Things You'll Need:
- Several firm and soft pillows.
- A sweet spouse for nice massages.
- A good firm mattress.
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Step 1
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. -
Step 2
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.
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Step 3
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.
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Step 4
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.
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Step 5
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.
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Step 6
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.
http://www.organizedparenting.com
Comments
TerriR said
on 9/22/2009 Besides birth, dealing with lower back pain in pregnancy is the worst part of the whole experience. These are great tips.
crazycatlady said
on 3/4/2009 Terrific article. Just reading it brought back so many memories...
PurpleAnkh said
on 10/5/2008 Wish I'd known about this sooner. Awesome article!
showpup said
on 6/19/2008 Ahhhh... the good ol' days. I'll stick to waiting for grand-motherhood. But I'll be sure to pass this article on to my pregnant daughter in law. Nicely written. 5 stars
CCrock said
on 12/22/2007 The pillows are wonderful, I also used a thin pillow under the side of my belly to help support it. When I didn't put a thin pillow under my belly, I would feel the strain of it on my back. A sweet hubby is so great, esspecially since he won't have very much room in the bed after you get all the pillows situated!