Easy Pregnancy Stretches to Relieve Back Pain

Every new mother to be is excited about expecting a new baby, however; some are going to suffer from back pain. A woman’s body is constantly changing during the 38 to 40 weeks of average gestation. Some women experience cramps and become concerned because they don’t remember feeling that way with their last child, or a number of years have passed since they had their last child and this could be their first child. A woman’s uterus is constantly going to grow and stretch during pregnancy and it’s common to feel crampy. Don’t worry about the cramps unless you start seeing blood, then it’s time to call your OBGYN. Your back is also going to feel uncomfortable as the months wear on because your weight is all in one area. The best thing a new mother to be can do is stretch because there are times towards the end where you can get some painful charlie horses in your calves so drink plenty of water and take a class to learn some easy pregnancy stretches.

Stretching your body helps create long lean muscle and helps make your body relax and loosen up so you are more comfortable during pregnancy.

You can stretch when you walk, workout, or just lounge around because stretching really feels good and even feels better when women are pregnant. This is a great benefit for your body.

A woman’s posture changes when she is pregnant because of the added weight that needs to be redistributed. This happens as your baby grows and your pregnancy keeps progressing. When your weight starts moving around because your body is heavier, this is how women start to have lower back problems. This also can create more tightness in your neck and chest. Stretching is important to do daily because stretching helps stop the pain and helps you improve things like range of motion, and this can make a more smooth and comfortable pregnancy.

Stretching has many benefits as other exercises that you will be doing during your pregnancy, exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby to ensure a much smoother delivery and loss of pregnancy weight quicker after your child is born.

You have to remember to think about using some safety tips when you are stretching.

You need to warm up and stretch those cold muscles so you don’t cause an injury. So always remember to warm up before you start any exercise or stretching. You can warm up by walking quickly for a few minutes or do some alternating knee raises in place. This should help keep those muscles moving.

Don’t bounce because bouncing when you are stretching can pull a muscle. Just remember to hold each stretch for 20 or 30 seconds, getting the benefit of the stretch but not pulling the muscle. You don’t want to be in pain.

In addition, don’t overdo working out or stretching because when you are expecting, you are producing a hormone called relaxin which loosens your pelvis to make the delivery easier. Relaxin affects all your ligaments, so you will feel more flexible all over, however; after you deliver relaxin goes away and you can cause your pelvis to heal unevenly if you are not careful. This results in the piriformis muscle to become intertwined with your sciatic nerve and this can become a lifelong problem that results in chronic pain. This might not happen with your first child, but if you choose to have children in your 40’s, be careful because the bones heal differently when you age. Always listen to your body and don’t think that because you’re in pain, you did enough exercise. This is not the case, so slow down and only push yourself enough to feel a healthy stretch. Some women do feel stiffer during their pregnancy but some experts think it’s the body’s way of protecting itself so women don’t overdo it.

If you have to bend when you are pregnant, make sure you bend at the waist unless your doctor tells you not to.

Bending only is a concern if you work a job when you are bending over 20 times daily or more. This is rather excessive and this repeating movement could cause birth to become preterm or cause injury during your pregnancy. If you work at a job that requires you to lift all day, you might want to talk to your boss and see if there is something else you can do while you are expecting.

In case women are wondering if it’s safe to stretch your stomach when you are pregnant, the answer is yes. It is safe to stretch your abs but doesn’t do any full backbends and arch your back where your abdomen is stretched back. This can be very dangerous for women that have certain conditions.

There are stretches women should stay away from when they are pregnant. Stay away from deep backbends, contortions for certain types of yoga because you might get some calf cramps when you point the toes. It’s much better to flex your feet and don’t lay flat on your back for long especially after the first trimester. Check out yoga for pregnancy or talk to an instructor who understands pregnancy and stretching safely. If a stretch doesn’t feel right, don’t do it! Find a stretch that does feel good.

There are many gyms that offer prenatal stretching and also have instructors and classes on sight to help you. The YMCA has daily classes for yoga for women that are expecting and also swimming is always a good way to stretch because the water protects your ligaments and muscles. It’s also good to practice deep breathing techniques when you’re pregnant. It’s very relaxing and can help you keep in touch with your body so you learn how to breathe and control labor when you are delivering your child. Whenever you choose to do any exercises at all, always remember to do deep breathing exercises along with your stretching, swimming, yoga, walking, etc. Take some time to sit and meditate when you are not rushing around and practice deep breathing as well. Count to 4 as you inhale and count to 6 as you exhale and this will help you to calm down if you are having a stressful day and help calm baby down too. In addition, this also will help you to practice that breathing for labor and delivery!