relaxin’ with relaxin

Relaxin is an angel & devil during pregnancy. It’s the shining star of helping with the birthing process but can also lead to a lot of aches and pains.

It’s produced by the corpus luteum and then placenta (like estrogen). Its main function is to relax pelvic joints. It increases to 10x regular levels during pregnancy. Relaxin levels increase early in a pregnancy and peak around the end of the 1st trimester. It declines throughout the pregnancy but increases again around 36 weeks (to help the pelvis and pelvic muscles relax and open for birth).

This is great at helping get the baby out. Not so great when you have hypermobility in your joints during pregnancy and get pain. This can cause pain at your pubic symphysis (front middle of the pelvis/ may feel like your groin), low back, or even hips. If you notice these symptoms, seek out a pelvic PT near you that can give you appropriate stretches and exercises to manage the pain and improve your strength and the stability of the joints. Reach out if you have questions!