Why Do Some Pregnant Individuals Develop a Waddling Gait?

Reviewed by Tomas Diaz, MD

Emergency Medicine

Pregnant individuals develop a waddling gait as their bodies adapt to maintain balance with added weight and a shifted center of gravity.

Explanation

A “waddling gait” is very normal during pregnancy. This change happens gradually as the body adapts to carrying more weight in the front. The growing baby bump moves the center of gravity forward and the change in gait accommodates for the change in weight distribution. Additionally, pregnancy hormones loosen the ligaments, leading to less stable joints. In response, the body adopts a waddling gait—a side-to-side leg motion that helps maintain balance and distributes weight more evenly for safer walking. This waddling motion is just one of many ways the body adapts to maintain stability and prevent falls during pregnancy.

(References)

Abedzadehzavareh Z, Catena RD. The role of waddling gait in balance control during pregnancy. Gait Posture. 2025 Feb;116:16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2024.11.015. Epub 2024 Nov 22. PMID: 39603180.
Li X, Lu Z, Cen X, Zhou Y, Xuan R, Sun D, Gu Y. Effect of pregnancy on female gait characteristics: a pilot study based on portable gait analyzer and induced acceleration analysis. Front Physiol. 2023 May 16;14:1034132. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1034132. PMID: 37260595; PMCID: PMC10227621.
McCrory JL, Chambers AJ, Daftary A, Redfern MS. The pregnant "waddle": an evaluation of torso kinematics in pregnancy. J Biomech. 2014 Sep 22;47(12):2964-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.07.009. Epub 2014 Jul 30. PMID: 25108664.

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