Lightning Crotch in Pregnancy: Symptoms, Causes and Remedies

Lightning crotch is a sudden, sharp pain that occurs in the pelvis, rectum, or vulva. Here’s the 411 on pregnancy lightning crotch, plus natural remedies.

Lightning crotch is a sudden, sharp pain that occurs in the pelvis, rectum, or vulva. Here's the 411 on pregnancy lightning crotch plus natural remedies!

Lightning crotch is a sudden, sharp pain that occurs in the pelvis, rectum, or vulva. Here’s the 411 on pregnancy lightning crotch, plus what natural remedies to use when you experience pelvic pain during pregnancy.

Our bodies do some weird things during pregnancy, and we’ve created some weird terms to describe these strange phenomena. Like the term bloody show. And, of course, lightning crotch.

What is Lightning Crotch?

Lightning crotch is a catch-all phrase for a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain that occurs in the pelvis, rectum, or vulva. Many mamas experience the painful sensation of lightning crotch in their nether regions without knowing that it has an official name.

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Symptoms

While “lightning crotch” isn’t a medical term, it is a common expression used to describe a sudden, sharp, and intense pain in the pelvic area during pregnancy. It feels like, as the name implies, a lightning flash of pain. Sometimes the pain radiates down the legs.

The most common lightning crotch pregnancy symptoms include: 

  • Sudden, sharp pain or jab in the pelvic region
  • Shooting or electric shock-like sensations in the vaginal or rectal area
  • Intermittent discomfort that may last only for a moment
  • Burst of intense pain triggered by baby’s movements or pressure on the cervix

These pains are likely to increase as you get closer to labor, when baby is putting more pressure on the nerves around the cervix. In addition to sharp pains in the rectum, cervix, or vulva, you may experience constipation, urinary incontinence, and/or frequent urination.

Causes

There are several reasons why expecting mamas get these pains, but it boils down to increased pressure on the bundle of nerves around the cervix. The majority of the nerves in the uterus just so happen to be right above your cervix. As baby moves around and things start happening down there, it can stimulate these nerves.

Common causes of lightning crotch include:

Baby Moving

When your baby changes positions, turns, stretches, or kicks, they can put pressure on the nerves in your uterus, causing a sharp, sudden pain. The pressure on the nerves intensifies during the last few weeks of pregnancy or during labor, especially as baby’s head engages into the pelvis.

Round Ligament Pain

The ligaments that support your pelvis and uterus stretch to accommodate baby during pregnancy. Some women produce more of the hormones relaxin and progesterone than others, causing even more stretching and loosening of the ligaments. When these round ligaments stretch too far or too quickly, it can cause the lightning crotch pain.

Magnesium Deficiency

Most of us are lacking in this essential mineral, but our stores become even more depleted when they’re trying to keep up with two people’s needs. Magnesium is vital for many of the body’s functions, but it is especially helpful for proper nerve function. A magnesium deficiency only compounds the sharp nerve pains caused by lightning crotch, and can cause muscle cramps and sciatica.

Varicose Veins

You’re probably well aware of unsightly varicose veins in the legs, but during pregnancy you can also get varicosities in the vaginal area. This can cause tingly pelvic pain from blood pooling in the lower extremities, similar to the zinging feeling of lightning crotch.

Lightning Crotch FAQ

When Does it Happen?

Depending on what is causing it, you can get lightning crotch pains throughout pregnancy, but they tend to intensify in the weeks before labor. You may even get the sharp pains in the hours leading up to delivery. Some women find that certain positions when sitting or lying down can trigger lightning crotch.

Is Lightning Crotch a Sign of Labor?

Some women feel these pains throughout their pregnancy, when a swift kick from baby’s foot or elbow hits the bundle of nerves by the cervix. That said, as baby continues to move towards the birth canal, their head will put more pressure on the area, causing more shooting pains. Lightning crotch pain really doesn’t mean anything, except that the nerves in that area are being triggered.

How Long Does Lightning Crotch Last?

The pain is commonly sudden, intense, and brief. These episodes typically last only for a moment, often just a few seconds, and are not a continuous or long-lasting discomfort.

Can Lightning Crotch Break Your Water?

Lightning crotch itself isn’t associated with breaking your water. When your water breaks, there’s a rupture of the amniotic sac, which releases the amniotic fluid. This typically happens as a distinct process during labor, while lightning crotch can happen any time during your pregnancy.

Should I Be Worried About Lightning Crotch Pain?

Random cramps and pains are to be expected when your body is preoccupied with growing another human being, but there is a point when you need to contact your birth professional. If you experience cramping or pains at regular intervals, accompanied by spotting or bleeding, be sure to tell your doctor or midwife right away. Note that any type of pain that goes above and beyond typical lightning crotch could be a symptom of something more serious.

Natural Remedies for Lightning Crotch

You don’t have much control over your baby’s movements, but there are some things that can help relieve the pain caused by lightning crotch.

1. Chiropractic Adjustments

A good chiropractor will help align the spine by releasing subluxations that cause nerve compression. Since your body is now carrying increased weight, it can throw off your balance. A chiropractor can adjust the spine and pelvis to relieve pressure that’s being put on ligaments and nerves, especially the sciatic nerve that can cause shooting pains down the legs.

2. Myofascial Release Therapy

This type of gentle therapy is helpful to normalize the pelvic floor muscle tone and can be done by a chiropractor who specializes in it. By activating the body’s trigger points, muscles that are causing nerve compression and imbalance in the pelvis will be released.

3. Acupuncture and Acupressure

This ancient form of Chinese medicine works by targeting and releasing nerve points in the body. It’s powerful enough to encourage cervical ripening and improve labor and delivery, but it also helps relieve pelvic pain.

This study shows that acupuncture is highly effective at relieving pelvic pain, but the points used are the ones typically avoided during pregnancy by traditional Chinese medicine. Be sure to consult with a qualified practitioner who will take all of the factors into account and come up with a personalized plan for you.

4. Movement and Exercise

Regular and gentle exercise during pregnancy has many benefits, including preparing the body for the stress of labor. Here are some specific pregnancy exercises and techniques that can be used to help bring balance to the pelvis, support round ligaments, and get baby in an optimal position.

When round ligament muscles are tight, you can feel the pulling in your pelvis and even down into your labia. The exercises above help relieve excess pressure on the pelvis and alleviate symptoms of lightning crotch triggered by stretching round ligaments.

5. Supportive Clothing

Wearing a belly band and compression garments help relieve pressure in the pelvic area. Since blood flow significantly increases in the vaginal area during pregnancy, this can help relieve the tingly pain caused by varicose veins in the area. It can also help prevent blood from pooling in your lower extremities and vagina.

6. Supplement with Magnesium

Magnesium is necessary for proper nerve function. It helps prevent muscle cramping and sciatica discomfort that can cause pelvic pain during pregnancy. Some healthcare professionals believe that over 75 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in this important mineral. Learn if you’re deficient here. And learn about the best magnesium supplement here. (Of course, you can always start with just boosting your intake of magnesium-rich foods!)

7. Change Positions

Changing positions while sitting can help alleviate lightning crotch during pregnancy. It’s effective because it reduces the pressure on the cervix and supporting ligaments, which often cause the sharp pain. Shifting to a more comfortable position can also improve blood flow to the pelvic area and engage different muscles, which eases tension and pressure, offering relief.

8. Get Enough Rest

Getting enough rest during pregnancy can help alleviate lightning crotch by allowing your body to recover and reduce muscle tension. Resting can minimize overall stress on your body, which can contribute to the sensation of lightning crotch. Plus, adequate rest is vital for your overall well-being during pregnancy.

Dealing with Lightning Crotch

Even though this issue has a silly name, the sudden stabbing pain in the pelvic area is no joke. Thankfully, these shooting jabs will come and go quickly.

To recap, this is what you can do with deal with and alleviate lightning crotch pain:

  • Shift your body when sitting or sleeping to alleviate pressure on the cervix
  • Consider using maternity support belts or belly bands for added pelvic support
  • See a chiropractor or acupuncturist for therapeutic support
  • Perform gentle exercises to improve pelvic flexibility and reduce tension
  • Take breaks, lie down, or engage in relaxation techniques to ease discomfort
Genevieve Howland

About the Author

Genevieve Howland is a doula and childbirth educator. She is the bestselling author of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and creator of the Mama Natural Birth Course. A mother of three, graduate of the University of Colorado, and YouTuber with over 135,000,000 views, she helps mothers and moms-to-be lead healthier and more natural lives.

Maura Winkler Certified Nurse Midwife square

Reviewed By
Maura Winkler, CNM, IBCLC

Maura Winkler, CNM, CD, IBCLC is a Certified Nurse Midwife, Registered Nurse, Certified Doula, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, wife and mother of three.

33 Comments

  1. I’ve been having this pain probably since my whole pregnancy started.this is my 1st baby and I’m at 24 weeks now.I’ve been to the doctor and she said it’s round ligament pain but sometimes it’s just scary and you wonder what is wrong.my whole pelvic region just feels tight and almost immobile sometimes,I it get sore.any advise?.

    • Chiropractor appointment

  2. I have been sensing this during my… 5th pregnancy. I don’t think I had it before, but it feels like a massive bruise outside on my skin, and then it goes away. Or, it is deep inside where she seems to be crushing her head on my pelvic bone. How many chiropractors are familiar with this type of adjustment?

    • Any Webster-certified chiropractor should be able to help you with this. That sensation is something many women experience along with the many other odd pelvic sensations during pregnancy. Chiropractic care is a great place to start!

  3. I’m 35 weeks pregnant and why don’t I experience any such feeling (lightning or sudden pain)? Is this normal?.. But since a few weeks back, I’ve been feeling this painful feeling in my lower right uterus down to my vagina and a few inches towards my legs, same with my lower right back pelvis and butt. It’s a constant/continuing feeling and it’s even more painful when I move while lying down and when standing up. It’s like the pain I used to feel when I was having menstrual cramps. What does this indicate?

    • It could be a mix of the baby’s kicks and sciatic nerve pains. It’s my first pregnancy and I’m only at 22 weeks, but I’ve learned that I have lower back, butt, and thigh pains because of the sciatic nerve and that the baby is currently in a breech position, so she’s kicking right onto my cervix area. I felt the kicking earlier this morning and freaked out, but they told me it’s normal and this article helps as well. You should search up sciatic nerve pains in pregnancy, but I don’t think it should be prolonged pains. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns.

      • Oh shoot, I realize you posted this long ago. 😅 Hopefully it all worked out though.

  4. Homeopathy Bellis Per! Worked so well! I don’t have this anymore

  5. “our stores become even more depleted when they’re trying to keep up with two people’s needs”

    Thank you for using that honest and very accurate phrase. The baby inside us truly is a second person. Pro-abortion people are in denial about that… they tell me “it’s not a person… it’s just a mass of tissue. So have lots of abortions with no guilt; it’s like having your appendix removed!”

    They bleat their silly mantra, “my body, my choice!” without stopping to think that in the violent act of abortion, it’s not their body that gets dismembered. It’s someone else’s body. Namely, the body of their daughter or son.

    Thank you for this web site that helps us care for the little human beings inside of us!

  6. I actually had this and got adjusted at the chiropractor and had immediate releif! It’s amazing! Pubic bone was out of place. The adjustment wasn’t fun but it didn’t hurt worse than what I was dealing with pain wise. I couldn’t walk before.

  7. Thank goodness I’m not alone in this! I’m 31 weeks, and I’ve been getting really intense lightning crotch for the last four days (though I’ve been experiencing it for some time). I couldn’t even sleep last night; yes, it really does feel like an electric shot in your vagina. It also seems to get worse when I’m walking around. I’m buying a proper maternity swimsuit today, so I can start exercising at our local pool. Maybe that will help.

  8. Your posts are very information, i am a great fan of your writing techniques..

  9. I’m 36 weeks today and I was feeling this pain just now laying on the couch relaxing. I massaged the area and put a lot of pressure using fingers and the pain finally subsided. I googled right away and I’m so glad to see it’s part of the pregnancy and that I’m not alone! Can’t believe it has an actual name.

  10. I feel these lightning-type pains when I walk more than a block. The only remedy I’ve found is to sit down for a while before resuming walking.

  11. i am 42 weeks and bledding light and having pain in my pevice is that i sing i am going into labor

  12. hello i am 42 weeks pg and i have been bleedi thatng light to and i have be have some sharp pain in my pervic to day is that a sing that i am going in to labor

  13. I experienced it before but now it’s happening at 10 min intervals. I am currently 37 weeks and mom tells me that baby might not come until after 40 weeks as its my first. Baby has been in position since late December already. It feels like baby has a weird sense of humour and just might make a surprise visit sooner than people think.

    • Best of luck to you!

  14. I started having this sensation about 24 weeks and went to my chiropractor. She explained that since my last pregnancy was with twins and my pelvis ligaments stretched so far that now with this pregnancy they’re stretching easily but not quite evenly causing the shooting pains. She pressed on the points of my pubic bone (ouch!) to get the ligaments to relax and pulled my knees apart while I resisted and by the time I left her office I already had relief. Visit your chiropractor if you’re experiencing this pain. It’s worth a shot and you’ll feel so much better.

  15. I have had the with three out of four of my pregnancies. My chiropractor had me lay on my back and put my feet flat. Then she told me to hold my knees together and resist her. She jerked my knees apart and it was amazing pain relief. With subsequent children it was not quite as effective but it still gave relief.

  16. I’m 38 weeks pregnant and I’ve been living with this pain almost 2 months now. It started to hurt when I walked near the end of the day and gradually got worse as time went on. It feels like my pelvic bone was punched and I get burning sensations along with shooting pains. Now it almost never goes away can hardly walk or get in and out of bed. Can’t do stairs and chase my 3 year old around. I have to sleep on my back and if I try to sleep on my side it feels like my pelvic bone is being crushed. Shooting pains and burning pains. Now try to get back on my back. Haha I do not wish this pain on anyone. One of the most uncomfortable feeling I have ever felt.

    • Oh my gosh!!! I have had this off & on the whole 3rd trimester! I am 35 weeks today & so grateful to be almost done because of this lightening crotch! At least now I know it has a name & I am not alone. This is my 3rd baby but I have never ever experienced this before. It is awful! I’ve had sciatic pain ever since I’ve had a belly but this is new to the 3rd & so painful, weird & annoying! It has me shouting when it happens. My kids & dog find it frightening but I can’t help to let it out when it happens. I have found the cat cow position in yoga helps alleviate it a bit & my belly band helps too. I can’t wait for her to get here so this goes away. It is a strange yet painful pregnancy symptom I tell ya what. ?

  17. I’m not sure if this is what I had last night but oh. my. gosh…. I stood up from sitting in bed and it literally felt like I was being electrocuted in my vagina. It stopped me dead in my tracks! I thought it would compare to pelvic girdle pain. Nope. This was way worse as far as intensity but thank God it was short lived. Does that sound normal ish?

  18. Thanks so much for posting about this! I was just telling my husband it feels like baby girl is scratching my cervix. 30 weeks along, and it’s definitely an interesting sensation.

  19. I am 36 weeks pregnant and have been having a sharp stabbing pain all the way at the top and on the inside of my leg off and on for the last several weeks. I haven’t felt it anywhere else. Could it still be lightning crotch?

  20. Experiencing this right now with my first pregnancy…ouch. It’s one of those things you intend to ask your OB/midwife about, then forget at every appointment (or maybe that’s just me?). It’s good to know that it doesn’t mean anything dangerous for baby…just painful for mommy!
    I need to check into the magnesium deficiency thing. It’s so hard to keep up with everything your body needs during pregnancy!

    you can find me online at http://www.absorbinggrace.com

  21. I definitely had this during my pregnancy! I had never heard of it til now, my daughter is 2 years old and I still get this pain occasionally…has anyone else experienced this? I have an IUD that I think is causing problems, and I’m sure I am mineral deficient. Either way, this is interesting!

    • I’m one year postpartum with my second…and I still get this pain, as well. No IUD here.

  22. Acupuncture and acupressure really scares me, I’d rather increase my vitamin intakes like magnesium and wear supportive clothing. My OB do provide magnesium and folic although I am not comfortable with taking folic.

  23. Going through this now…10 more weeks!

  24. I had this throughout my third trimester! It would happen out of nowhere and would actually cause me to say ouch many times a day!! Like a knife stabbing pain. I imagined my little babes elbow hitting my cervix and moving around. My doctor called it lightening too. It did not feel like labor did 🙂

  25. Is this describing the almost funny bone feeling… except happening elsewhere? There were a few times I experienced it toward the end of pregnancy…I described as a swift hit to the crotch with a baseball bat..

    • Yep, that sounds like lightning crotch to me. ?


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