Pregnancy is a time of change for every woman, meaning little things like increased back pain can arise as your little one grows, caused by the shift in the body’s centre of gravity due to all that weight your baby is stacking on day by day. So, here are a few ways to prevent and eliminate pain during pregnancy.

1. Maternity belts

Maternity belts are supportive garments that help hold the belly up, so that lower back and the pelvic girdle are not that strained.

Ladies whose bellies are protruding forward can use this belt as a substitute for their abdominal core muscles that are currently struggling to prevent their lower spine from arching back too much.

However, pregnancy belts should only be seen as an addition to other remedies, rather than the only back pain treatment.

2. Practicing posture

As mentioned, during pregnancy the gravity centre shifts forward. This increases proportionally as the baby grows.

Make sure you avoid relieving the pressure by leaning back – this way you will only strain the lower back muscles and increase the overall back pain.

The principles of a good posture are the following:

• Never locking the knees

• Keeping the shoulders back and relaxed

• Standing up straight

• Holding the chest high

When standing, your stance should be comfortably wide in order to achieve the best support. Also, when sitting, make sure your lower back is supported – choose chairs that support your back or place a small pillow to support it.

3. Find the right shoes

High heels aren’t good because they increase the curvature of your already weighted back and create a big amount of pressure that will drive all the weight directly on your lower spine and hip joints.

Also, there is a risk of losing a balance as well if you don’t have the stability while standing up or walking.

However, flats are not the answer either, because they can leave your feet unsupported. This can lead to imbalance and back pain, as the strain from your feet will spread all the way up to your back.

Shoes that offer the best support are low-heeled shoes with comfortable built-in arch support. Their slight rise is going to help the weight on your legs get distributed to support your back the best way possible.

4. Exercise

Even though back pain makes us want to curl up in bed, exercise can actually do wonders for it.

Stretching is going to help you increase the overall muscle flexibility. Swimming will strengthen your lower back and abdominal muscles while the water will alleviate the strain from your ligaments and joints.

Exercises such as pelvic tilts will ease the lower back pain by strengthening and stretching your muscles. All you need to do is either choose one kind of exercises you’ll stick to, or, even better, make a schedule and combine different sets of activities.

5. Support your back during sleep

During pregnancy, most women choose to sleep on their sides. However, this is not always enough to feel comfortable during your sleep.

You have to make sure your back is fully supported during sleep as well. Consider getting pregnancy or support pillows and placing them under your abdomen, between your bent knees and behind your back.

You can also improvise by folding a thick towel lengthwise and placing it perpendicularly behind your body where your spine is the most ‘droopy’. This way, you will ensure that your back has the maximum support without any adjustments required, even if you roll over.

However, no pillows or towels can help if the quality of your mattress is poor. Do your best to make yourself as comfortable and pain-free as possible while carrying your bundle of joy.

6. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a technique that uses fine needles in order to stimulate certain points in our bodies.

In theory, it improves health and eases symptoms of pain by releasing energy pathways. By stimulating so-called acupuncture points through needle insertion, your digestion improves, energy levels increase, morning sickness relieves, as well as headaches and back pain.

However, it has to be performed the right way, so be careful where and how your acupuncture treatment will be performed.

 

Remember, pregnancy is a crazy time for any expecting mum so remember to find the remedy that suits YOU and don’t hesitate to consult you GP!

Are you expecting? Let us know some of your top tips to stay comfy through your 9 months of pregnancy in the comments below!

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