Is back pain a sign of labour?

While back pain is a common symptom in your third trimester as your body stretches and changes, back pain can also be an early indication that you are in labour. While most women feel their contractions in their abdomens, there are quite a few who experience their contractions in their lower back.

While there are theories about why some women experience back labour, there are no proven results or reasons. Some experts believe it is due to your baby’s head and where it is positioned. Others think the pain is being referred by the uterus. This second theory is based on the fact that many women complain of similar back pain during their menstrual cycle and these women are more likely to experience back labour.

If you are experiencing back labour, there are some things you can do to try to ease your pain. There is no prevention for this discomfort, but try having someone rub your lower back, take a warm bath, use a tennis ball to apply pressure to the pained area, try doing some pelvic exercises, or even getting on all fours to release some of the weight on your spine. Hopefully one or more of these tips will help. If not, consider getting an epidural to make the labour easier.