It’s that dull, dragging feeling that manifests in the lower back sometime around the second trimester of pregnancy, and chooses to remain. Nothing’s wrong, it’s an indication. It’s the foreseeable outcome of the body performing something very unusual but also needing to stand up, walk to the kitchen and pick things up off the floor.
The positive side to this is that you don’t have to wait it out. There are a few minor, but important, adjustments that can make a huge difference to ease your back. However, proper understanding of what it is being pulled by, helps first.
Why Your Back Hurts in the First Place
Pregnancy back pain almost never comes down to a single cause. It’s usually three things stacking up at once.
The most apparent is your centre of gravity. As the uterus expands it pulls your weight towards the front, and you will naturally pull it back again to keep your balance. The back tilt puts your spine in exaggerated arch, and your muscles lining them have to work their muscles all day to keep your spine from collapsing.
There’s also relaxin, a hormone that the body produces for the sole purpose of loosening ligaments and preparing the pelvis for delivery. As good for childbirth as for day-to-day stability. Weaker ligaments allow the joints in the pelvis and spine to move more than they are accustomed to, and the excess wobble is sensed as a great pain.
Last, but not least, the plain physical health load. Your discs and core muscles are now having to support the baby, the placenta, and the extra fluid, all day and every day. None of the three of them are themselves dramatic. They help to put together the reason you are tired at the end of the day.
7 Ways to Actually Get Relief
1. Fix Your Posture First
The bump pulls you forward, so the forward lean comes naturally and is the biggest strain to your lumbar spine. Instead, work on standing tall. Squeeze your buttocks just under your tailbone to eliminate that ‘bad posture’ butt curve and leave your knees soft and not locked.
The act of sitting is as important as the context. Place a small pillow in the area of your lower back, and do not lift your feet off the ground – they need to remain flat.
2. Rebuild Your Sleep Setup
The bump is a good clue that it will push you forward, there will be a forward lean this is the heaviest strain on your lumbar spine. Rather, train to stand up straight! Squeeze your buttocks just under your tailbone to eliminate that ‘bad posture’ butt curve and leave your knees soft and not locked.
The context is not as significant as the act of sitting. Put a small pillow in the low back and do not raise feet off ground they should be flat.
3. Keep Moving Gently
Staying still is tempting when back pain occurs, but it doesn’t help if you sit too much. Aching muscles are caused by stiff muscles which do not move. One of the easiest and most dependable ways to keep everything loose, is to go for a daily walk.
A few other options worth folding in:
- Prenatal yoga – safely stretches the tight muscles across your lower back.
- Swimming – the water carries your weight, giving your spine a genuine break from gravity for the length of the session.
- Pelvic tilts – a small, repeatable exercise that strengthens your core so it can support your back from the inside.
4. Use Heat and Physical Support
For a specific sore spot, a warm compress or a warm shower can loosen the muscle enough to take the edge off. Just keep extreme heat away from your belly directly.
Through the day, a maternity support belt is worth trying. These bands sit under the bump and lift some of its weight upward, pulling pressure off the pelvis and lower back instead of letting it all hang on your spine.
5. Lift the Smart Way
This is the one to take seriously; loose ligaments mean that you are more likely to suffer an injury. When picking up, bend at knees, do not bend at waist. Use your legs, maintain an upright posture and carry the item close to your body rather than in front of you.
If you can avoid the lift altogether, then you should. Heavy bags and oddly-shaped boxes aren’t worth anything right now.
6. Look at Your Shoes
This one is ignored. Your center of gravity is also shifting as you walk, and unsupportive shoes conduct that misalignment right up through to your back. Heels and fully flat sandals are not allowed – they disrupt your posture. You need flats that are comfortable (with true arch support).
7. Bring in a Professional
In cases where home modifications are not enough, a physiotherapist or a prenatal massage therapist properly trained in pregnancy anatomy can also assist you. They can release muscles you cannot access on your own, they can directly work with the pelvis and they can provide you with exercises based on where your pain is.
When to Call Your OB or Midwife
It’s normal to have a general dull ache as the pregnancy advances. Certain types of pain may not be and are not worth a call to your provider to rule out complications like preterm labor or even kidney infection and determine if the pain is safe to treat with medication.
Contact your doctor or midwife right away if you notice:
- Sharp, shooting pain rather than a dull ache.
- Numbness or tingling that travels down your buttocks and legs.
- Back pain that comes with a fever.
- Back pain alongside vaginal bleeding.
The majority of women will have back pain at some time during their pregnancy, although it is not inevitable. By making a few of these changes and sticking with them, most people find that they get the day to be more comfortable and if you know which symptoms to call in, you’ll know the difference between the day’s normal aches and those that require special attention.
