Tips for Dealing with Lower Back Pain in Pregnancy

Being pregnant can cause a lot of discomfort for a woman. Perhaps one of the most uncomfortable things during pregnancy is lower back pain. The pain can go from mild to agonizing, even in the early stages of pregnancy before any weight is gained. As the pregnancy progresses, lower back pain often increases.

In the third trimester when the baby has grown much larger, the changes in the body will cause added strain on the lower back. The abdomen is now front and center. The shift of gravity and the weight of the baby will cause a pull on the lower back. To minimize the pain and discomfort, there are some techniques to help lessen and alleviate the pain.

Avoid gaining too much weight. It's healthy and natural for a woman who is expecting to gain weight. But it's important to avoid gaining extra weight. Added weight will increase the change of more lower back pain. Eating right and getting plenty of exercise will help prevent putting on more weight than necessary for Baby.

Enlist the hands of your spouse for a back massage. Not only does a massage help minimize the pain, it's great for soothing and relaxing tired muscles. The wonderful thing about massages is that you can never get too many of them. They work wonders for natural pain relief. A massage serves a dual purpose. It not only helps to relieve pain in the body, it alleviates stress.

Make use of pillows. Placing a firm pillow behind your lower back when sitting helps to support the lower back. Sleep with pillows between your knees when sleeping on your side, and under the knees when sleeping on your back. This helps to take the pressure of the lower back and thereby stopping the pain before it starts.

Invest in a good mattress. There's nothing like having a good mattress to sleep on when you are pregnant. Memory foam mattresses, such as the Temperpedic, are wonderful because your body lays in a more natural position, taking the pressure off the hips and back.

Avoid lifting heavy objects and when you do lift something, bend at the knees to lift, not at the waist. Try using a heating pad for brief periods of time on your lower back, a nice warm soaking bath, and even a hot or cold compress to help relieve the pain.

Avoid taking pain medications without your doctor's approval. If you try these techniques and your lower back pain is still intense, ask your doctor about pain medication during your prenatal visit.