Reducing a new ailment
Are all those pregnancy ailments a thorn in your side too? Chances are, they're causing you a lot of irritation: you feel miserable and your productivity is probably hampered by them. You have already survived the pregnancy sickness, but now you are being harassed by Mr. lower back pain. Another ailment you can miss like a toothache, as it can be very debilitating. Climbing stairs, standing for long periods, but also sitting for long periods and walking can suddenly become quite a challenge (as if not enough other things suddenly become a challenge during pregnancy). But how does this lower back pain arise, and what can you do to reduce it?
How does low back pain arise?
Low back pain can be caused by the center of gravity of your body changing due to your growing belly. This results in a hollow back, while your belly sticks out. You adopt this different position to be able to keep your balance, but unfortunately, your back is not happy with that. Furthermore, your uterus is attached to your back by straps and in this way puts a lot of pressure on it. The conclusion: be kind to your back, because it has a lot to endure.
Pregnancy hormones can also be blamed for lower back pain. To be specific, the hormone progesterone. This hormone causes the joints between the joints to loosen up a bit. This also applies to the connections between the coccyx and the hip bones. While normally there is almost no mobility in this area, during pregnancy this does occur. As annoying as it is, this is nothing crazy, because the body prepares itself in this way for childbirth: the extra space it creates makes childbirth easier. And (pretty much) anything that serves to make childbirth easier we embrace, right?
When can you experience lower back pain?
Most women are harassed by their enemy the low back pain in the second and third trimesters of their pregnancy. During this time, your belly is going through a lot of growth, so you are likely to change your posture which causes back pain.
It is good to remember that back pain can also occur with a bladder infection. Therefore, check for yourself whether you also suffer from other complaints. Do you often sprint to the toilet to empty your bladder, does urinating hurt, and is your urine cloudy? Then contact your doctor to check whether you have a bladder infection.
Tips to reduce lower back pain
Nothing is more annoying than walking around with back pain. Fortunately, there are some things you can look out for to reduce these symptoms:
- Do not bend back when bending over: Try to bend your back as little as possible when bending over, but rather go through your knees to bend over.
- Exercise: Movement and exercise are key! Training your muscles reduces your risk of back problems. Choose a sport that you can still do responsibly during your pregnancy, such as swimming or yoga.
- Standing for a long time is not good: Avoid standing for long periods and sit down when you feel your back pain coming on. Listen to your body, which is doing such an important job right now!
- Avoid long periods of sitting still: Do you have a job that requires you to sit a lot? Regularly schedule a moment to stand up and change your sitting position.
- Equal load: When standing, make sure that the load on both legs and feet is equal, and that when sitting, you sit on both buttocks. For many, this may take some getting used to, but it is better not to sit with your legs crossed if you have back problems.
- Good chair: A chair that provides sufficient support for your back is an absolute must. A swivel chair is a good option.
- Good posture: Try to adopt a good posture that reduces the risk of back problems: tighten your buttocks, push your shoulders forward and straighten your back. That's the drill.
- Putting legs up: Putting your legs up can reduce back pain. Therefore, it's a good idea to put a pillow under your legs when lying on the couch or in bed Relax!
- Pregnancy pillow while sitting: Do you have trouble getting into a good sitting position? Then place a pregnancy pillow under your buttocks while sitting. This will help you to adopt a better sitting posture, and in this way reduce lower back pain.
- Be careful with lifting: Put lifting heavy things on hold for a while. You can pick that up again after your pregnancy.
- Physical therapy: No surprise, but the physical therapist will also be able to help you with back pain. It's her job!
Exercises for back pain during pregnancy
Another good tip to reduce back pain besides swimming or pregnancy yoga is to do exercises that specifically target the back. Don't leave it as an intention, but make it a ritual to do these exercises daily. Get your mat out, put on some nice music, and be sporty spice!
- Pelvic tilt: For this exercise, lie on your back, and bend your knees. Tilt your pelvis forward, and voila, you have a hollow back. Successful? In this case: exercise on repeat, and try to repeat it 20 times in a row.
- Symmetry: For this exercise, also lie on your back and bend your knees. Then let your knees fall outward. Also, make sure that the insides of the soles of your feet are placed against each other. Then let your knees gently return to the original position. Have you mastered it? Then repeat the exercise a few more times ;)
