If your baby's head has 'engaged' (entered the pelvic cavity), you might be feeling more pressure lower down in your pelvis. You might even feel baby's head putting pressure on your cervix, which can be quite uncomfortable. You'll probably need to go to the toilet even more often.
You'll likely feel some fetal movement around 20 to 24 weeks, but it might be challenging to recognize as your baby is still quite tiny. It's most common to notice any feelings of baby movement (quickening if it's the first time) in your lower abdomen, close to the pubic bone.
The movement of a baby stretching, turning, or kicking during pregnancy can put pressure on a nerve. This can cause sudden, sharp pain in the pelvis, vagina, or rectum. As the baby grows, the force behind the movements gets stronger, which may cause an increase in pain.
Then, as you inch closer to your due date, say around 34 weeks, those sharp kicks will morph into a more ballet-like, rolling sensation, says Bartos. “You might also begin to feel cervical pain, which is like a lightning bolt down the vagina. This can occur when baby settles into a position that hits the cervix.”
However, sensations may also be felt by the woman in her pelvic area around her cervix, vagina, bladder and bottom (or anus). Once the baby is quite large, movements and pressure may also be felt in the woman's ribs, pubic bone and lower back.
As the baby's head drops down into the pelvis, it pushes against the cervix. This causes the cervix to relax and thin out, or efface. During pregnancy, your cervix has been closed and protected by a plug of mucus.
Prolapse – If you do have a prolapse, depending on how severe, the cervix may be felt lower in the vaginal canal. If you can feel your cervix just inside of the vaginal opening, you may want to seek medical attention to diagnose and/or treat you if you do have a uterine prolapse.
The fundus (the top part of your baby bump) thickens as the cervix dilates. You can feel this during a contraction by checking how many fingers you can fit between the fundus and your bra line. At the beginning of labor, you should be able to fit five fingers in the space.
Experts think this pain is related to your baby growing larger and dropping down into your pelvis before birth (a process called engagement). With your baby's head lower in your pelvis, there's more pressure on your cervix and the nerves around the lower part of the uterus.
When your baby "drops," it means they descend into your pelvis in preparation for labor. It doesn't mean labor is about to happen, though! Carrying your baby lower isn't a sign that you're about to go into labor, nor does carrying your baby higher mean that labor is far off.
During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin has a softening effect on the mother's muscles, helping her body to prepare for childbirth. When this hormonal effect is combined with the weight of the baby, extra pressure is placed on her pelvic floor muscles.
Pelvic pressure
“This may be due to 'lightening,' which is when the baby drops down from the abdomen. Some women feel lightening as pelvic pressure or even low back pain,” says Dr. Emery. “But keep in mind that some women don't experience this drop until they're in actual labor.”
If your baby is head down and facing your back (OA position), you'll probably feel kicks under your ribs. You'll also be able to feel the hard, rounded surface of your baby's back, which will be on one side of your belly.
The timing is different for every woman. As you get closer to your due date, your cervix may start to dilate without you knowing it. Dilation is a gradual process that, for some can take weeks, even up to a month. Others will dilate and efface overnight.
“When the cervix is open, its consistency will be much softer, and you may or may not be able to slightly feel inside the opening.” Try again. Don't worry if you can't find your cervix on your first attempt. This is completely normal, but don't be put off.
The feeling of vaginal fullness and pressure during pregnancy can make a woman feel as if her vagina is tighter than normal. However, the increase in vaginal lubrication caused by pregnancy may also make a woman's vagina feel more elastic than usual.
You can't feel your cervix thinning, but you might pick up on a few cervical effacement symptoms. When your cervix effaces, you may feel pressure down there, Thiel says. You might also notice an increase in cervical mucus or discharge.
Of course, there are also many people who find that the process causes some discomfort, since checking for dilation manually can feel somewhat invasive in nature, especially if it's your first time and you don't know what to expect.
If you have any of these signs or symptoms before your 37th week of pregnancy, you may be experiencing preterm labor: Change in your vaginal discharge (watery, mucus or bloody) or more vaginal discharge than usual. Pressure in your pelvis or lower belly, like your baby is pushing down. Constant low, dull backache.
PGP used to be known as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). PGP is common, affecting 1 in 5 pregnant women, and can affect your mobility and quality of life. Pain when you are walking, climbing stairs and turning over in bed are common symptoms of PGP. However, early diagnosis and treatment can relieve your pain.