Pregnancy Pain Turning Over in Bed: When Even Getting Comfortable Becomes Hard
You finally get comfortable.
You've arranged the pillows.
You've found a position that doesn't make your back ache.
Your bump is supported.
Your hips have settled.
You might even be starting to drift off.
And then you need to turn over.
What used to be a completely unconscious movement can suddenly become a carefully planned manoeuvre.
You brace yourself.
Move your knees.
Try to roll.
Your pelvis hurts.
Your hip catches.
Your lower back complains.
And now you're wide awake again.
If turning over in bed hurts during pregnancy, you are definitely not the only one.
For many pregnant women, disrupted sleep isn't just about the baby waking them or needing to go to the bathroom. Pregnancy pain at night can make simply changing position exhausting.
Why does turning over hurt during pregnancy?
Turning over in bed is actually a surprisingly complicated movement.
Even though it feels effortless when we're not pregnant, rolling from one side to the other involves your:
Spine
Pelvis
Hips
Abdominal and trunk muscles
Shoulders
Ribs
Knees and legs
During pregnancy, your body is adapting to a growing bump and changing centre of gravity.
You may naturally move differently, your muscles may be working differently and your joints are dealing with changing loads.
And then there is the practical reality of having a growing baby in the way!
What once involved a quick roll can become a whole-body movement.
If something is already irritated or sensitive, turning in bed can make you very aware of it.
Where can it hurt when you turn over?
Pregnancy pain when turning in bed isn't limited to one area.
Depending on what's going on in your body, you might feel discomfort in several different places.
Pelvis and pubic bone
Pelvic pain turning over in bed during pregnancy is a common complaint, particularly with pelvic girdle pain.
You may feel pain around the front of the pelvis at the pubic bone, or deeper through the pelvis.
If you have SPD, rolling from one side to the other can sometimes be particularly uncomfortable because your legs need to move in relation to your pelvis.
You might find yourself keeping your knees together and moving very slowly.
Hips
Hip pain at night during pregnancy can make finding a comfortable sleeping position difficult.
You may develop pain on the side of the hip from lying on it, or experience deeper hip or groin discomfort when moving.
Sometimes the problem isn't lying on your side itself — it's the movement required to change sides.
You may feel a pulling, catching or aching sensation as you roll.
Sacroiliac joints and buttocks
The sacroiliac joints (SIJ) sit at the back of your pelvis.
Pregnancy-related SIJ pain can be felt around the lower back, dimples of the pelvis or buttocks.
Turning over may aggravate one side more than the other.
You may even find that one direction feels much easier than the other.
Lower back
Pregnancy lower back pain at night can be particularly frustrating because you don't get a break from it when the day is over.
You might be comfortable while sitting or standing, but turning in bed can trigger an ache through your lower back.
Or perhaps you wake up feeling stiff and sore after spending hours in one position.
Groin and inner thigh
The groin and inner thigh can also become uncomfortable when changing position.
You may notice a pulling sensation as your legs move or pain when trying to roll from your back onto your side.
Thighs and legs
Your thighs and legs can become tired and achy during pregnancy, particularly if you're spending more time on your feet during the day.
When you finally lie down, you may become much more aware of the discomfort.
Turning over can also make muscular tension through your thighs more noticeable.
Knees
If you are already sleeping with a pillow between your knees, you may know just how important your knees can become during pregnancy!
Knee pain or stiffness can make it difficult to move your legs comfortably when rolling.
Sometimes a pillow between the knees helps — but the ideal position is different for everyone.
Calves and ankles
Night-time leg discomfort can include the calves and ankles too.
Muscular tightness, tired legs or ankle discomfort can make it harder to settle into a comfortable position.
Feet
Your feet may not seem connected to your sleeping position, but changes throughout pregnancy can leave them tired or sore.
Foot and ankle discomfort can contribute to the feeling that nothing is quite comfortable anymore.
Ribs and upper back
As your baby grows, your rib cage and upper body can also become uncomfortable.
Pregnancy rib pain at night can make side sleeping difficult, particularly if you spend a lot of time lying on one side.
Turning over can create a combination of pressure, stretching and rotation through your ribs and upper back.
Shoulders and neck
And then there are your shoulders and neck.
If you're spending hours sleeping in a new position, particularly on your side, you may notice:
Shoulder pain
Upper back tension
Neck stiffness
Headaches related to muscular tension
Sometimes the position you're using to protect one painful area can create tension somewhere else.
When sleep starts to feel like another task
Perhaps the hardest part isn't the pain itself.
It's the constant interruption.
You finally get comfortable.
Then you need to move.
You wake because your hip hurts.
You turn.
Your pelvis hurts.
You rearrange the pillows.
You settle again.
Then you need to get up for the toilet.
And suddenly it's 3am and you're wondering whether you've actually slept at all.
If this is happening night after night, it's understandable that you're exhausted.
Pregnancy already asks a huge amount of you physically and emotionally.
You deserve to be able to rest.
"How am I supposed to turn over without hurting?"
There isn't one magic technique that works for every pregnant woman.
But if you're experiencing pelvic pain or pelvic girdle pain (PGP), you may find it more comfortable to:
Keep your knees together.
A pillow between your knees can help support your legs. When rolling, try moving your legs together rather than letting one leg fall away from the other.
Move your whole body together.
Rather than twisting your pelvis one way and your shoulders another, try to roll your shoulders, trunk and pelvis together.
Use your arms to help.
Your arms can give you some leverage and reduce the amount of effort your pelvis and hips have to provide.
Don't rush.
A slow, controlled movement can feel much better than trying to roll quickly.
Use pillows strategically.
A pillow between your knees, under your bump or behind your back can provide additional support. You may need to experiment as your pregnancy progresses.
If a particular movement is consistently painful, though, it is worth having it assessed rather than simply trying to work around it indefinitely.
What if I can only sleep on one side?
You may have heard lots of advice about pregnancy sleep positions, and it can become surprisingly stressful trying to get it "right."
If you're uncomfortable, it's reasonable to discuss your individual circumstances with your midwife or maternity care provider.
From an osteopathic perspective, I am also interested in how your body is coping with the position you're choosing.
If one hip is sore from lying on it, your pelvis hurts when you roll or your ribs become uncomfortable on your side, we can look at what may be contributing to those symptoms.
The aim isn't to find one perfect pregnancy sleeping position.
It's to help you find comfortable and sustainable ways to rest.
How can osteopathy help pregnancy pain at night?
When you come in for an appointment, we'll look beyond the fact that "turning over hurts."
I'll want to understand:
Where is the pain?
Which direction is worse?
Does it hurt when you first roll, or when you settle onto the other side?
Is one hip more uncomfortable than the other?
Are you also having pain during the day?
Does walking, getting dressed or getting out of the car aggravate it?
These details help me understand how your body is moving and where it may be struggling.
I'll assess your movement and, where appropriate, consider your pelvis, hips, lower back, spine, ribs and surrounding muscles and joints.
Treatment may include:
Soft tissue treatment
Gentle joint mobilisation and articulation
Muscle stretching
Joint manipulation where appropriate
Advice about comfortable movement
Exercises
Sleeping and positioning strategies
Treatment is adapted to your stage of pregnancy and individual symptoms.
And importantly, the aim isn't simply to make you feel better for an hour after your appointment.
It's about helping you manage the movements and positions that are part of your everyday life.
Including those frustrating 2am ones.
You don't have to be "bad enough" to ask for help
Sometimes pregnant women put off getting help because they think:
"Everyone gets uncomfortable during pregnancy."
"I'm nearly at the end anyway."
"I should just put up with it."
"It's not really an injury."
But if pain is affecting your sleep, your mood, your ability to move or your enjoyment of pregnancy, it's important to you — and that's enough.
You don't need to wait until you can't turn over at all.
You can ask for help when you're simply thinking:
"I am so tired of being sore every time I move in bed."
Pregnancy should be uncomfortable enough already
Growing a baby is a huge physical undertaking.
Your body is changing constantly, and some discomfort is certainly common.
But waking repeatedly because your pelvis, hip, back or ribs hurt isn't something you have to quietly accept.
As a pregnancy osteopath in Milford, Auckland, I work with women experiencing pregnancy-related pelvic pain, pelvic girdle pain, SPD, hip pain, SIJ pain, lower back pain, rib pain and other aches and pains that can make everyday life — and sleep — harder.
We'll look at your symptoms as a whole and work out how osteopathic treatment, movement advice and practical strategies may help.
Because sometimes getting better sleep doesn't require a miracle.
Sometimes it's simply being able to turn over in bed without waking up in pain.
If pregnancy pain is affecting your sleep or making everyday movements uncomfortable, book an appointment with Sarah Boughtwood Osteopath in Milford, Auckland.