Round Ligament Pain in Pregnancy

What is round ligament pain?

Round ligament pain is a common problem of pregnancy, usually occurring in the second and third trimesters. It feels like a sharp, pulling pain or dull ache in your lower abdomen or groin area.

The pain usually goes away quickly, lasting a few minutes at most. How often you feel round ligament pain depends on how active you are and your daily routine.

You can treat it with acetaminophen (Tylenol) or rest. If those don’t work and the pain continues, you should call your doctor.

While all pregnant women are at risk of developing it, 10% to 30% of pregnant women experience it.

What round ligament pain feels like

Round ligament pain during pregnancy feels like a sharp, pulling pain in the lower belly or groin. The pain can be on one or both sides and usually last no more than a few minutes.

Main symptoms

• Pain is felt in your lower abdomen or groin.
• Pain feels sharp or pulling.
• Pain feels like a dull ache.

Causes

The round ligament is fibrous tissue that helps hold your uterus in place. You have two ligaments, one on each side, and they connect your uterus to your groin area. As your uterus grows during pregnancy, these ligaments stretch and are put under a lot of tension.

When you’re further along in your pregnancy and make a sudden movement, like standing up quickly, turning in bed, or coughing, the round ligaments “snap back,” which leads to pain.

Treating round ligament pain

If you experience round ligament pain, stop doing whatever caused the pain—for example, stop walking or change your position in bed. The pain should go away within a few minutes. During this time, continue to rest and try gently massaging the area that hurts in a circular motion. You can also try specific stretches (described below).

If the pain is more intense, take acetaminophen (Tylenol). (Ibuprofen, like Motrin, should always be avoided during pregnancy.)

If the pain does not go away, even after taking acetaminophen, or it becomes more intense, call your doctor. Also call your doctor if you have other symptoms like bleeding, painful urination, fever, or chills.

Round ligament pain stretches

To help ease the discomfort caused by round ligament pain, you can try doing specific stretches such as:

Half kneeling hip flexor stretch

Standing, with your left leg in front of your right, kneel down on your right knee (use a mat or pillow under your knee). Keep your back straight and shift your weight and hips forward. Reach up with arms for a stretch. Hold for 5 seconds. Then repeat on the other side.

Bird dog

Starting on your hands and knees, slowly extend your opposite arm and leg out straight, while keeping your hips parallel to the ground. Only extend to hip and shoulder height. Hold for 3 seconds. Do this 10 times. Repeat using the opposite arm and leg.

Pull aparts

Standing up straight, hold an exercise band in your hands at chest level, shoulder-width apart. Then keeping arms straight, pull them apart, stretching the band outward. Do 1 set of 10.

Preventative tips

While it’s not possible to completely prevent round ligament pain in pregnancy, it is possible to reduce how often you feel it.

• Avoid sudden movements (like rolling over in bed quickly).
• Move slowly when going from a seated to standing position.
• Consider wearing a maternity support belt.
• Don’t overdo it, both while exercising and in your daily routine.
• Talk to your ob/gyn about seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist to address pregnancy-related changes in your body.
• Try prenatal yoga to help with overall aches and pains of pregnancy.