Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful things a woman can experience, but the process can also be one of the most uncomfortable. For some pregnant women—especially first-timers—nausea, back pain, and mood swings can make the first trimester of pregnancy especially difficult. But at least you can take comfort in the fact that your body is working hard to produce a healthy baby.
The second trimester is when many major fetal and physical developments take place, so it’s often a much easier time for the mother. By the third trimester, the fetus has grown so much that it consumes a large portion of the mother’s blood supply, which can leave some women feeling exhausted.
If you are pregnant and having troubles with back pain, leg pain, abdominal pain, or other pregnancy pains, you are not alone. Gaining at least 30 pounds and growing a baby is quite a feat, and your body is not used to all this weight.
Many women find themselves struggling in the final stretch of their pregnancies with pain, typically caused by carrying the extra weight. As a result, you need to find ways to keep yourself comfortable. Luckily, there are things that you can do to ease some of the discomfort while you wait for that bundle of joy to arrive.
Common Types of Pregnancy Pain
Backaches
Lower back pain is one of the most common pregnancy pain and is commonly experienced in the later stages of pregnancy. Back pain is caused by a number of factors, including increased weight, hormonal changes, and poor posture. This pain is felt as a result of the growing baby and uterus placing pressure on the spinal column. The pain differs from one individual to another, and it can be either dull or sharp, typically in the lower back region.
Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain during pregnancy is another common symptom. A cause of abdominal pain in women is round ligament strain, which occurs during the third trimester, when the uterus expands and the round ligaments are stretched. The pain is usually felt on one side of the abdomen and can range from a dull ache to a sharp, jabbing pain.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, and it runs from the lower back to the feet. The symptoms and severity of pain caused by the sciatic nerve may vary greatly from woman to woman, but they often include pain in the lower back and gluteal areas, tightness in the hips and lower back, and pain in the lower leg that extends down to the foot.
Shoulder and Neck Pain
Carrying the extra weight while pregnant can have an impact on a pregnant woman’s shoulders and neck. The increased weight of the baby puts extra stress and strain on the muscles and ligaments that support your neck and shoulder area. Factors that can contribute to shoulder and neck pain during pregnancy include straining of the back, having poor posture, or from a sleeping position.
Ways to Manage Pregnancy Pain
The best ways to manage pregnancy pain are to seek proper prenatal care, have a healthy diet, and exercise. Here are some safe techniques for managing pregnancy discomfort. The following is for informational purposes only, and women experiencing severe pregnancy pain should consult their doctor.
1. Relax Your Muscles by Stretching
Research shows that regular exercise—even light stretches throughout the day—will ease the discomfort and help you get through the final months of pregnancy with far less pain and stress. For example, the pain of lower back pain and sciatica can be debilitating during pregnancy. Pain in the lower back and down the leg (sciatica) can be affected by a change in center of gravity causing postural changes and tightening of the muscles in your back and hips. Flexing your muscles and stretching them can help to relax them.
2. Using Hot and Cold Therapy to Your Advantage
Many people use hot and cold therapy to fight the pain. Cold therapy is often used to help reduce swelling and inflammation, and hot therapy is often used to help relax muscles and relieve pain.
When the pain is particularly severe, you can try a number of home remedies such as heat and massage or apply cool packs to help relieve pain.
3. Get a Massage
One way to manage pain while pregnant is to get a prenatal massage. Massages have been shown to help relieve pain and promote relaxation in many women during pregnancy. The massages that are most beneficial for you are those that are tailored specifically to your body, needs, and stage of pregnancy. A massage can help a pregnant woman cope with back pain, leg cramps, headaches, and other pregnancy discomforts.
4. Practice Prenatal Yoga to Relieve Pain
Prenatal yoga is perfect for expecting mothers who want to reduce pregnancy pain and is generally safe for all pregnant women. It helps to reduce stress, which can also help treat pregnancy pain and discomfort. Regularly practicing prenatal yoga can help you with back, hip, and pelvic pain, and is easy to fit into a busy schedule.
6. Kinesiology Tape
Kinesiology tape is a commonly used pain management treatment that is applied to the skin to relieve pain and inflammation caused by a variety of conditions. It has been used for many years to improve athletic performance and recovery, but it is now gaining popularity for use during pregnancy. SpiderTech has now made applying tape easy for pregnant woman with their one piece pre-cut Pregnancy Spider that is designed for self application on pregnant bellies. The SpiderTech Pregnancy Spider allows pregnant women to apply with ease and immediately start alleviating discomfort felt on their stomach, low back, pelvis, hips and diaphragm.
Pregnancy is a time of joy and excitement for many women, as their bodies expand to make room for their new babies. While it can also be a time of discomfort and pain, continuing with a healthy lifestyle and using any of the above pain management techniques can help make the pregnancy experience more enjoyable.
Author Bio:
Montu Khokhar is the CEO of Toronto-based SpiderTech, a leading manufacturer of pre-cut kinesiology tape and strapless & anti-fog face masks. Mr. Khokhar, like SpiderTech (a branch of NUCAP technologies), is constantly looking to achieve the impossible through innovation and engineering.