Pregnancy is a time when women are more aware of the workings of their body. It produces the largest postural change that a women's body will undergo. For many years health care practitioners have used their skills to help relieve aches and pains caused by weight and posture changes during and after pregnancy.
For many women, pregnancy means having to cope with a whole range of symptoms from back pain to morning sickness.
YOUR body's perfectly designed to with pregnancy but it has to work hard to provide for your growing baby, so you need healthy nutrition and exercise. (refer to YOGA page which is ideal cos it stretches tight muscles and joints and also relieves tension. Yoga methods can help with labour and pain relief too.)
Exercise helps you stay in physical condition before and after the birth. The benefits of exercise - improving stamina, suppleness, strength and sense of well-being - will help your body take the extra strain as it adapts to meet the demands of pregnancy. It will also help counteract the tendency to feel clumsy or ungainly in later months. With exercise, you also develop a better understanding of your body's capabilities and learn ways of relaxing, so you can approach labour with confidence.
Pregnancy hormones have profound effects on teeth, hair, nails and skin, so don't be surprised by temporary changes.
Progesterone makes gums soft so they may bleed more easily. Take care of teeth and gums, visit your dentist at the start of your pregnancy. In UK it is free- if NHS is still up and running when you get this message. Tell him your pregnant in case he wants to X rays as they're dangerous to the developing embryo.
Hair and Nails: Straight hair can become curly and vice versa. Hair grows and falls in phases - pregnancy often prolongs the growth phase, making thin hair thick and glossy, whereas thick hair may become dry and unmanageable. The downside is you'll experience hair loss after the birth. It will grow back eventually but may take 2 yrs. Although they grow faster, nails also become brittle. Keep them short and use rehydrating creams to keep them moist and strong.
Oestrogens gives skin the legendary bloom of pregnancy, but dry skin becomes dryer and greasy skin more oily. Patches of brown pigment (chloasma) may appear on your face and neck but will eventually fade. All skins deepen in colour with browning of the nipples and a line down the abdomen. Tiny dilated capillaries (spider naevi) on the face are common but disappear later. Stretch marks on breasts, thighs and abdomen are very common: they're related to the breakdown of protein in the skin by high levels of pregnancy hormones and most will fade after birth.
Both you and your baby will benefit from exercise. Your blood starts circulating freely, there's a blast of oxygen to your baby's brain, exercise hormones such as endorphins give you both a wonderful high and your baby loves the swaying motion. Exercise such as swimming increases your strength, suppleness and stamina, which will make pregnancy easier and equip you for the rigors of labour.
But exercise in pregnancy isn't just about fitness. It helps you to understand your body, to believe in its power, and it gives you the key to relaxation so that you can cope with fatique and prepare yourself for the birth.
Try to incorporate some exercise into your day, beginning gradually, at a pace that is comfortable. Always stop if you get out of breath or feel pain. Whole-body exercise is best as it tones up your heart and lungs, so walking as well as swimming is excellent. Dancing is good to, as long as it'snot too energetic.
Before any exercise session, do some stretches to warm up: keep your back straight, breathe evenly and flex your feet. Your ligaments are softened through the action of the pregnancy hormones and your cartilages slacken up so the pelvis can expand more easily and, to protect your back, don't twist suddenly. Stop at once if you become breathless, dizzy or overheated, or feel pain. Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water, and cool down afterwards with further gentle stretches.
Pregnancy is not a time to start learning an energetic contact sport. However you can continue sporting activities for awhile if you're already fit and play often. Don't engage in sports like skiing, cycling or horse riding after 20 weeks because balance may become a problem from that time. Take it easy on high-energy sports like tennis or squash and don't do heavy workouts, especially tough abdominal exercises.
The pelvic floor consists of muscles and fibrous tissue suspended like a funnel from the pelvic bones. The layers of muscle are thickest at the perineum, where there are openings for the urethra, vagina and anus, which the pelvic floor muscles are supported. If you don't know where your pelvic muscles are, you can locate them by stopping your flow of urine in midstream: the muscle you're using are those of your pelvic floor. (see mid wife/ acupressure page for exercises)
As the body grows in the womb, its extra weight results in a changed centre of gravity and posture changes from week to week. This can lead to a variety of aches and pains. As breast weight increases, this also causes changes and pain may occur in the upper back and neck.
Treatment through pregnancy is a wonderfully gentle way of helping the body adapt to the changes which are taking place.
The safety of mother and baby is the practitioners main concern. After a thorough assessment, treatment may help to relieve the aches and pains caused by growth in size of the baby and the accommodation of the mother to this. Advice from myself can help you to change your posture and learn to use your body correctly through pregnancy.
Some mothers to be report reduced morning sickness after a number of treatments.
When you first visit me a full case history is necessary normally lasting about an hour. This includes the whole body treatment renown for it's gentleness. We can advise on positions in labour to help prevent back problems later. Pain relief techniques can also be shown to the mother and her partner or friend so that they can help during labour.
Obviously X rays/scans have recently shown to affect the embryo as it moves distinctly away from the side which is being radiated so I personally recommend as little intervention. The medical profession is, however not so keen on taking X rays, particularly in the lower back area due three times the necessary radiation needed to get through the thicker lumbar spine.>
"My own first hand experience with both our labour experiences was a 50 % reduction in contraction pain when the right acupressure points are pushed during contractions." said
Karen Baucke,
Belmont,
Lower Hutt.
After delivery it is best to have further treatment as the pelvis is usually pushed out of place and needs correcting to restore optimum nerve supply throughout the body.
Recommended treatment 2 or 3 weeks after giving birth is always good to realign any misalignments that may have occurred during the labour.
Look after your back during pregnancy. Take particular care when lifting and carrying - particularly other children. Do not carry a small child on one hip for any length of time. Special exercises/ yoga is highly recommended which I can give you after treatment.
If you stand for any length of time, keep your bottom "tucked in" to reduce strain on the lower part of the spine.
Calm and private environment is one of the most important factors in encouraging a natural birth. Throughout labour the hormone oxtocin is produced in the mother's brain. It is responsible for making contractions happen and helps the mother bond with her baby after birth. "It is very important you feel quiet and peaceful during labour to promote your hormone secretions." says Jane Balaskaa who is a pioneer of natural childbirth.
When sitting, use a cushion for support and don't sit with your legs crossed. Avoid twisting movements. These may cause strain on the pelvis.
Lying on your side in bed, place a pillow under "the bump" to provide support and also put a pillow between your knees to prevent back strain.
If you prefer to lie on your back, place pillows beneath your knees to keep them bent.
Make sure all equipment (changing table, pushchair, pram etc...) is at a comfortable height for you.
Back pain during pregnancy is often a surprise, but always a nuisance. Fortunately, many tools are at hand for your relief: fitness, exercise, rest, and the understanding of the importance of adapting your movements to your changing body.
In addition to the fun of eating for two, fitness for two is just as important. Picture your baby in a cute little exercise outfit, saying "Let's go, Mom!" Exercise during this special time increases your strength and flexibility and is recommended to relieve aches and pains. While exercising is beneficial for most women during pregnancy, there may be some risk factors that would preclude exercise for a small population. Therefore it is always recommended that you check with your practitioner for information concerning exercise and what is right for you and your baby. Types of exercise vary depending on your physical state. Whatever program you choose, you want to start off slow with a relaxation and warm-up period. If you experience pain, back off, slow down. If you're breathless, so is your baby, so for both your sakes, again slow down, take frequent breaks and drink lots of fluids.
Lifting properly during pregnancy is important. When you need to carry in the groceries or assure a special 3-year-old you still love him, too, lift with a neutral spine, using your thighs and legs. Do not curl over to lift anything. Bend, stoop, and get your chest as level with the item as possible. Avoid lifting anything above your head and shoulders. Get a sturdy stool or small ladder, preferably with a hand rail, or a "tall person" if you have to reach or lift higher than your shoulders.
Put the high heels away for now. Wear sensible, comfortable shoes, maintain proper posture, and change position often when at work or out visiting. Alternate sitting with standing with lying down. Change chairs. Stretch gently. Don't reach back to the chair when you sit or sit in a deep or low chair that is a strain to get out of. Television's representations of a heavily pregnant woman struggling out of a chair may be humorous, but the strain on the back isn't worth the laughs. Use pillows! Prop them behind your back for lumbar support. Keep your body high enough in the chair and far enough from its back that you can rise naturally. Get your feet to the floor; don't sit in a chair that is too high. Adjust the chair if possible; if not -- or if the pillows make the chair too high -- use a footstool or even a box at home or at the office, so your legs are neither hanging down nor stretching to reach the floor. Beware of crossing your legs since this disturbs your circulation and increases strain on your back.
To relieve back pain at night, again grab those pillows. The best position for sleep is your left side, which increases blood flow to the baby. The worst position is on your back, which can cause reduced blood flow to the baby. To sleep on your side, put a pillow between your legs and more pillows behind your back to support you. Tummy sleepers -- like me! -- usually do not need to change until around five months, but will obviously have to find another sleeping position as the baby grows. One that worked for me for a while was to lie half on my left side, with one leg bent outward and propped up on a big pillow thus supporting my expanding girth.
If this is not your first pregnancy, you may find you're experiencing nausea, fatigue, and other side effects earlier this time around. That's because the body has already had a "warm up" from prior pregnancy. The uterus, like a balloon, has been blown up once and is more flexible this time around. Increasing your muscle tone between children helps this effect, but you will probably be bigger faster the second time around. Preventing strains on your body, staying in shape, or getting in better shape during these nine months will also increase your labour ability. The delivery is often likened to a marathon; we need to be in shape and have sufficient energy to go the whole way. The whole way will be gone no matter how many of us decide we'd rather not do this on the day the baby is born! That baby is going to come out and the better shape the mother is in, the more easy labour can be. So while we may not all have doting fathers waiting on us hand and foot for nine months, we can take steps to be good and doting to ourselves and our babies. And why does it hurt anyway? If you're like me, you probably wonder why you get to have backaches in pregnancy.
Copyright © 2015
Healthy Back & Paul Maunsell