Low back and pelvic pain is a common complaint among pregnant women. Despite the commonality, the pain can be debilitating and take away from the joys of growing a human life. There are simple tasks that you do each day that can be contributing to your back pain- from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed. Here are the top 5 movements during your day that can be exacerbating your pain and simple adjustments you can make to fix it!
Getting out of bed: Rise and shine! You hop out of bed, ready for the day, and BAM! Insta back pain. Before hopping out of bed like the game “Don’t Wake Daddy”, take inventory of your waking position. Log roll to your side, swing both legs over the bed at the same time (this is the KEY!). Then get up.
Sitting to standing: Seems simple enough, right? Well, one wrong move and the back pain strikes again. Before you hop up out of bed or out of a chair, again- take inventory of your body position. Place your feet flat on the ground, tilt your pelvis slightly forward and sit up straight (this is the KEY!). By tipping forward, you are prepping the joints in your pelvis for the load transfer that is about to occur. Lean forward- nose over toes- then stand.
Washing your face: I’m not going to lie to you, this one is awkward and probably the hardest to break BUT it could save you a world of hurt, so why not try! The “normal” way to wash your face or brush your teeth is to lean forward by hinging at your hips. When you do this, all the weight from your growing bump is essentially suspended forward relying on your back muscles to stabilize. This can lead to fatigue, spasms, and ultimately pain. Instead of hinging forward at your hips, drop it low girl! Take your feet a bit wider, bend your knees like a squat to get closer to the sink, then lean slightly forward.
Getting in/out of your car: Depending on your vehicle, the normal way you might get in to your car is putting one leg in, sitting down, then bringing the other in. This unequal distribution of weight across your pelvis can easily flare up your back or pelvic pain. The fix: turn around and back in, sit down, then bring both legs in at the same time (this is the KEY!). By doing a symmetrical movement, the load stays even across your back and pelvis and does not place uneven strain.
Picking things up off the floor: Last, but definitely not least, the good ol stoop and recover. Just like the method for washing your face at the sink, you want to use your legs to close the gap between you and the floor. Performing a squat and then for reaching the item will keep the load even at your pelvis. If you are at the point in your pregnancy where bending down seems like an impossible task, try a long handled reacher or just leave the item on the floor until someone else can grab it. No shame in that game!
Being extra mindful of our body during pregnancy is especially important because our normal joint stabilizers are especially lax leading to more movement and the opportunity for malalignments. Paying attention to our body during our day to day movements can help reduce pain and discomfort throughout pregnancy.
