What Is Lightning Crotch? (2024)

Lightning crotch is intense, shooting pain in the vagin*, pelvis, or rectum that may go down the inner thigh.It can also cause a pins-and-needles sensation that lasts 15 to 60 seconds. The condition is called “lightning crotch” because the pain often feels like a sudden electrical jolt.

Lightning crotch can happen throughout pregnancy, especially in the last trimester. It's not a typical sign of labor, but it can feel different from other kinds of pelvic pain that can happen while you’re pregnant.

This article discusses the symptoms of lightning crotch as well as causes, treatment, and when to call your healthcare provider.

Symptoms of Lightning Crotch

The symptoms of lightning crotch include:

• Sharp and sudden shooting pain
• A pins and needles sensation in the pelvic area, rectum, or vagin*
• A brief bolt of pain that may “take your breath away”
• Doubling over in response to the severe burst of pain
• Shooting pain that radiates down the legs
• A sudden painful sensation as a pregnant person moves or shifts
• Pain in the vagin*, rectum, or pelvis in response to fetal movement
• Uncomfortable pain that suddenly comes on, but quickly goes away

Not every pregnant person gets lightning crotch. For people who do experience it, they may not have it with every pregnancy.

Causes of Lightning Crotch During Pregnancy

The exact cause of lightning crotch is not known. It tends to occur more in the last trimester as the fetus grows larger and puts more pressure on the nerves around the uterus.

Possible causes of lightning crotch in pregnancy could include:

• A growing fetus.Having a growing fetus in your uterus means more force from kicking and other movements.
• Fetal movement.Movements from a fetus can put pressure on a nerve and cause sharp pain in the pelvis, rectum, or vagin*.
• Dropping.Lightning crotch may mean the fetus has dropped lower in the pelvis as labor approaches. The new position may trigger this painful sensation.
• Pulling away and separating of the pelvic bones.The pelvic bones shift as the fetus descends into the lower pelvis to get into the position for labor and delivery.
• Dilating.When your cervix is opening up to prepare for labor and delivery, the pressure the fetus puts on the cervix can be painful.

Only some pregnant individuals experience lightning crotch, and it may or may not occur in the same person with subsequent pregnancies.

Treatment for Lightning Crotch

The treatments for lightning crotch during pregnancy can include:

• Pelvic blocks. An injection of pain medication that works directly where the pain is felt.
• Chiropractic adjustments focused on areas of the pelvis; however, you should ask your provider if it would be safe for you to see a chiropractor while you’re pregnant.

Home Treatment

Some research has shown that home treatments can help withlightning crotch pain during pregnancy:

• Sleeping or lying on your side
• Placing a pillow between the legs when sleeping
• Wearing a pregnancy support belt to support your back and belly that’s carrying the weight of the fetus
• Kegel exercises or pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles around the pelvis
• Cold applications
• Staying active (e.g., keep moving, take breaks from sitting, do daily stretching)

When to Call a Healthcare Provider

Some pelvic pains during pregnancy can be asign of early labor. While lightning crotch by itself does not mean you’re going into labor, pain along with other symptoms can mean that labor is getting closer:

• Period-like cramps
• Pelvic pressure
• Diarrhea
• A burst of energy
• Loss of your mucus plug (the mucus that forms at the cervix to protect the fetus from bacteria)

These early warning signs do not necessarily mean you need to call your provider, but if you haveconsistent contractionsthat are coming more frequently and increasing in duration and severity—even if you are not sure you are in labor—it is time to call them.

It’s important to call your provider if you have sharp, shooting pains from lightning crotch along with some specific “red flag” symptoms, such as:

• vagin*l bleeding
• Fever (over 100 F)
• Abdominal pain
• Sudden swelling of your face, hands, or feet
• New vision problems (e.g., blurring, dimness of vision, or seeing spots)
• A severe headache
• A sudden release of fluid from your vagin* (commonly referred to as your “water breaking”)

Summary

Lightning crotch during pregnancy is a sharp, sudden, and shooting pain that can be felt in the pelvis, vagin*, or rectum. This pain may also travel down the inner thigh.

The exact cause of lightning crotch is not known but it could be from factors like fetal growth and movement, as well as body changes that take place at the end of pregnancy. Treatments for lightning crotch include pain medication, chiropractic adjustments, and home remedies.

While lightning crotch on its own is not necessarily a sign that you’re in labor, if you have pain along with other symptoms you should call your provider just to be sure.