Tailbone pain from sex?

[Glorious]

Is this normal, or should I be seeing my GP / a gynecologist about this?

I'm pretty new to having sex (by which I mean this past summer). I've found that when my spouse and I have penis-in-vagina sex I have pretty severe pain in my tailbone. It's a sharp, radiating sort of pain and only seems to occur when things go in too deep. The only other time I experienced it was when I had my IUD put in a couple of years ago (it came from the nurse measuring the depth of my vagina rather than the insertion of the IUD itself. Inserting the IUD was actually less painful). I haven't had a pap smear before, that's not recommended in my province until someone is sexually active (or if they have been in the past). It doesn't really interfere with our sex life, I just remind my spouse when needed and he adjusts accordingly. But if it isn't normal, I wonder if I should see a doctor about it? Especially if I want to have children some day? I took a look at the article you folks wrote on pelvic pain but wasn't sure if tailbone pain is the same thing or something different?

[char]

Thanks for the wait, Glorious! We were on Rosh Hashanah break yesterday so we couldn't get to you ASAP.

To be sure, do you still have your IUD with you? It shouldn't be causing you tailbone issues, and seeing a medical professional can definitely help clear things up. The tailbone can definitely be considered part of the pelvic region and experience pain as well. As for the tailbone pain you've experienced yourself, does it persist throughout the intercourse (regardless of how "deep" something is entering you), or strictly when it's too deep? Also, could you tell us more about the surface you both were on as well as the position(s)? I wonder if the pain could possibly come from any of those rather than something nervous/nerve- or muscle-related.

[Glorious]

Hey, no worries about Rosh Hashanah, happy new year! (Or happy time off if you yourself don't celebrate).

Um, yes I still have the IUD, it's good for several more years. It's made a really big difference in my life since I used to get pretty severe menstrual cramps but I don't menstruate at all on it. I will say that for the period of time after I got the IUD was inserted where I was still bleeding, my cramps shifted where I absolutely felt them in my tailbone while before I'd be more likely to feel them in my ovaries or lower back around my hips.

The pain does seem to be entirely related to the depth of a thing. I'm not really comfortable sharing about positions here but we've tried several things all to the same result. (Some positions seem to make it worse in that they make my spouse more likely to go too deep, but it's not the position per se). The surface has always been a bed. The pain doesn't persist during intercourse generally, just when things are too deep, as soon as my spouse readjusts the pain goes away.

[mikky]

Hey Glorious,
The coccyx (tailbone) is connected to various pelvic floor muscles, and given that this pain seems to come from depth specifically, it does sound quite a bit like pelvic floor related pain. You could absolutely ask a GP or gyn about this- likely, they'll refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist, who I think could be quite helpful, especially if you are someday preparing for the big pelvic floor event of childbirth!
You might also consider using a depth-limiting tool during intercourse (like Ohnut- a bit pricey, but works well and is well made).