cradling them.

How can you ensure if your baby has got hurt by abusive head trauma?

It can be very hard to know or tell confidently that a baby has a head injury and it is due to abusive head trauma in children.Some important signs may indicate if there any kind of abusive head trauma or not.These comprise:

  • The baby may feel drowsiness than normal.
  • The baby may experience tremors sometimes with some episodes of vomitings.
  • There is also difficulty in breathing or facing problems in feeding.
  • The kin of the baby may be pale or blue coloured.

The injury can be life-threatening as well as there is risk of getting permanent brain damage.If you think a baby has been shaken vigorously with unsafe manners,you need to seek medical attention from the nearest emergency department as soon as possible.

What actually happens if you shake your baby?

It would be very fortunate for your babies if they experience several rough shakes or any kind of abusive head trauma in children that can make your baby’s brain and meninges hit the hard bone inside their skull.It then causes blood loss from the brain and it is likely due to continuous injury to the brain against the skull bone.

Shaken babies can have brain-related problems that comprise blindness,deafness,several seizures along with facing difficulty to eat or swallow something.Moreover they face leaning,behavioural together with space difficulties.

The Bottom Line

Abusive head trauma in children is actually a preventable but a very critical condition which can eventually mark lifelong health impacts on the child and thereby hamper their normal development.If the parent and care givers become able to recognise the causes,risk factors,early features,they can then be able to protect the vulnerable children as they handle the situation cautiously.

When we ensure a caring and secure environment, we can help assure every child receives the protection and care they fully deserve.Thus proper support along with safe caregiving practice ultimately bring goods to the family and also ensure your child does not get the abusive head trauma. 

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