Un derstanding how pregnancy changes the way your body moves, adapts, and functions

Pregnancy changes your body in ways you can see and in many ways you can’t.

As your baby grows, your centre of gravity shifts. Your posture changes. Your muscles, joints, spine, and pelvis adapt to increasing physical demands. Even movements you’ve performed thousands of times without thinking can suddenly feel different.

You roll over in bed and feel discomfort through your pelvis.

You stand up after sitting and notice your lower back feels stiff.

Walking, climbing stairs, getting out of the car, or standing for a long period begins to feel uncomfortable.

Or perhaps you’ve simply noticed that you don’t move quite the way you did before pregnancy.

When that happens, it’s easy to think:

“I’m pregnant. Isn’t this just part of it?”

Back and pelvic discomfort are certainly common during pregnancy.

But common doesn’t mean there isn’t a reason you’re experiencing it.

Your body is continually adapting throughout pregnancy, and understanding how it’s adapting can help us better understand why certain movements have become uncomfortable.

Why Does My Lower Back Hurt During Pregnancy?

There isn’t one answer that applies to every pregnant woman.

As pregnancy progresses, several changes happen at the same time.

Your growing abdomen gradually shifts your centre of gravity forward. Your body adjusts the way it distributes weight to keep you balanced. The muscles supporting your spine and pelvis respond to different physical demands, and your everyday movement patterns may begin to change.

Factors that may contribute to lower back discomfort during pregnancy can include:

• Changes in your centre of gravity
• Changes in posture
• Increased physical load
• Changes in spinal and pelvic movement
• Muscle tension
• Altered walking patterns
• Reduced mobility in certain areas
• Compensation patterns
• Previous injuries or existing areas of restriction
• Changes in the way you sit, stand, sleep, bend, and lift

The location of your discomfort gives us useful information, but it doesn’t necessarily tell us the entire story.

That’s why I want to understand not only where you’re uncomfortable, but how your whole body is adapting to pregnancy.

Why Does My Pelvis Hurt During Pregnancy?

Your pelvis has an important job.

It provides a stable foundation for your spine while also allowing movement between your lower back, pelvis, and hips.

During pregnancy, the physical demands placed on this area change considerably.

Your growing baby changes the way your body carries weight. Your posture and balance adapt. The muscles surrounding your pelvis and hips may begin working differently, and movements that were previously effortless may require a different strategy.

You might notice pelvic discomfort when:

• Walking
• Climbing stairs
• Standing on one leg
• Getting dressed
• Getting in or out of the car
• Standing up from a chair
• Turning over in bed
• Getting out of bed
• Exercising
• Carrying another child
• Standing for extended periods

Rather than simply asking, “Why does my pelvis hurt?”, it can be useful to look at what your body is doing during the movements that cause the discomfort.

Why Does Pregnancy Change the Way I Move?

Your body is very good at adapting.

As your abdomen grows and your centre of gravity changes, your brain continually receives new information about where your body is in space and how it needs to move to keep you balanced.

You may widen your stance.

Your stride may change.

You may lean or shift your weight differently when standing.

You might use your arms differently when getting out of a chair or begin rotating your body differently when getting out of the car.

Most of these changes happen without you consciously deciding to make them.

That’s because movement is coordinated by your nervous system.

Your brain, spine, nerves, joints, and muscles continually communicate with one another to help your body respond to its changing environment.

During pregnancy, that environment is changing all the time.

What Does My Nervous System Have to Do With Pregnancy?

Your nervous system is your body’s communication system.

Your brain receives information from throughout your body about movement, balance, joint position, tension, and your surroundings. It then uses that information to coordinate an appropriate response.

Every time you walk, bend, climb stairs, or change position, your nervous system is involved.

During pregnancy, your body has to continually update the way it moves as its shape and physical demands change.

This is one reason the spine and nervous system are an important part of a Prenatal Chiropractic assessment.

I don’t simply want to know where you feel discomfort.

I want to understand how your body is receiving information, adapting, and coordinating movement as pregnancy progresses.

Why Does My Back Hurt More When I Stand or Walk?

Standing and walking require your body to continually manage your weight against gravity.

As your centre of gravity shifts during pregnancy, the muscles surrounding your spine, pelvis, and hips may have to work differently to keep you balanced.

For some women, discomfort doesn’t appear immediately.

You may feel fine when you first start walking but notice your lower back becoming tired or uncomfortable after 10 or 20 minutes.

Or you may be comfortable in the morning but notice increasing discomfort after spending much of the day on your feet.

Those patterns matter.

They give us information about when your body begins to have difficulty managing the physical demand being placed on it.

Why Does My Pelvis Hurt When I Walk?

Walking looks simple, but it’s actually a highly coordinated movement.

Every step requires your pelvis to move while your hips, spine, muscles, and nervous system work together to keep you balanced and moving forward.

During pregnancy, the mechanics of walking can change.

Your stride may become shorter or wider. You may shift your weight differently from side to side. Certain muscles may work harder to stabilize you, and other areas may begin compensating.

If your pelvis isn’t moving efficiently or one area is taking on more demand than another, walking may become uncomfortable.

This is why assessing how you walk and move can sometimes tell us more than simply looking at the location of the pain.

Why Does It Hurt to Roll Over in Bed During Pregnancy?

This is an incredibly common complaint.

You finally find a comfortable position, fall asleep, and then wake up because you need to turn over.

Suddenly, a movement you’ve performed your entire life requires actual thought.

Rolling over involves coordinated movement through your spine, pelvis, hips, abdominal muscles, and surrounding tissues.

As your abdomen grows, you’re also moving more weight through that transition.

If your pelvis or spine isn’t moving comfortably, or certain muscles are already working harder to stabilize your changing body, turning from one side to the other may make those issues much more noticeable.

Again, the question isn’t simply:

“Why does turning over hurt?”

It’s:

“What about this movement has become difficult for my body?”

Are You Unknowingly Compensating During Pregnancy?

Probably.

And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Compensation is one of the ways the body adapts to change.

As your belly grows, you naturally find new ways to perform everyday movements.

You may begin:

• Pushing yourself out of a chair with your arms
• Rolling differently to get out of bed
• Standing with more weight on one leg
• Taking shorter steps
• Widening your stance
• Arching or leaning differently when standing
• Avoiding certain exercises
• Carrying groceries or another child differently
• Sitting in different positions
• Using one side of your body more than the other

Many of these changes happen gradually enough that you don’t notice them.

But when one compensation pattern is repeated hundreds of times, certain areas of the body may begin taking on additional demand.

That’s why changes in how you’re moving can be important clues.

What Does a Prenatal Chiropractor Look At?

When a pregnant patient comes to see me at LiveWell Family Health Centre, I don’t simply assess the spot that hurts.

I want to understand how the body is functioning as a whole.

Depending on the individual and the stage of pregnancy, that may include looking at:

• Spinal mobility and function
• Pelvic movement
• Hip movement
• Posture
• Balance
• Walking patterns
• Muscle tension
• Side-to-side differences
• Areas of restriction
• Compensation patterns
• How you sit and stand
• Movements that reproduce your discomfort
• Previous injuries or areas that were problematic before pregnancy

I also want to understand when symptoms occur.

Does your back hurt after standing?

Does your pelvis hurt when you walk?

Is one side more uncomfortable than the other?

Does rolling over in bed bother you?

Does the discomfort improve or worsen with certain positions?

Has the way you move changed?

Those details help build a much more complete picture.

How May Prenatal Chiropractic Care Help?

Prenatal Chiropractic Care considers how the spine, pelvis, joints, movement patterns, and nervous system are functioning together as the body changes during pregnancy.

When areas become restricted or aren’t moving efficiently, the body may compensate elsewhere.

Specific Chiropractic adjustments can help improve joint mobility and function, supporting the body’s ability to move more efficiently as it continues to adapt.

Care is also modified to accommodate the pregnant body and the individual needs of each patient.

The goal isn’t simply to chase the place that hurts.

It’s to ask:

“Why has this movement become uncomfortable, and what may be contributing to it?”

Understanding that gives us a much more useful starting point.

Do I Need to Be in Pain to See a Prenatal Chiropractor?

No.

Pain is often what brings someone into the office, but it isn’t the only reason to have your body assessed during pregnancy.

Some women notice that they’re becoming increasingly stiff.

Some realize they’re walking differently.

Others find certain everyday movements becoming harder as pregnancy progresses.

And some simply want to understand how their spine and pelvis are functioning while their body is going through significant physical change.

You don’t necessarily have to wait until discomfort is interfering with your daily life before paying attention to how your body is moving.

When Should I Have Back or Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy Assessed?

If discomfort is persistent, recurring, increasing as your pregnancy progresses, limiting your movement, or changing the way you perform everyday activities, it’s worth having it assessed.

Pay attention if you’re:

• Regularly avoiding certain movements
• Having difficulty walking comfortably
• Experiencing recurring lower back or pelvic discomfort
• Struggling to roll over or get out of bed
• Changing how you exercise because of discomfort
• Having difficulty standing for normal periods
• Consistently shifting your weight to one side
• Finding everyday activities increasingly difficult

Pregnancy can certainly come with physical challenges, but you don’t need to assume that every ache or change in movement simply has to be tolerated until your baby arrives.

New, sudden, severe, or otherwise concerning pain during pregnancy should be discussed promptly with your physician, midwife, or other appropriate healthcare provider.

Supporting Pregnant Women in Ottawa

Pregnancy is an extraordinary period of change.

Your body is continually adapting as your baby grows, and those adaptations affect how you stand, walk, sleep, exercise, work, and move through everyday life.

At LiveWell Family Health Centre in Ottawa, Prenatal Chiropractic Care looks beyond the location of discomfort to understand how the spine, pelvis, nervous system, and body are functioning together.

If your lower back or pelvis has become uncomfortable, if your movement has changed, or if you’ve simply accepted that feeling stiff and sore is something you have to live with during pregnancy, it may be worth finding out why.

As a Prenatal Chiropractor in Ottawa, I work with women throughout pregnancy to support movement and function as their bodies continue to change.

Final Thought

Pregnancy changes your body.

But those changes don’t happen in isolation.

Your growing baby changes your centre of gravity. Your centre of gravity influences your posture. Your posture affects how you move. Your spine and pelvis continually adapt, while your muscles and nervous system coordinate those changes every day.

Your body is remarkably capable of adapting.

But sometimes those adaptations come with compensation, restriction, stiffness, or discomfort.

So if your back or pelvis hurts during pregnancy, don’t only ask:

“Is this normal because I’m pregnant?”

Ask:

“Why has this movement become uncomfortable for my body?”

Understanding the answer may help you better support your body through the changes still to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my lower back hurt during pregnancy?

Pregnancy changes your centre of gravity, posture, weight distribution, and the way your body moves. Your spine, pelvis, muscles, and surrounding joints continually adapt to those changes. For some women, these changing physical demands and resulting compensation patterns may contribute to lower back discomfort.

Why does my pelvis hurt when I walk during pregnancy?

Walking requires coordinated movement between your pelvis, hips, spine, muscles, and nervous system. As pregnancy progresses, your stride, balance, and weight distribution can change. Assessing how the pelvis and surrounding areas are functioning can help determine what may be contributing to discomfort while walking.

Why does it hurt to roll over in bed when I’m pregnant?

Rolling over requires coordinated movement through your spine, pelvis, hips, abdominal muscles, and surrounding tissues. As your abdomen grows and your movement mechanics change, turning in bed can become more physically demanding. Restrictions, tension, or compensation may make the movement particularly uncomfortable.

Do I need to be in pain to see a Prenatal Chiropractor?

No. Some women seek Prenatal Chiropractic Care because they’re experiencing back or pelvic discomfort, while others want to have their movement, spine, and pelvic function assessed as their bodies change throughout pregnancy.

Is Chiropractic Care safe during pregnancy?

Chiropractic Care can be modified for pregnancy and adapted to the individual patient and stage of pregnancy. A Prenatal Chiropractor will consider your health history, pregnancy, current symptoms, and individual needs when determining an appropriate approach to care.

Can a Chiropractor help with back and pelvic pain during pregnancy?

A Chiropractor can assess how your spine, pelvis, joints, movement patterns, and nervous system are functioning and identify areas of restriction or compensation that may be contributing to discomfort. When appropriate, Chiropractic Care can help improve joint mobility and function as your body adapts throughout pregnancy.

When should I see a Prenatal Chiropractor during pregnancy?

You can see a Prenatal Chiropractor at any stage of pregnancy. If you’re experiencing recurring discomfort, changes in mobility, stiffness, or difficulty with everyday movements, an assessment can help determine how your body is functioning and whether Chiropractic Care may be appropriate for you.

Where can I find a Prenatal Chiropractor in Ottawa?

Dr. Sabrina Bercovitch provides Prenatal Chiropractic Care at LiveWell Family Health Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Care begins with an individual assessment to understand how your spine, pelvis, movement, and nervous system are functioning throughout your pregnancy.