Lightning Crotch: The Surprising Pain in Your Vagina During Pregnancy Holly Myers, December 21, 2023December 21, 2023 Lightning Crotch: The Surprising Pain in Your Vagina During Pregnancy You’re in your third trimester of pregnancy, and you’re in full nesting mode. You are folding and organizing your baby’s clothes in their nursery when a thunderstorm blows in. The wind whips through the trees. You hear the rain pounding on your rooftop. You then anticipate nearby lightning to illuminate the room and the sound of thunder to quickly follow. And then ZAP!! A sharp and sudden… pain? In your vagina? Why does your vagina feel like it’s on fire?? Did you get struck by lightning? No, you did not get struck by lightning. You are experiencing a common pregnancy symptom known as lightning crotch. What is lightning crotch? There is no official medical term for this commonly experienced pregnancy symptom. This literal pain in the crotch is referred to as “lightning crotch” because it feels like your vagina has been struck by lightning. This phenomenon occurs most often during pregnancy. You will most likely experience it at the end of your third trimester, but you can experience it at any point in pregnancy. Lightning crotch differs from other pregnancy-related ailments, such as pelvic girdle pain, sciatica, and round ligament pain. Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is mild or severe pain in which movement worsens and is located in the pubic region, lower back, hip, or groin. Sciatica is a condition that describes nerve pain of the sciatic nerve. The pain usually only affects one side of the body and starts in the lower back and runs through the hip and down the leg. Round ligament pain is a quick and sharp pain that is felt along the lower abdominal region or like it radiates out toward your hip bones. Let’s look at the symptoms, causes, and possible remedies for lightning crotch. Symptoms of lightning crotch The main symptom of lightning crotch is a jolting pain located in your pelvis that stops you in your tracks. It may or may not cause you to scream out a string of expletives! Lightning crotch is commonly associated with the following symptoms: Sharp, shooting, burning sensation in the vagina, perineum, or anus Pins and needles sensation that spreads down into your legs Occurs intermittently and only lasts a short amount of time (a couple of seconds) You may experience these symptoms often (multiple times a day), or you may only experience them a few times during your pregnancy. You may even be one of the lucky ones who doesn’t experience lightning crotch at all! Lightning crotch vs true labor You may be concerned (or excited) that lightning crotch signals that labor is near. It may signal that your body is preparing for labor, but if lightning crotch is not accompanied by signs of true labor, then labor is not imminent. True labor will bring contractions that have the following characteristics: Regular and spaced closer together over time Become stronger and longer Start in your back and move to the front of your belly Become worse during activities such as walking Why does lightning crotch occur during pregnancy? While the exact cause of lightning crotch is unknown, several factors likely contribute to the phenomenon: Baby’s descent further into the pelvis Growth of baby Baby’s movement Cervical dilation/pressure of the baby on the cervix As you get closer to your due date, your baby descends further into your pelvis and your cervix begins to dilate. Your ovaries and placenta release a reproductive hormone called relaxin that allows the muscles and ligaments in your pelvis to be more flexible. This allows your baby to descend into the pelvis and out of the vaginal canal. Your baby is “engaged” when the widest part of your baby’s head has entered the brim of your pelvis. When this happens, you may notice your belly looks lower, and you may get comments that the baby has “dropped”. This is referred to as “lightening” and is a necessary step in preparing your body for labor. Lightning crotch is likely caused by this because it causes the baby to apply extra pressure on your cervix and nerve endings in your pelvis. This pressure is what causes the burning sensation associated with lightning crotch. You may also feel the jolt or shooting pain in your pelvic region when your baby wiggles around in their confined living quarters. How to relieve lightning crotch discomfort The reason lightning crotch seriously sucks is that there’s not much that you can do about it. There is no specific treatment that can prevent lightning crotch. The good news is that lightning crotch, although painful, only lasts for a brief moment and the occurrence of lightning crotch should completely resolve once your baby is born. In the meantime, you may try some of the following comfort measures to help relieve your discomfort: Take a warm bath (ensure the bath water temperature is below 100 degrees Fahrenheit) Gentle stretching Wear a belly band or back brace to relieve the pressure of your baby on your nerves Apply a heating pad to your back (do not directly apply the heating pad to your belly) Book a prenatal massage Switch positions frequently to move your baby off your nerves These measures may also relieve many other pregnancy-related ailments, so there is no harm in giving them a try. When to seek medical care Lightning crotch is not dangerous on its own. However, if you are also experiencing any of the following symptoms, please seek medical care: Pain or burning during urination Dull ache in your back Fever greater than 100.4 Blood in your urine Vaginal bleeding Abnormal vaginal discharge Regular contractions Severe abdominal pain Severe back pain Decreased fetal movement Key takeaways: Lightning crotch feels like an electric shock throughout your vaginal area. Although incredibly painful, it is not a cause for concern and will resolve as quickly as it began. The exact cause of this phenomenon is unknown but is likely caused by a variety of factors, such as pressure on nerve endings, cervical dilation, and the descent of your baby further into your pelvis. There is no treatment for lightning crotch, but you may find some remedies to help relieve the temporary discomfort. Do not hesitate to reach out to your doctor or midwife if lightning crotch is accompanied by other concerning symptoms. 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