Back pain is an unwelcome side effect of pregnancy. We explain how you can live with it and reduce it over time.
Every woman looks forward to getting pregnant and experiencing the joys of motherhood. Though the nine months of pregnancy are filled with daily wonder and excitement, they can also invite weight gain, sleepless nights, body ache and back pain. Back pain in pregnancy, particularly, can rob you of the joy of waiting to welcome your unborn child.
Why your back pains in pregnancy
Many women experience back pain in pregnancy, especially after the third trimester kicks in. The third trimester (months 7 to 9) is a phase when the foetus shows the fastest rate of growth. The baby’s weight and size increase much more than in the previous two trimesters. By the time the ninth month rolls around, the baby feels much heavier and the bump becomes quite pronounced as well.
However, while the baby’s increasing weight is a good sign of its physical development, it causes quite a bit of stress on your body. The increasing weight exerts pressure on the spine, and your gait and walk change dramatically during this time. The back must absorb the pressure of the growing baby and also keep you upright. You begin to experience back pain that you cannot relieve – it can become difficult to sleep at night, and standing up and sitting down can become excruciating as well.
However, there are a few simple measures you can take to relieve back pain in pregnancy.
What to do when pain hits the pregnant woman’s back
* Start your day with gentle stretching. Lock your hands together and reach towards the sky. This opens up the stiff shoulders and back. Gentle stretching through the day also reduces back pain in pregnancy.
* You have to be really careful about which medication you take during this time. Tell your doctor about your problem and have them prescribe suitable pain relief medication, if needed. Most often, mild physiotherapy relieves the back pain.
* Ensure that you get moderate amounts of exercise every day. Yoga works wonders for back pain in pregnancy. Certain yoga asanas unlock painful back and hip joints, so that you can move around easier. You can also take walks to keep your back and knees limber.
* If the back pain in pregnancy is too intense or making it difficult to move, have a family member gently massage your back. Sit on a firm cushion on the floor while getting the back massage. Ask the family member to rub a back pain cream like Moov to relieve the aches. Moov pain relieving cream is formulated with wintergreen oil, eucalyptus oil, turpentine oil and mint extracts. This formulation of ingredients is the best defence against a painful back during this time. It gets to work at once and has no side effects – thus, it is safe for both you and the baby.