Pregnancy is a time of profound change, both physically and emotionally. As your body lovingly makes space for the new life growing within, it’s common to experience discomfort, especially in your lower back. If you’re feeling those familiar aches, know you’re not alone. Lower back pain is something most pregnant women deal with at some point, but there’s good news: gentle, mindful stretches can bring significant relief.
In this article, I’ll walk you through simple, safe stretches that can help ease lower back pain during pregnancy. These movements are designed to honour where you are, acknowledging this stage’s beauty while offering comfort and support.
Why Lower Back Pain Happens During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, your body continually makes significant changes, not only to make space but also to nurture the growing baby. From week one, your body sends signals to the connective tissue supporting your belly organs that changes are afoot. The womb grows, and its seven ligaments must adjust while the surrounding organs shift to make room. This signal to soften connective tissue comes from hormones circulating in your bloodstream and impacts other connective tissues. This is why you may start to feel your joints (where connective tissue includes the joint capsule and the tendons and ligaments around it) groaning and complaining. You must know your posture, spine health, and lifting/carrying practices from week one to your post-natal year. As you become heavier, your centre of gravity shifts forward, placing extra strain on your back. Your muscles work overtime to keep you balanced, while the hormone relaxin makes things feel less stable. This combination often leads to the dull, persistent ache many of us feel in the lower back, pubic symphysis, and sacroiliac joints.
But it’s not just about the physical changes. Pregnancy can be emotionally taxing, too. As someone who has supported many women through pregnancy, I’ve seen how stress and worry can manifest physically—sometimes as tension in the body. It’s a reminder to be gentle with yourself emotionally and physically as you navigate this incredible journey.
Safe and Effective Stretches for Lower Back Pain
These stretches are about easing physical pain and an opportunity to connect with your body and find a little calm amidst all the changes. Let’s take a closer look at ten gentle stretches that can help soothe your lower back:
1. Pelvic Tilts
Pelvic tilts are an excellent way to strengthen your core and lower back muscles gently. They help realign your pelvis and relieve tension.
How to do it: Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart. Slowly tilt your pelvis toward the wall, flattening your lower back. Hold for a few seconds before releasing. This slight movement can make a big difference in how your back feels.
2. Cat-Cow Stretch
This is a beloved yoga pose, especially in prenatal classes, because it helps relieve pressure along your entire spine.
How to do it: Begin on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale as you arch your back, lifting your chest and tailbone (cow pose). As you exhale, round your back and tuck your chin to your chest (cat pose). Moving through these motions helps create space in your spine, relax muscles in spasms, and ease tightness.
3. Child’s Pose
Child’s pose is a profoundly therapeutic stretch that soothes your lower back and allows you to breathe and connect with your baby.
How to do it: Kneel on the floor, keeping your knees wide apart to make room for your belly. Sit back on your heels and reach your arms forward, lowering your chest toward the floor. Rest your forehead on the mat, letting go of any tension as you breathe deeply.
4. Thread the Needle
This stretch targets tension in your shoulders and upper back, which often carry extra strain as your posture changes during pregnancy.
How to do it: Start on all fours. Slide your right arm underneath your body, allowing your shoulder and head to rest on the floor. Hold for several breaths, feeling the stretch in your upper back. Gently switch sides.
5. Puppy Dog Pose
This stretch deeply opens the chest and lengthens the lower back.
How to do it: From hands and knees, drop your chest and extend your arms along the floor, keeping your hips directly above your knees (you might like a folded towel under your knees for padding).
6. Squat
Squats release and open the pelvic floor, widen the Sitz’s bones and create space for the lumbar/lower back.
How to do it: With feet hip-width apart, drop your buttocks to your heels, keeping your knees wide enough for the baby to fit comfortably. If your feet are not flat on the floor, use a folded towel under your heels.
7. Wall Slides
Strengthening your lower back muscles can help provide extra support during pregnancy; wall slides are a simple, effective way to do that.
How to do it: Stand with your back against a wall and your feet a few inches away. Slowly slide down the wall into a seated position, keeping your back straight. Hold for a few seconds before sliding back up. Repeat several times.
8. Doorway Stretch
This stretch helps open your chest and shoulders, relieving upper back tension and improving posture.
How to do it: Stand in a doorway with your hands on either side of the frame. Step one foot forward and gently press your chest forward, feeling a stretch through your upper back and shoulders. Hold for a few breaths, then step back and switch sides.
9. Gentle Twists
Twisting movements can feel good, but keeping them gentle during pregnancy is essential so the belly does not become pressed.
How to do it: Sit with your legs crossed. Slowly twist your torso to one side, keeping your spine long. Avoid deep twists—go as far as feels comfortable. Hold for a few breaths, then gently twist to the other side.
10. Side Bends
Side bends help stretch out the sides of your body, which can become tight as your belly grows.
How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Reach one arm overhead and gently bend to the opposite side, feeling a stretch along your side. Hold for a few breaths before switching sides. Try one side and notice how your breathing changes on that side. This is a great way to relieve breathlessness, too.
While stretching is a beautiful way to relieve discomfort, there are other things you can do to care for your back during pregnancy:
Mind Your Posture: Once pregnant, every day, all day—your posture matters. Connect and press down into the ground—your feet when standing and your sitz bones when seated. Then, draw your crown skyward, lengthening the spine—particularly the neck and lumbar—activating core support. Letting your shoulders slump at your desk or your lower back arch as your belly grows is easy. But both can contribute to back pain. Remember to stand tall with your shoulders flat to your back, spine neutral, and core appropriately active.
Sleep with Support: Try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees. This can help align your spine and relieve pressure on your lower back.
Prenatal Yoga: A gentle prenatal yoga class can help strengthen the muscles that support your back and improve flexibility. Plus, it’s a lovely way to connect with other expecting mums and find community.
When to Seek Medical Advice
I encourage all pregnant women to have a support team for their needs, both pre- and post-natal. Include a physiotherapist, osteopath, or chiropractor early on. Develop a relationship with them and let them get to know your body. They’ll help you prepare optimally for childbirth with minimal interventions. Postnatally, you’ll likely need some support or adjustments, too.
If your lower back pain becomes severe or is accompanied by symptoms like cramping or radiating nerve pain down your legs, it’s essential to talk to your healthcare team. Sometimes, back pain can indicate other issues that need medical attention.
Creating Space for You
Pregnancy asks so much of your body—your lungs, immune system, skeleton, all the organs in your belly, and heart (50% more blood to pump, but the same heart). These stretches are not just a way to ease physical discomfort—they’re an invitation to slow down, breathe, and give yourself space to feel nurtured. Remember how remarkable you are in those quiet moments as you stretch and move. Your body is doing incredible work and deserves to be treated with kindness and care.
If you want more personalized support, consider booking an online class or consultation with one of our prenatal wellness experts. Together, we can create a stretching and exercise plan tailored to your needs, helping you feel more comfortable and confident during this time.