What to expect when you're expecting (94 page)

A comfortable sleeping position aided by a body pillow (one that’s at least 5 feet long) will help minimize aches and pains when you’re awake. When getting out of bed in the morning, swing your legs over the side of the bed to the floor rather than twisting to get up.

Consider a crisscross support sling designed specifically for a pregnant figure, which will help take the burden of your belly’s weight off your lower back.

No reaching for the stars—or the crackers on the top shelf. Use a low, stable step stool to get items from high places and you’ll avoid additional strain.

Alternate cold and heat to temporarily relieve sore back muscles. Use an ice pack for 15 minutes, followed by a heating pad for 15 minutes. Wrap both cold pack and heating pad in a towel or cloth.

Bend at the knees when you lift

Take a warm (but not hot) bath. Or turn the shower head to pulsating and enjoy the back massage.

Rub your back the right way. Treat yourself to a therapeutic massage (with a massage therapist who knows you’re pregnant and is trained in the art of prenatal massage).

Learn to relax. Many back problems are aggravated by stress. If you think yours might be, try some relaxation exercises when pain strikes. Also follow the suggestions beginning on
page 141
for dealing with stress in your life.

Do simple exercises that strengthen your abdominal muscles, such as the Dromedary Droop (
page 222
) and the Pelvic Tilt (
page 224
). Or sit on an exercise ball and rock back and forth (or lie back on it to ease back—and hip—discomfort). Join a pregnancy yoga or water gymnastics class, or consider water therapy if you can find a medically (and pregnancy) savvy water therapist.

If pain is significant, ask your practitioner about physical therapists or alternative medicine specialists (such as acupuncturists or those who specialize in biofeedback), who might be able to help.

“What are those aches and pains I’ve been getting on the lower sides of my abdomen?”

What you’re probably feeling is the pregnancy equivalent of growing pains: the stretching of muscles and ligaments supporting your enlarging uterus. Technically, it’s known as round ligament pain (though when it’s tugging at your sides, do you really care what the pros call it?), and most expectant moms experience it. But there’s a wide variety of ways to experience it. The pain may be crampy, sharp and stabbing, or achy, and it may be more noticeable when you’re getting up from bed or from a chair, or when you cough. It can be brief, or it may last for several hours. And it’s completely normal. As long as it is occasional and fleeting, and there are no other symptoms accompanying it (such as fever, chills, bleeding, or lightheadedness), this kind of pain is absolutely nothing to be concerned about.

Sit comfortably

Kicking up your feet (though not literally) and resting in a comfortable position should bring some relief. Of course, mention the pain—like all pains—to your practitioner at your next visit so you can be reassured that this is just another normal, if annoying, part of pregnancy.

The New Skin You’re In