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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Pregnancy Aches & Pains

As I've told you, my third trimester has started with a bang of heart burn, exhaustion and low back pain. Don't get me wrong, it's all worth it, but I'm thankful to have Dr. Husband who willingly listens to my complaints. He has also come to the rescue with some simple, easy-to-implement advice that has reduced or cured some of my "typical' pregnancy aches and pains.

Note: Make sure to discuss any of your issues and potential solutions with your doctor.

Heart Burn

  • Give your belly more room. I’m a desk jockey, so I either shift to my knees while I’m at my desk or take a quick walk. Just making sure you’re sitting up with proper posture is also helpful.
  • Watch your portion sizes. Don’t fill up your stomach too much at one time. Instead eat several small meals per day.
  • Sip, don’t chug. I’m constantly thirsty when pregnant, but I’m careful not to chug vast amounts of water at one time because even that refluxes. 
  • Breathe into your belly. This is proper function of the diaphragm, which serves three purposes:
  1. Postural stability (spinal stabilization) 
  2. Respiratory
  3. Sphincter for the lower esophagus 
Studies have shown that the function of the diaphragm does relate GERD:

Low Back Pain
Obviously, pregnancy can cause low back pain, but referencing “low back pain” is like referencing “heart disease”—it can be caused by so many different things and cause a variety of issues.

However, in general, during pregnancy low back pain is caused by the weight of your growing belly and the production of hormones that cause instability of the joints around your pelvis. All of this may tip your pelvis forward, causing strain on your back.

You can try doing glute bridge exercises and wearing an SI joint belt. However, if the pain persists, you should contact a medical professional for an official diagnosis and treatment.

These are the main issues I’ve faced. What are some of the aches and pains you’re experiencing and what has worked for you?
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 16, 2014 at 2:50 PM

    Great Info! Luckily, I escaped many of the aches and pains associated with pregnancy. However, the intense nausea i had for 40 weeks with both pregnancies was more than enough for me. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMarch 17, 2014 at 8:43 AM

    Ah, yes, nausea. I will ask Dr. Husband about that to see if he has any suggestions. I only had that for the first trimester of my second pregnancy, but I have many friends who have had it for most of their pregnancies.

    ReplyDelete