What’s going on when sitting hurts after birth, how long it may last and what can help
By Dr. Sarah Mickeler, Founder and CEO of Oona Wellness Group
For some people, sitting down after giving birth can hurt more than they expected it to. You were probably told that you’d be sore after having a baby, but the majority of us aren’t quite prepared for how uncomfortable sitting might be.
Sitting in the glider that you were looking forward to being the most comfortable place to sit while feeding your baby may turn out to be anything but, leaving you with a deep ache at the bottom of your spine. Sitting in the car can be incredibly uncomfortable, you may find that you’re hovering over the toilet seat to pee, and standing up after a long feeding session can give you a sharp reminder that your tailbone is still very unhappy with you.
Tailbone pain after birth is called postpartum coccydynia. It may begin after a vaginal birth, when the coccyx (the small bone at the very bottom of your spine, just below your sacrum) and the tissues around it have had to move out of the way and stretch as the baby came through the pelvis. It can also happen after a c-section, particularly if you laboured first, although pregnancy, constipation, muscle tension and all the sitting that comes with a new baby can contribute too. The fact that our bodies can move so well to accommodate a baby is incredible. Unfortunately, though, it sometimes also means that that accommodation can leave us with a bit more pain than we bargained for.
Thankfully, for most postpartum people, the pain settles gradually over the following weeks. However, that doesn’t mean you have to grit your teeth through every feed while you wait for it to subside. A few changes to your sitting and movement patterns can make daily life much more comfortable. Remember: just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s “normal,” or that you have to just grin and bear it. You deserve to feel well. Pain that isn’t improving deserves a proper assessment.
In this article
- What is your tailbone, and why can it hurt after birth?
- What does postpartum tailbone pain feel like?
- Can your tailbone hurt after a c-section?
- How long does tailbone pain last after birth?
- How to make sitting and feeding more comfortable
- How pelvic floor physiotherapy can help
- Where osteopathy, chiropractic and massage may fit
- When tailbone pain needs medical attention
- Frequently asked questions
- Help is here when you need it
What is your tailbone, and why can it hurt after birth?
Your tailbone, or coccyx, is a very small bone at the very bottom of your spine. It sits just below the sacrum and is connected to several ligaments and muscles, including some of the deeper muscles of your pelvic floor. It may be small, but you notice it very quickly when it’s sore. Your coccyx is the same bone that gets hurt if you slip and land on your bum.
During a vaginal birth, the coccyx moves backwards to make space as the baby comes through the pelvis. The ligaments and pelvic floor muscles around it stretch at the same time. That movement is part of how the pelvis makes room for birth, but it can leave the area bruised, strained and irritated afterwards.
The muscles in your pelvic floor can also add to the discomfort. In a vaginal birth, your pelvic floor is the exit route for your baby and, let’s face it, they can take a bit of a beating. After birth, some of those muscles may stay tight as they try to protect a sore spot. Because those same muscles have attachments that are very close to the coccyx, they can continue pulling on an area that’s already irritated.
Then there’s life with a newborn. Hours can disappear while you’re feeding in a position you wouldn’t normally choose, sunk back into the couch because you’re exhausted and staying there much longer than your tailbone would prefer. Constipation and straining can add even more pressure.
What does postpartum tailbone pain feel like?
The pain usually sits right at the very base of the spine, close to the top of the crease of your bottom. It often feels worse on a firm chair or when you lean backwards, and standing up after sitting can be exquisitely painful.
It’s often described as a deep ache that feels like a bruise. Some people say it feels as though they’re sitting on a marble. It can also hurt during a bowel movement, during sex or when you bend forward to lift the baby or car seat.
Walking and lying down often feel better, which can make the pattern confusing at first. Everything can feel fairly comfortable while you’re moving around the house, and then the pain comes right back as soon as you sit down to feed.
It’s also common to start shifting your weight onto one side without realizing it. That may protect your tailbone for a while, but your low back, hip or pelvic muscles can become sore from doing the extra work.
Can your tailbone hurt after a c-section?
Yes!
Pregnancy changes how you stand, sit and move for months. Some people also labour or push before a c-section becomes the plan. Afterwards, you’re sitting more, moving differently to protect the incision and may be dealing with constipation from medication and reduced activity.
You can also absolutely have tailbone pain if you had a planned c-section and never laboured. In this case, your assessment needs to look beyond the tailbone alone and include a solid assessment of your pelvic floor, hips, low back, bowel habits and the positions you spend the most time in with your baby.
How long does tailbone pain last after birth?
Recovery doesn’t follow the same timeline for everyone. A bruised or irritated tailbone may begin feeling better over several weeks, while a fracture or dislocation can take much longer (thankfully, fracture and dislocation of the coccyx after childbirth are really quite rare). How much time you spend sitting, whether constipation is adding pressure and how the muscles around the pelvis are responding can all affect recovery.
What matters most is whether it’s heading in the right direction. We’d expect the pain to become less intense, show up less often or settle more quickly when you change position.
If it isn’t clearly improving after a few weeks, it’s interrupting feeds or sleep, or you’re still changing the way you sit and move to avoid it, have it assessed. You don’t need to wait three months or until the pain becomes unbearable, and pain that hangs around can sometimes turn into longer-lasting pelvic pain.
Not sure where to start?
If you aren’t sure whether pelvic floor physiotherapy, osteopathy or chiropractic care makes the most sense, start with a free 20-minute Care Navigator call. Tell us what’s been happening and we’ll help you choose the right first appointment, and no referral is needed.
How to make sitting and feeding more comfortable
The first thing to work on is taking some pressure off the sore spot. A wedge-shaped cushion with a very small cut-out at the back leaves space beneath the tailbone instead of pressing directly against it. Keep it where you feed most often and bring it to the car if driving is uncomfortable. We don’t recommend sitting on inflatable rings or donut cushions. Those can actually increase the pressure in your pelvis, which can cause and contribute to other pelvic floor problems. A coccyx cushion with an opening at the back is usually the best place to start.
Sitting upright or leaning slightly forward puts more of your weight through the sitting bones and less through the coccyx. Sinking backwards into a soft couch often does the opposite, even though we’re well aware that it may feel like the only real option after a particularly rough night.
When you’re ready to stand, bring your feet underneath you, lean your chest forward and let your legs and glutes do more of the work. Pushing straight up from a slouched position can make the tailbone catch sharply. Make sure your spine is straight before you stand.
There’s no single best feeding position. The best one for you is the position that works for you and your baby without leaving you in more pain at the end of every feed.
Remember to bring the baby to the breast or bottle with enough pillows so you aren’t slouching forward. Side-lying feeding may take pressure off the area. If you’re breastfeeding and having trouble finding a comfortable setup, a lactation consultant can help you work through positions that protect your body and still allow your baby to feed well.
Having a bowel movement can be painful when the tailbone is irritated, and straining adds more pressure through the pelvic floor. Drink plenty of water and increase fibre gradually. Adding a large amount of fibre without enough fluid can (and likely will!) make constipation worse. Placing your feet on a small stool while you’re on the toilet can also help you avoid straining. Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can recommend a stool softener or laxative if you need one.
An ice pack wrapped in a cloth may help when the area feels newly irritated. Heat can feel better when the muscles around the hips and pelvis are tight. You don’t need to choose the medically perfect option here. Use the one that gives you some relief and protect your skin from direct heat or ice.
How pelvic floor physiotherapy can help
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a good place to begin when your tailbone pain isn’t settling, especially when it comes with constipation, pelvic pressure, painful sex, leaking or discomfort during a bowel movement.
Your physiotherapist will ask about your birth, where the pain is located and what makes it worse and better. They may look at how you breathe, sit, stand and move, along with the way your hips, low back, abdominal wall and pelvic floor are sharing the work.
An internal assessment may be offered if it would be helpful and you’re comfortable with it. It can help the physiotherapist assess whether the deeper pelvic floor muscles around the coccyx are tight or tender. While an internal exam may be offered, it’s not mandatory, and nothing happens without a conversation and your consent. You can decline or stop any part of the assessment.
Treatment doesn’t necessarily mean Kegels. If the pelvic floor is already gripping around a painful area, more squeezing could actually make your pain worse. Your treatment plan may include breathing exercises, tips and tricks to help the muscles relax, hands-on treatment, hip and glute exercises and changes to the positions that keep aggravating the pain. Strengthening can be added when it makes sense for your body. Our article on pelvic floor tightness explains more about why.
You can learn more about pelvic floor physiotherapy at Oona. Appointments are available in Toronto, Newmarket and Meadowvale, and you don’t need a referral.
Book an initial pelvic physiotherapy visit
Where osteopathy, chiropractic and massage may fit
Tailbone pain rarely stays neatly in one spot. Once you’ve spent a few weeks sitting unevenly or guarding every time you stand, the muscles around your hips, glutes and low back can become part of the problem too.
Osteopathic care may include gentle hands-on work around the pelvis, sacrum, hips and low back, and it’s available in Toronto and Newmarket. Pregnancy and postpartum chiropractic care may help when your back, hips or pelvis have become stiff or uncomfortable while you compensate for the sore tailbone. Massage therapy can help with the muscular tension that builds from sitting, feeding and shifting your weight away from the painful side.
If the pain is severe or isn’t improving, your chiropractor, family doctor or obstetrician can assess whether imaging is needed. Dynamic X-rays taken while sitting and standing are sometimes used when movement of the coccyx is suspected. Pain that hangs on may be treated with an image-guided injection, and surgery is only considered in rare cases that haven’t improved with other care.
Book an initial adult osteopathy appointment
Book an initial postpartum chiropractic visit
Book a 60-minute postnatal massage
When tailbone pain needs medical attention
Most postpartum tailbone pain isn’t dangerous, but a few things mean it’s time to call your doctor.
Contact your doctor or midwife if the pain is severe, getting worse instead of better, or comes with a fever, swelling, drainage or bleeding from the rectum. Pain that radiates away from the tailbone or makes basic daily activities difficult should also be assessed.
Go to the emergency department if you develop new numbness around the genitals, buttocks or inner thighs, new difficulty controlling your bladder or bowels, or weakness in one or both legs.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for my tailbone to hurt after giving birth?
Tailbone pain is very common after birth, particularly after a difficult or assisted vaginal birth. It may come from bruising, strained tissues, pelvic floor tension or, less often, a dislocation or fracture. If the pain isn’t improving after a few weeks or is making feeding, sleeping or using the bathroom difficult, have it assessed.
Can you break your tailbone during childbirth?
It can happen, but it appears to be much less common than bruising, irritated ligaments or a partial dislocation. A specialist case series found fractures in 5.3% of the 57 women assessed for postpartum coccydynia (that’s 3 out of 57 women). Remember: those women had pain that was severe enough to send them to a specialist, so that number doesn’t apply to everyone who gives birth, and in reality the actual fracture rate is much, much lower.
How long does postpartum tailbone pain last?
It usually improves gradually over several weeks. Pain that remains unchanged, becomes worse or keeps interfering with daily life is worth having assessed.
Why does it hurt more when I stand up?
Sitting puts pressure on the coccyx and the tissues attached to it. Standing shifts that pressure while the pelvis and pelvic floor are moving, which is why the first moment after a long feed can be particularly painful.
Can I have tailbone pain after a c-section?
Absolutely. Pregnancy, labour before surgery, constipation, muscle tension and long periods of sitting can all contribute. A c-section doesn’t rule out tailbone or pelvic floor pain.
Did my epidural cause my tailbone pain?
It’s very unlikely. An epidural is placed in the lower back, above the coccyx, so soreness related to the injection is usually felt closer to the injection site. Pain directly over the tailbone, particularly when sitting or standing up, is more likely to have another cause.
What’s the best way to sit while feeding with tailbone pain?
Try a coccyx cushion with a cut-out at the back, support your low back and use enough pillows to bring your baby towards you. Leaning slightly forward may feel better than sinking back into the couch. Side-lying feeding can also reduce pressure if it works safely and comfortably for you and your baby.
Who should I see for tailbone pain after having a baby?
A pelvic floor physiotherapist is often a good place to start because the pelvic floor muscles attach close to the coccyx. Your doctor can assess severe or persistent pain and decide whether imaging is needed. Osteopathy, chiropractic care and massage may also help when the hips, pelvis or low back have become uncomfortable.
Help is here when you need it
When every feed ends with you bracing yourself before you stand, tailbone pain can take up a surprising amount of your day.
A coccyx cushion, a more comfortable feeding position and some help with constipation may be enough to make the next few weeks easier. If the pain isn’t improving, you’re shifting onto one side every time you sit or you’re starting to avoid feeding positions and movements because they hurt, please bring it up. It’s never too late to ask for help, and you don’t need to wait until it becomes unbearable.
If you’re unsure where to begin, book a free Care Navigator call in Toronto, Newmarket or Meadowvale. We’ll listen to what’s been happening and help you choose the right first appointment.
Care Navigator: Toronto
Care Navigator: Newmarket
Care Navigator: Meadowvale
Sources reviewed
- Maigne J-Y, Rusakiewicz F, Diouf M. Postpartum coccydynia: a case series study of 57 women. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2012;48(3):387–92.
- Benditz A, Thoma R. Coccygodynia: diagnosis and treatment. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 2025;122:638–44.
- NHS. Tailbone (coccyx) pain.
This article provides general information and isn’t a substitute for individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
