May 5 – Late Posting
Off late Vanitha is complain of her Back Ache, it is slowly becoming an irritating pain making her life much more Stressful and no forget painful too. But this is something that she has to cope up with as this is common in Pregnancy. Hope all the Lamaze Classes she attends helps her to manage the pain better.
Please Note : All information on this blog is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
Some Gyan on Back Ache During Pregnancy
Back Ache – is it only me or there are many more suffering like me?
The bad news is that between a half and three quarters of women are reported to get back pain at some time during pregnancy.
What Causes this Back Ache?
You can probably blame the following rascalas 
(Mind it)
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Your growing uterus
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Your tummy bump has changed your centre of gravity since most of the weight is in the front.
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As the baby grows, the hollow in your back may increase and this may cause you backache
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Your posture suffers due to baby’s weight on your lower back and now weakened tummy muscles; as a result your spine is pulled forward.
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Lower back pain during pregnancy which travels down to the legs can occur;
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this is caused by the weighty uterus on the sciatic nerves located near the spinal column and that’s why the name sciatica; when baby changes its position, you may get some relief.
That’s it – any other expert reason for my back pain??
In addition, hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.
What kinds of Back Pain are there??
There are actually two types of Back Pain in Pregnancy :-
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Lumbar Pain
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Posterior Pelvic Pain
What is Lumbar Pain?
Lumbar pain occurs in the area of the lumbar vertebrae in your lower back
Lumbar pain is like the low back pain you may have experienced before you were pregnant. You feel it over and around your spine approximately at the level of, or a little above, your waist. You might also have pain that radiates to your legs. Sitting or standing for long periods of time and lifting usually make it worse, and it tends to be more intense at the end of the day.
What is Posterior Pelvic Pain?
Posterior Pelvic Pain is felt in the back of your pelvis. Some women have symptoms of both types of low back pain.
Even more pregnant women have posterior pelvic pain, which is felt lower on your body than lumbar pain. You may feel it deep inside the buttocks, on one or both sides or in the back of your thighs. It may be triggered by activities such as walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a tub or a low chair, rolling over in bed, or twisting and lifting.
Positions in which your hips are bent — such as sitting in a chair and leaning forward while working at a desk — may make posterior pelvic pain worse. Women with posterior pelvic pain are also more likely to have pain over their pubic bone 
Earlier you spoke about sciatica, what exactly does this mean?
sciatica, which can be caused by a herniated or bulging disk in the lower part of the spine
OOOOOOO Does this happen to most of them?
No, affects only about 1 percent of pregnant women
Cool I hope I’m not in that 1%, What exactly happens during Sciatica?
If you have sciatica, your leg pain will usually be more severe than your back pain. You’re likely to feel it below the knee as well, and it may even radiate to your foot and toes. And you’ll probably feel a tingling, pins-and-needles sensation in your legs or possibly some numbness.
Coming to the Main Issue, How can I avoid Back Pain??
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Start an exercise program to stretch and strengthen muscles that support the back and legs, including your abdominal muscles. Be careful to stretch gently because stretching too quickly or too much can put further strain on your joints, which have been made looser by pregnancy.
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Swimming is a great exercise option for pregnant women because it strengthens your abdominal and lower back muscles, and the buoyancy of the water takes the strain off your joints and ligaments.
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Stand up straight. This gets harder to do as your body changes, but try to keep your bottom tucked in and your shoulders parallel with your ears. Pregnant women tend to slump their shoulders and arch their backs as their bellies grow, which puts more strain on the spine.
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Don’t Be A Sitting Duck. Improper sitting positions will make you an easy target for back pain. Be sure to sit with your back straight and well supported. When you are seated, tuck a small, firm cushion in the small of your back. It will give you support and help relieve the aches you experience after you have been sitting for a while. Make sure that your chair has a straight back, arms and firm cushions.
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It’s equally important to avoid standing for too long. If you need to stand all day, try to take a midday break and rest lying on your side while supporting your upper leg and abdomen with pillows.
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Showing Style. High-heeled shoes are so before-you-were-pregnant. Word to the fashionista: because of the extra weight you’re carrying, you’ll want to pack away uncomfortable footwear. Think flat, simple and comfortable. As your belly grows and your balance shifts, high heels will throw your posture even more out of whack and increase your chances of stumbling and falling.
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Proper Picking up Posture, Girls! You’re walking down the hall when you spot your husband’s toolbox laying on the floor. Stop! Remember, when picking something up from the floor, bend your knees and keep your back straight. Always lift with your legs, never your back, keeping the heavy object close to your body at all times.
You can also try kneeling down on one knee with the other foot flat on the floor. Get as close to the renegade object as you can. -
Divide up the weight of items you have to carry. A shopping bag in each hand with half the weight is much better than the uneven stress on your back of carrying one heavier bag.
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Take care when getting out of bed: Bend your legs at your knees and hips when you roll to the side, and use your arms to push yourself up as you dangle your lower legs over the side of the bed.
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Sleeping Arrangements. A firm mattress will help relieve your back pain. If you don’t have a firm mattress, put a piece of hardboard under your current mattress.
Lying on your back puts 55 lbs. of pressure on your back. Placing a pillow under your knees cuts the pressure in half. Lying on your side with a pillow between your knees also reduces the pressure -
Listen to your body. If you find that a particular activity or exercise makes your back hurt, then avoid doing it!
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Avoid back twisting movements such as racket games or housework like mopping or vacuuming
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Avoid putting on too many kilos – it just brings its own load of problems
Ok Ok enough of lecture, I will try to follow all these, what measures can I take to relieve the back pain NOW??
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Take it easy. Don’t let yourself get too fatigued. (But don’t take to your bed for long periods, either, since bed rest is generally not helpful in the long run for low back pain and may even make you feel worse.)
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Avoid activities like vacuuming and mopping that require you to bend and twist at the same time. If there’s no one else to do these chores, move your whole body rather than twisting or reaching to get to out-of-the-way spots.
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Learn relaxation techniques. They may help you cope with the discomfort and may be especially useful at bedtime if your back pain is just one more thing that makes it hard to get to sleep.
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Try heat or cold Packs. Although there’s no hard evidence that it helps, some women find that soaking in a warm tub or putting a hot water bottle on the affected area provides at least temporary relief. There’s even less evidence regarding the use of cold packs, but it’s easy to do and worth a try if heat doesn’t work for you.
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Try massage. If do-it-yourself tactics don’t work, prenatal massage by a trained therapist may provide some relief, especially when combined with an exercise program focused on stretching.
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There’s some research suggesting that acupressure (massage of specific acupuncture sites) may be more helpful than other types of massage and that acupuncture may provide some relief as well, but these studies weren’t done on pregnant women.
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In addition, if you have posterior pelvic pain, try to limit activities like stair climbing that may make the pain worse. And avoid any exercise that requires extreme movements of your hips or spine.
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If you need to sit for long periods, try to use an adjustable chair and tip the front slightly downward.
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Ask your caregiver about using a "sacral belt." For some women, this device seems to help lessen the pain when walking, although for others it doesn’t help at all and for a few it may even increase pain.
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A maternity girdle to support the lower back may help; check with your doc
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Sleep on a firm mattress as sagging beds worsen the ache
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Ask your doctor for an analgesic if the pain is unbearable
Resources & Details extracted from ( apart from Ante-Natal Classes ):-
