C
ClearView News

Why does my tailbone stick out after birth?

Author

Jessica Burns

Published Mar 10, 2026

Why does my tailbone stick out after birth?

As it does with other joints in your body, relaxin loosens up the ligaments in your tailbone to make them softer and more pliable. And yup, that can cause it to change shape (and sometimes make even sitting down painful).

Just so, how do you realign your tailbone after pregnancy?

Adjust how you get in and out of bed – try to roll onto your side and push yourself up, rather than sitting up directly onto the coccyx. Using ice – wrap ice pack/frozen peas in a tea towel and place on the painful area for 10-20 minutes. Can be used up to three times a day if required.

Similarly, does your tailbone shift after pregnancy? The coccyx, commonly known as the tailbone, is the tiny bone at the bottom of the sacrum. Funny enough, the tailbone is actually our vestigial tail as it disappears around 8 weeks of gestation. This bone may be tiny but it can play a mighty role in pelvic, low back and even hip pain during pregnancy and postpartum.

Beside above, how do you stop your tailbone from sticking out?

Lifestyle Treatment Options

Avoid Prolonged Sitting: While sitting, lean forward to take the pressure off your tailbone. Some people sit on a "doughnut," a circular cushion with a hole in the middle of it, to relieve tailbone pressure—this can actually isolate the tailbone, placing more pressure on it.

Can childbirth damage your tailbone?

During childbirth, pressure from the baby's head can fracture the coccyx, or tailbone. A fractured coccyx can be quite painful and symptoms can take months to subside. Many women gain relief after about 2 months of physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and ice.

How do you know if your coccyx is dislocated?

Symptoms
  1. an almost constant dull pain in the very low back, just above the buttocks.
  2. pain that worsens when sitting and when standing up from a sitting position.
  3. swelling around the tailbone.
  4. pain that intensifies during a bowel movement.
  5. pain that intensifies during sexual intercourse.
  6. irregular bowel movements.

Does Coccydynia ever go away?

Tailbone pain, also called coccydynia or coccygodynia, usually goes away on its own within a few weeks or months. To lessen tailbone pain in the meantime, it might help to: Lean forward while sitting down. Sit on a doughnut-shaped pillow or wedge (V-shaped) cushion.

How do you fix a dislocated coccyx?

Treatment options include physical therapy, steroid injections into the joint, manual treatments, surgical treatment of pinning the sacrum and coccyx together, and coccygectomy [3], [4], [5]. Here we present a case where closed manual reduction was performed resulting in relief of pain and inflammation.

How long does it take for your pelvic floor to recover after childbirth?

By 6 weeks postpartum, 27% demonstrated an enlarged hiatus area. This proportion fell to 15% at 6 months but did not decrease further by 12 months. Thus, most women recover, and recovery takes up to 6 months.

When should I go to the doctor for tailbone pain?

You should call your doctor immediately if you have pain in the tailbone and any of the following other symptoms: A sudden increase in swelling or pain. Constipation that lasts a long time. Sudden numbness, weakness, or tingling in either or both legs.

Is it normal for tailbone to stick out?

Trauma or increased tension in the pelvic floor muscles can cause the coccyx to get stuck in one position. If the coccyx gets stuck out of alignment or in too much flexion or extension, the muscles that attach to it will have increased difficulty contracting when they need to.

How do you know if your tailbone is serious?

Tailbone Injury Symptoms
  1. Severe localized pain and tenderness may be felt in the tailbone area.
  2. If the injury is traumatic, a bruise may be visible in this area.
  3. The pain is generally worse when sitting for prolonged periods of time, or with direct pressure to the tailbone area.

Can you adjust your own tailbone?

An internal coccyx adjustment can be done by your chiropractor to realign structures, decrease inflammation, and stretch ligaments. Internal coccyx adjustments are done gently and as comfortably as possible for the patient. Though the internal coccyx adjustment can be uncomfortable, it is not painful.

Why is my tailbone hurting pregnant?

Tailbone pain is often caused by the pelvic ligaments loosening and shifting. During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called relaxin. The hormone makes your pelvic ligaments looser and more flexible to make room for the baby to grow and enable you to give birth.

Can your pelvis break during childbirth?

The known risk factors for pelvic fractures during delivery include a narrow pelvis, a high birthweight newborn, increased lumbar lordosis, rapid vaginal delivery and osteoporosis or osteopenia of the child-bearing woman (1). In this case, no risk factors were identified.

Can your tailbone pop?

Coccyx fractures usually result from a backwards fall or a strong blow to the tailbone. The coccyx has some flexibility to absorb shock, but excessive stress on the bone can lead to a crack or break. Symptoms will include pain, swelling and possibly visible bruising. Sitting and walking may be very uncomfortable.

Why does it hurt to sit down postpartum?

If your perineum (the area of skin between the vagina and the anus) was cut by your doctor or if it was torn during the birth, the stitches may make it painful to sit or walk for a little while during healing.

How do you know if you broke your tailbone during childbirth?

Most women who experience tailbone injury during birth hear a crack or a pop during childbirth. If the tailbone is injured, there is usually tenderness and pain that is worse when seated. Additional symptoms of tailbone injury during birth include: Achy tailbone.

Can a chiropractor help with a sore tailbone?

Spinal Adjustment – If the tailbone moves out of alignment, irritating the nerves and tissues around it, then having a chiropractor correct the misalignment may help to bring relief. Hot and Cold Therapy – To enhance the healing process by reducing the inflammation in the injured area.

How should I sleep with tailbone pain?

To lessen the pain of a broken or bruised tailbone, consider sleeping:
  1. on a firm mattress.
  2. on your side with a pillow between your knees.
  3. on your back with a pillow under your knees.