Back Pain Relief Tips For Pregnant Women
March 9th, 2010 | 
Author:
Back pain is one of the banes that generally go with pregnancy. It is a common complaint. More than 50 % of the pregnant woman population suffers from it.
Back pain during the pregnancy is mainly due to change in the contours of the body of the woman, as baby grows within and puts on additional weight, month after month to the mother. This extra weight causes a change in the center of gravity of the woman’s body. Major hormonal changes are also noticed in the early stages of the pregnancy, which is an additional cause of the back pain.
The center of gravity of women’s body shifts forward with the growth of the uterus. Her postures and movement style change and this put additional strain on her back, resulting in backache.
In certain cases, urinary infections which are also common during the pregnancy can be the cause of back pain. If the woman has acute back pain during the early stages of pregnancy, the same requires immediate attention of the doctor. Back pain during the pregnancy can be due to a multiplicity of factors which demands immediate attention.
Medication for the sake of medication should be avoided during pregnancy. You are responsible for two lives, so any medication will only be by the advice of the doctor. Exercising is the sure remedy for a pregnant woman. Simple walking is the best exercise. But do not do aggressive walking.
Avoid slouching. Maintain an appropriate posture by using a lumber cushion or pillow. Cultivate by experience good body mechanics. Muscular exercises are a deterrent to back pain.
A pregnant woman is not expected to stand for long periods, say while traveling and for any other reasons. Do not change your sitting position too often. In the early stages of pregnancy proper rest and adequate sleep is necessary.
Avoid high-heeled shoes at all costs. The practice is dangerous as it will put lots of strain on the back. Use a low flat stool for sitting. Avoid kitchen work for longer durations.
Your clothing should also be imaginative. Avoid tight clothing. Even if you are tired, avoid slumping forward. Slumping pushes the rib cage forward and down to the stomach. You can well imagine the resultant problems. While standing, be comfortable and keep your knees soft.
Many of your experienced friends and relatives can give you the correct tips for your backache problem. Such tips at times are more useful than the medical advice you get from your family doctor.
Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/back-pain-relief-tips-for-pregnant-women-61005.html
Posted in back pain exercises | 
Tags: Adequate Sleep, Backache, Banes, Best Exercise, Center Of Gravity, Early Stages Of Pregnancy, Good Body Mechanics, High Heeled Shoes, Hormonal Changes, Kitchen Work, Long Periods, Movement Style, Multiplicity, Postures, Pregnant Woman, Pregnant Women, Proper Rest, Stages Of Pregnancy, Style Change, Urinary Infections
Question for women who have had all natural child birth?
I’m pregnant with my third child, so I’m well aware of what I’m getting myself into. lol I want NO pain medication this time! I have back labor, and was wondering how other women managed this? Also, does it hurt a LOT more as you start pushing? How fast is the relief after baby is out? Thanks!!! Any techniques or tips are welcome!
You should not have back labor unless the baby is not positioned correctly. My son was born face up and I had this. I would strongly recommend you hire a doula. My doula had a TENS unit that helped with the back labor. She also helped me to focus and breathe. There were several techniques and position changes that she suggested that made the labor more bearable. Using a birthing ball, squat bar, sitting on the toilet, getting on all fours, moving as you feel you need too all help.
Pushing was actually a relief and felt much better than transition.
Once the baby is out, you may need to be stitched up and the placenta delivered. The contractions are much more mild than the labor pains though.
Read everything you can get your hands on regarding natural birth to prepare yourself. Be flexible and expect anything. That is the biggest piece of advice I have to offer.
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I had an epidural with my first, and nothing with my second. The second was by far the best experience. I did not have back labor, but I know that massage, and for me, being on all fours with my belly hanging down was extremely comfortable and relaxing. I found that since I’d been down that road before, I was more comfortable with what was happenign too. I found that pushing felt good. It was really not what I had expected. But when the contractions would hit, I would push and it felt so much better. There was no burning as the baby crowned, and I even had an episiotomy without any pain. It hurt worse when the dr gave me the local to stitch me back up! And the relief afterwards….immediate! Within about 5 mins, I was ready to do it all over again. I ate, I went to the bathroom and was fully energized. I felt so much better with this birth than the first when it was all over. Keep in mind that your body has been through it before, you know what’s happening, and that most of the time it goes much faster. You can handle it! Best of luck!
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If you are going to do it natural, the best thing is you can walk through the pain. You will not be confined to the bed, so you may not have back labor pain. You can move through your contractions which helps you get comfortable. The lithotomy position is the worst position while giving birth. It actually makes your pelvis smaller. The best thing is to squat. If you prefer laying down it is still ok. You will be able to feel when you need to push, and you will know how hard you need to push. The pain is pretty intense when you start pushing, but focusing on pushing can help you. For me the pain was immediately gone after my daughter came out. If it still hurt, I was not aware of it. All I could think about was her! You can google labor positions and pain management techniques. Breathing through your contractions is a really good way to manage the pain. Just remember that our bodies know what they are doing. There are almost 7 billion people on this Earth, and most of them got here without pain medications. However, I think that women should be able to have whatever birth experience they want be it c-section, epidural/pain meds or natural. Good luck!
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For my second who was totally drug free I think the worst pain I felt were the contractions. My daughter came very quick. I was having contractions for about 4 hours and by time I got to the hospital the second time (via ambulance, long story) she was on her way out. I was in the delivery room for about 20 min and she was born. The pain that sticks out the most was crowning… it burned. 2 pushes and she was out. As soon as they put her on me I honestly forgot the pain. I was just so happy to be holding her and that she was healthy that the pain became an after thought. I know people think that is so cliché but it is true. The doctor said that you are in such an euphoric state after your baby is born that it releases chemicals that calm your whole body and act as natural blockers for your pain receptors.
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Hi! Congratulations!
I had a natural birth with our eldest and youngest and an epidural with our twins.
The epidural birth was actually an enjoyable experience. The natural births were mind blowing and very bonding, and also kind of traumatic all in one!
Strictly speaking, us women are equipped with all the gear we need to give birth naturally. Although, in the past we would have been exposed to harsh conditions, pain and suffering so we would have been a bit more prepared for it!
With the natural birthing process, it really does help to have a partner remind you to try to relax into the contractions without tensing up. My friend used self hipnosis techniques which she found very helpful for her back labour. There is an american lady who specialises in very natural births and she even suggests that you ask your partner to stimulate you to release endorphins and keep things moving!
In my experience, the pushing stage is such an intense feeling with such a weird sense of urgency, that you really go into a ‘zone’ and you are not aware of the pain!
As soon as the baby is out you get instant relief and you are so euphoric!
One helpful tip: My first husband was a chef so he had heat resistant hands! He put cloths in seriously hot water and placed them on my back – the relief was extraordinary! I can’t emphasise enough how much this helped! It must have been near boiling, but not quite hot enough to burn you, So, lol, for my subsequent births I packed rubber gloves for my new husband in case I had a back labour, so he could do the same!
Wow! New life! Congratulations and good luck with everything!
References :
Yes, definitely hire a doula. She’s been to hundreds of birth, has seen it all and will have lots of helpful pain coping techniques and positions. I hired a doula for my VBAC birth last year with plans of no medications but I ended up getting the epidural at the end. I’m now expecting number three in September and re-hired my doula. This time I purchased a couple of good books with pain coping techniques for drug free labor. I’m just now getting through them but am basically doing a lot of reading so I can practice some of these techniques now.
I pushed without pain meds during my first labor (which ended in c-section) and it wasn’t as bad as the contractions alone or transition. Something about pushing brought relief. It’s the crowning, aka ring of fire that I’m more worried about going through without meds. Once baby is out everything else is a piece of cake. A friend of mine delivered all natural and she said the placenta and stitches hurt but was over quickly. She was up and walking around within the hour and she said she was sore but okay.
Good luck on your research. I’m right along there with you.
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it hurts no more when pushing than it does while contractions are occurring. the relief is instant after the baby is born and the experience is amazing. i cannot speak of having medication, as i have never had anything but the experience you are able to have from not being all drugged up is excellent. i was not tired at all after birthing any of my 3 children and i intend to do it again this time.
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18w, 6d with baby Alex.
I had an epidural with my first and NOTHING at all with my second. Honestly, giving birth with no pain meds was much better for me than with it. In my experience, once I went into labor, the contractions hurt worse than the pushing. Although at some point I did say, "I can’t do this!" LOL Once the baby was out, immediate relief. Until delivering the placenta… to me, that was worse than delivering the baby!
My recovery was MUCH quicker and I felt much more energetic and relaxed after having a baby naturally. With an epidural and pain meds, it seemed I was groggy for a long time and it took a while to recover. I also had much less bleeding afterwards giving birth naturally.
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I didn’t have back labour, but I had all natural the first time around, I don’t want to put you off hun because it’s brave, but never again
My only pain relief was 2 stress balls (one in either hand to stop from crushing hubbys hand!) I did yoga leading up to it, and had an exercise ball which helped in contractions. I can’t say whether it hurts a lot more as have only been in labour once, but I don’t regret having a natural birth but it has taken 2 years of persuasion for me to have another baby, but some people say I just have a low pain threshold.
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30 weeks, baby #2