Your pelvis helps to carry your growing baby and is tailored for vaginal births. Learn more about the structure and function of the female pelvis.

During childbirth, your body's hormones, ligaments and muscles, as well as the shape of your pelvis, all work together to bring your baby safely into the world.

Choosing your positions for labour and birth can help you feel in control, reduce pain and open your pelvis to help the baby come out.

Read about your pelvic floor, including your perineum, which lies across the bottom of your pelvis and can be damaged during pregnancy and childbirth.

Your baby will by now be curled up and cramped inside your uterus and weigh about 2.5kg. Your bump may have moved down, putting pressure on your lower abdomen.

Giving birth doesn't always go to plan. Birth injuries to the mother, such as tears, pelvic floor damage or haemorrhoids, can occur. But support and treatment are available.

There are several things you can do to help prevent backache from happening during your pregnancy, and to help you cope with an aching back if it does occur.

Some women develop pelvic pain in pregnancy. This is sometimes called pelvic girdle pain (PGP) in pregnancy or symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD).

Here are some of the signs that let you know labour may be starting and baby is on the way.

An assisted delivery, sometimes called an 'instrumental delivery', is when your doctor will help in the birthing process.