Back Pain During Pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, she feels pains in several parts of her body. Backache is one that almost every pregnant woman goes through. It can be a dull pain, sharp pain, or a general achiness in the lower back area.

The most common reason behind the backache is the extra weight of the fetus pressed on the lower back. As the pregnancy moves forward, the baby grows larger. The lower back muscles are not able to handle the weight on the body’s front. Even though these backaches are pretty common, you shouldn’t ignore them. In some cases, this can be a sign of labour.

Causes of Backache

• Pregnancy backache is often caused by the weight of the baby. As the baby grows larger, the abdomen gets larger and heavier. With the increasing weight of the baby, the spine starts to curve forward with the weight. This can result in backache.
• When a woman is pregnant, relaxin is released into the body for promoting ligament relaxation. This allows the stomach to grow as large as it needs to. This hormone can cause pain in the lower back and the back ligaments are relaxing and stretching forward.

Important Facts About Backache During Pregnancy

Even though lower back pain is pretty common in pregnant women, you shouldn’t ignore it. In some cases, it is associated with labour. You should consult your obstetrician immediately if your back pain is accompanied with sharp abdomen pains, spotting or discharge.

Treatments for Backache During Pregnancy

Here are the treatment options for backache during pregnancy:

• During pregnancy, fatigue can worsen your back pain. As your body gets more stressed, you tend to slump your shoulders and give in to the curve of the spine. Some women get relief from this pain by maintaining a good stance and posture while standing, sitting, and walking. For correcting your posture, you should try standing tall and pulling your shoulders back. This will help in elongating the spine and reducing and curve in the spine.
• Another method for getting relief from back pain is to try resting with your feet propped up, wearing shoes with little to no heels, and taking frequent breaks while standing.
• Once you have passed the first trimester, a pregnancy massage can help in getting relief from back pain. However, make sure that you get a massage from a professional masseuse who is trained in proper massage techniques.

Preventing Backaches During Pregnancy

There are several ways to prevent backaches during pregnancy. Removing the additional burden from your lower back is perhaps the most common and effective one. For this, you can try total body rest, belly straps, and propping up the legs.

Belly Straps

You can use belly straps for redistributing the weight of the fetus onto a larger muscle area of the body. When the back muscles are not strong enough for handling the extra weight of the growing baby, they submit to the pressure resulting in strain in the lower back. The belly strap is laced around the back and under the growing tummy. The strap lifts up the weight of the body and distributes it evenly to places other than the lower back.

Leg Prop

One of the most effective ways of getting relief from back aches is propping up the legs. It alleviates all the extra weight put on the lower back. Propping up the legs for just 15 minutes every hour can help in preventing varicose veins and backaches.

Total Body Rest

When it comes to maintaining the health of the mother and the baby, total body rest plays a key role. For renewing the resources of the body and relieving back pain, you should take frequent naps during the day. Lying on the right side will help in preventing additional pressure on the liver and increasing circulation in the body.

When Back Pain Signals Labor

When you are in the final weeks of your pregnancy, you need to look out for backaches. This is because the pain in the lower back is also one of the main signs of labour. This back pain will be accompanied by cramping and a feeling of pressure in the vagina.

Postpartum Backache

After delivering the baby, most women think that all the pain associated with the pregnancy would fade away. Although it does happen to most of the pregnancy symptoms like nausea, it is not the same case with a backache. Lower back pain is a common symptom after pregnancy.

Causes of Postpartum Backache

The causes of Postpartum Backache is similar to the causes of back pain during pregnancy. Here are some of them:

• Presence of Relaxin in the body that will continue to cause back pain for a couple of weeks after pregnancy.
• Pushing done during the labour process
• Lifting or rocking the baby back and forth the baby frequently
• Growing baby belly along with a bad posture habit

As the body heals, the pain will slowly fade away. What you can do is try good lifting practices while holding your baby to curb the new back pain.

Important Facts About Backache Postpartum

Only time can cure your Postpartum backache. After some time, your body will return to its normal form and your lower back will regain its previous strength. It is very important that you try to stand straight and maintain good posture. Give your body some time to heal. Be patient.

Treatment for Backache Postpartum

There are some activities like stretching, hunching, and bending incorrectly that can trigger pain in the lower back region after pregnancy. You need to avoid all these activities and give your body time to heal. If even after some time, the pain persists, you can try warm pressuring the area through a massage or a warm bath. Replace your mattress with a comfortable one and elevate your feet.