Your baby is running out of room and has decided your ribs are a footrest. Rib pain from a baby pressing upward is one of the most uncomfortable third trimester complaints. The good news is that certain positions and gentle movements often encourage your baby to shift, giving you temporary or lasting relief.
Why Babies Get Stuck Under the Ribs
In the third trimester, most babies are head-down with their feet near your ribs. If your baby is in a breech position (feet or bottom down), their head may be pressing under your ribs instead. Either way, as the baby grows, the space under the rib cage becomes their default resting spot.
Positions That Encourage a Shift
- Hands and knees (all-fours) - lets gravity pull the baby's weight away from your ribs. Stay for 10-15 minutes
- Lean forward over a birth ball or cushion - similar gravity effect
- Sit up very straight - slouching compresses the space and traps the baby higher
- Side-lying on the opposite side to where baby feels most active - encourages rotation
- Swimming or floating - water reduces gravity effects and gives baby more room to move
Gentle Exercises
Pelvic tilts done on hands and knees (cat-cow stretch) encourage the baby to move forward and down. Spend 15 minutes twice a day on these if the pain is persistent. Some physiotherapists also recommend the forward-leaning inversion for 30 seconds a few times a day, where you kneel on a sofa and lower your elbows to the floor - but check with your midwife before trying this.
When to call
Rib pain that comes with upper abdominal pain, swelling, headache, or vision changes could be a sign of preeclampsia. This requires urgent assessment - do not wait.
Does It Get Better?
Yes - usually. As the baby engages deeper into the pelvis in the final weeks, rib pressure eases. First-time mothers typically feel engagement between 35-38 weeks. After this, rib pain usually disappears. See the Pregnancy Guide for what to expect week by week.