It's funny how many things you eventually realize other people neglected to tell you about the painful changes that happen in your body during pregnancy. Neck and back pain, lower abdominal aches, pain in your pelvis, and sciatica. Not exactly the things you'd find listed in a sales brochure (if there was one) of the fantastic adventure of pregnancy.
Although some things are harder to control than others, there are things you can do to minimize the pains of pregnancy.
Neck and Shoulder Pain
Recently I've been getting headaches and pain in my neck and shoulders. At first I thought it might be the way I was sleeping, since I've taken to sleeping with a body pillow between my knees and arms (which is supposed to help me sleep on my side since sleeping on my stomach and back are out of the picture now that I'm into my second trimester). But now I've realized what the problem really is: my ever-growing breasts. Okay, so not everyone may be sympathizing with me right about now, but let me tell you, when you increase by 3 cup sizes in the span of 4 months, it takes a toll on your body. While not everyone experiences such a dramatic increase in breast size, for those that are carrying around a few extra pounds up above, it can put tremendous strain on your shoulder and neck muscles.
This is where I've had to bite the bullet and realize I'm going to be spending a lot of money on bras during my pregnancy. No more can I go to my local chain lingerie shop, try on a few bras, and come out with something pretty and supportive. Nope, now I am about to book a fitting with a specialty bra shop to find something that transfers the increased weight from my shoulders to my back. I will look for bras with wider, padded straps, a thick back strap, and possibly even a criss-cross strap in the back to distribute the weight across my back. That should help ease the pain.
A good massage from your partner definitely doesn't hurt, either. I get one as often as I can from mine. :-)
Lower Back Pain
Your back and abs work together to support your torso, and keeping both of them strong helps prevent backache when you're not pregnant. Unfortunately (as I mentioned in my previous blog), your abs are stretching continuously as your baby grows inside of you. This means that they really can't work to support your core like they used to. On top of that, the growing weight throughout the front of your body pulls your back forward out of its normal alignment, so your posture and the curvature of your spine also changes. Then, as if that wasn't enough, your ligaments and muscles are loosening to allow your pelvis to widen to ease the passage of your baby during delivery.
Your best bets for minimizing your discomfort are to avoid activities that may be jarring to your spine like running and jumping; be sure to squat from your knees when you're bending or lifting, avoid sitting or standing in one position for long periods of time; pay attention to your posture; and tuck a pillow between your knees when you're sleeping on your side. Also, you can add exercises to strengthen your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Check out this great back exercise routine for pregnancy.
Lower Abdominal Aches and Pelvic Pain
Sorry ladies, but these are two sources of pain that you can't really improve. These issues are related to the loosening of the ligaments and muscles of your pelvis that I mentioned above. You will find that you may feel the pain right below your growing belly, or even lower in your hips. (For me, I started experiencing lower abdominal pain in my 14th week. Let me tell you, it was pretty disconcerting when I didn't initially know what the pain was caused by.)
Your pelvis is made up of 3 bones that are attached by ligaments. Under normal circumstances, the ligaments holding the bones together are strong enough that they act as a single bone. However, as the weight of your midsection increases during pregnancy, it puts more pressure on your pelvic bones, causing the ligaments holding them together to stretch. This can be pretty uncomfortable, and may, in extreme cases, make it hard to move around.
The only thing you can really do in cases like this is to really take it easy. Rest often, take stairs slowly, and avoid heavy lifting and pushing.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is a long nerve that runs from the lower back to the back of the legs and feet. Typically this nerve allows feeling in the muscles of the legs and feet. During pregnancy, as the pressure increases on your back from the growing weight of your tummy, the sciatic nerve can become inflamed.
Typically the symptoms of sciatica in pregnancy include the following:
- Pins and needles in the lower back or leg, and possibly the affected foot.
- Shooting or burning in the leg, buttock or lower back.
- Pain in the lower back or back of the pelvis that may extend into the foot.
- Numbness in the leg or feet.
For some, sciatica can be extremely painful. If you think you have sciatica, see your doctor. You can find relief from pain through physiotherapy,
strengthening the pelvic floor, abdominal and back muscles (see the link above), chiropractic therapy, acupuncture, and massage.
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