Back labor is intense pain in your lower back that begins during labor. It’s thought to happen due to how the fetus is positioned within your pelvis, but there can be other causes. Methods like changing positions, using warm compresses and having your partner give you a massage can reduce your pain.
Back labor is pain and discomfort in your lower back that happens during labor. Back labor may be most uncomfortable during contractions but can also remain painful between contractions.
As the name suggests, this pain only happens when you’re in labor — typically active labor, which usually means your cervix is 6 centimeters (cm) dilated and you’re having regular uterine contractions.
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Childbirth and pain are both entirely unique experiences. What one person feels or experiences during labor can be extremely different from what you feel and experience. Additionally, it’s normal to have back pain during pregnancy and labor. But there’s a distinct difference between back pain or soreness and actual back labor.
People describe back labor pain as:
Healthcare providers believe that the position of the fetus within your pelvis causes back labor pain. Specifically, pain develops when the back of the fetus’s head presses against your lower spine and tailbone while you’re in labor. This happens because the fetus is in the occiput posterior position. This means the fetus’s head is down in your pelvis, but its face and the front of its body are facing your abdomen.
The preferred position for an easier delivery is the occiput anterior position, which means the fetus’s head is down in your pelvis with its face and the front of its body facing toward your back.
Several recent studies suggest that factors other than fetal positioning may contribute to back labor.
These factors include:
You may also be more likely to have back labor if you:
Back labor typically begins when you’re in active labor, but it can sometimes begin earlier. Back labor usually continues for the rest of labor and becomes more intense during contractions.
Understanding when back labor begins makes it easier to sort out other types of back pain you may feel. While back labor can be continuous once labor begins, regular labor pain happens during contractions. Other types of back pain are muscle aches and pains that come with the strain of pregnancy.
About 1 in 4 people (or 25%) report having intense low back pain during labor.
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There isn’t only one thing you can do to treat back labor. Most treatment focuses on changing your position to help encourage the fetus to get into a better position. Other treatments are techniques and tips you can try to ease discomfort. Also, you can request an epidural to help ease/treat back pain during labor.
All of these movements help open your hips and balance your pelvis:
If moving and shifting positions isn’t helping, some of the following methods can help ease discomfort:
Remember, your healthcare team works with pregnant people all the time. Ask them what they recommend for pain relief when back labor strikes.
No, you typically can’t prevent it. But there are many ways you can find relief from back labor if you experience it. Some healthcare providers recommend doing the following things to help with fetal position and your pelvic alignment:
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Contact your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms in addition to back labor:
Yes, it’s possible to have back labor and not feel contractions. Contractions can range from minor twinges to painful spasms. It’s possible that back labor dulls contractions, especially small ones.
Back labor can be extremely uncomfortable and unpleasant for you, but it doesn’t harm the fetus.
There aren’t any major health risks if you have back labor. But the position a baby is in can affect how your provider handles delivery. For example, you may need to have a C-section birth if your baby is in a sunny-side up position. Or you may be at higher risk for needing an episiotomy or vacuum-assisted birth.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Back labor typically happens because the fetus’s head presses against your spine and tailbone, but it can also happen when your pelvis is out of alignment or for other reasons. Back labor can be quite painful. The good news is that many techniques can help you feel better. Ask your healthcare team about ways you can get more comfortable if you’re having back labor.
Last reviewed on 04/11/2024.
Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy