Tips for caring for your spine during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time of great change in your body, below I have shared a few tips with you on how to maintain a healthy spine throughout your pregnancy. Taking care of your spine during your pregnancy can reduce your chances of developing pain and discomfort with this or future pregnancies.
First of all lets look at posture:
Avoid standing with hands on hips and letting your tummy drop forward.
This position increases the curve in your lower back and adds pressure to the small joints at the back of your spine.
Keep your knees loose when standing.
Relaxing the knees so they are not locked straight when you stand will take strain out of your knee joints and your back
Move your body frequently and regularly.
Staying static for a long period allows your muscles to tighten up, this can cause a feeling of stiffness when you next move and can sometimes bring on or aggravate discomfort.
Getting up and moving around at regular intervals allows your muscles to stay loose and supple.
Choose low heeled shoes.
When you stand in high heels it automatically increases the curve in your lower back, which increases the pressure on your lower back as mentioned previously.
As well as posture you can consider the way you move your body – these movement tips are valuable at any time but can be especially helpful when you are pregnant.
Twist with your whole body.
Avoid twisting your spine on top of your pelvis, instead try moving your whole body with the movement coming from your hips and feet.
For example, when you are getting out of the car, turn your whole body towards the open door and place both your feet on the ground simultaneously.
Moving from lying to sitting.
Don’t try to sit up using only your abdominal muscles
Firstly bend your knees, roll onto your side and push yourself up with your arms.
Allow others to do any heavy lifting.
Avoid any unnecessary lifting of heavy items.
Ask others for help when lifting is necessary.
Try not to automatically carry your older child if they are mobile.
If you do need to carry them hold them close to your body and as centrally as possible.
It’s important to keep your body supple and strong throughout your pregnancy. There are many pre-natal specific exercise classes that you can attend virtually if you are unsure of what you should and should not do during pregnancy, but here are a few things you can do daily at home:
Gently stretch your body.
Breath deeply into your lower abdomen, especially when stressed.
Do exercises to keep your pelvic floor activated and strong.
If you do feel any pain or discomfort at any time during your pregnancy, it is not necessary to just put up with it, seek some advice and find out what may be available to help you.
Hazel Dillon is a Chiropractor at The Octagon Chiropractic clinic - http://www.octagonclinic.co.uk - She has a special interest in pregnancy and paediatric Chiropractor care. If you are interested to find out more about how Chiropractic can help you or your baby please contact Hazel at the Octagon clinic.
