How to Reduce Lower Back Pain

Doing stretching, yoga and going to the chiropractor are all good things for you to be doing. When you need a little extra comfort, try a hot water bottle. It was my best friend at bedtime!

This might help - it helped me to stretch every which way before I get up in the morning...feels good too.

I would recommend a good chiropractor to adjust your back to relieve the pain. They could also give you some back strengthening exercises that are safet to do while pregnant. This early in your pregnancy it would be better to strengthen your back rather than using a back support

Pelvic Rocking is the number one exercise recommended for relieving a multitude of pregnancy ailments including low back pain. It is performed similar to cat and cow in yoga. I would check with your care provider if you have any questions on it.

Going to a chiropractor monthly saved me during my pregnancy! I was in good shape (at 40) but I suddenly got back pain at about the time you are at. My chiropractor advised coming once a month and gave me a special reduced rate besides. It was one of the best things I did.

Hey....I injured my lower back in college, did a therapy program and was "cured" until pregnancy! My first pregnancy, I had a lot of pain later on (6-9 months)...sometimes to the point where I couldn't walk/drive/move my legs! My second pregnancy was bad even eariler because that 2nd baby "pops" out there much earlier. With thoes 2 pregnancies I did physical therapy (which basically was deep tissue massage) for the spasmed areas. I also took muscle relaxers/pain meds that were prescribed by my OB. The meds worked wonderfully, but made me really tired so I only took them at night. When the 3rd pregancy started to get bad I saw a chripractor and it was WONDERFUL!!! The treatment the chriopractor thought would work best was an adjustment and massage therapy. YEA....all for one co-pay and all in one appointment. At first I was going 1 time a month but by the end I was there once a week. The adjustment tables and massage tables all were able to accomidate pregnant women by dropping out the middle for your that baby belly! I had always been skeptical of chriopractors and had some irrational fears about someone else cracking my neck/back Dr Lutz of Brookdale Health made ALL my worries go away. He mentioned several times that "cracking" isn't always necessary and many times on me, he would push in certain areas of my back spasms, while moving my arm or pulling on my hip and it was enough to relax the muscle so the spasm stops. SEVERAL times I would barely hobble in to that office and skip back to my car. It was wonderful! Good luck...when you see that baby you will forget all about the back pain :)

The only thing that helped me was going to the chiropractor on a regular basis.

BUT whatever you do, DON'T put warm/hot packs or anything on your lower back!!! The chiropractors take special care to NEVER do that when you're pregnant!!! (When I asked why, they said it was just to be safe.) Even the doc reccomends NO HOT showers/ baths, saunas, hottubs, etc. No need to take any unneccessary chances with your baby's life.

My prenatal yoga class is the only thing that helped me during my 1st pregnancy and is helping me now during my 2nd. I take prenatal yoga with Bonne at the St. Paul Yoga Center. She is fabulous. She incorporates somatic movement and chi gong (sp?) into the class. Previous yoga experience is definitely not required. I had never done yoga before my 1st pregnancy.

Jen,

YOGA! :) I am a huge fan of yoga in general, and especially while pregnant. Look around for a good class, if you are in the twin cities, Blooma can't be beat for classes. It's worth a drive if you aren't in S Mlps or Edina... I drove from Roseville during my last pregnancy.

Jessica

You might also consider getting a pregnancy pillow for when you sleep. I did that during my first pregnancy, and I found that it really helped. I got one that wrapped all the way around me, supporting my back, tummy, and chest when needed. It also went between my knees to help my legs stay in proper alignment. As soon as I started having back discomfort (during my fourth month) I got my pillow, and it helped me feel better during the day also. (I'm 4 1/2 months along with my second one now, and I've already been using it for several weeks because I love it so much!)

I'm also going to a chiropractor (once a month for now), and that helps a lot, too.

i agree u neeeeeed a chiropractor! i'm a hairdresser and my first pregnancy ended with the arrival of our peanut back in feb. i was on my feet for terribly long shifts...hairdressings really hard! most insurance plans cover a large majority of chiropractic care...i was shocked. also u need to treat yourself to some prenatal massage. and i found my tummy support belt was so helpful and took pressure of the weight of the baby off all my insides! i also like "biofreeze" which is a topical treatment u can pick up from the chiro. always great before bedtime. good luck!

Hi Jen,
I know this sounds ridiculous to some people but I bought maternity girdles to wear while I was pregnant. My last was 24 years ago so I'm not sure if they make them anymore. At that time I had to go to a maternity shop.It was the best thing I did for comfort. It has a good size support band for the back and the front panel stretches with your tummy as it grows. It also helped support the tummy especially if you're carrying most of the baby up front like I did. I wore it for all 3 of mine and I got my daughter to get one for her 3. It was such a comfort and helped with the lower back. I wore it faithfully and would recommend it for all pregnancies. People might think it strange to look for one as they think a girdle is for 'hiding' the tummy. I know I got strange looks at a store when I was looking for one for my last one.That's when I found the maternity store. Good luck.
Nan

Honestly i must say though i hated going to work everyday i had a fantastic pregnancy because i was always moving every 2 hours i got to sit for 10 mins but other then that i was ALWAYS on my feet moving around (i worked as a custodian)10 hours a day. i think that all the bending and walking really helped. We also bought one of those memory foam toppers for our bed we went with the 4 inch. towards the end i got one of the simple pregnancy supports it was just an elastic band. if you get a doctor perscription for it insurance will cover it

I read your "what Happened" update, and in response to your yoga question, taking a class is not necessary but it would be helpful if you wanted to ask specific questions of a yoga instructor. (Make sure they are certified and have experience in prenatal yoga- and make sure you tell any instructor whose class you take that you are pregnant!) But a prenatal tape or DVD will have only specific poses and exercises that are deemed fit for prenancy, and they should all tell you if there are special precautions to take or poses to avoid in the differing trimesters. Always be sure to watch the whole DVD through first before you attempt any of the poses.

I love doing my yoga exercises and poses, and when I was pregnant, I just bought two DVDs off Amazon.com (where you can read good customer reviews)and I felt better physically for having done the modified yoga through the pregnancy.

Congrats on your impending arrival!

S.-
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I would highly recommend visiting a chiroprator for relief for your back discomfort. I work at a great clinic where the doctor has post-graduate certification in pre-natal and pediatric care. I had him adjust me during both of my pregnancies with my boys and it really helped! I can get you a gift certificate for a free consultation and examination if you are interested. Send me a message if you would like to give it a try. (We have clinics in St. Louis Park and Shorewood.) Good luck and congratulations!

I highly recommend seeing a chiropractor throughout your entire pregnancy. I too am 4 1/2 months along. I started seeing a chiropractor 2 months ago, and feel great. I was going 3 days a week, and am now down to every 2 weeks until I get further along.

I did not go to a chiropractor with my first pregnancy and regret it. I went with my second, and the entire pregnancy and labor all went extremely smooth, and I give all the credit toward chiropractic care keeping me in align. I can let you know who I go to in Brooklyn Park if you want to e-mail me.

Second recommendation...get an excercise ball. I stretch out my back by laying on the ball (face up). It feels great and is completely safe during pregnancy.

I had the same problem - and I hate to tell you that it only gets worse! There were three things that worked for me: heating pad on my back while I slept, massages by someone trained in pregnancy massage(make sure they have the special pillow so you can lay on your stomach) and the best was going to the pool. I loved being in the pool because it took the pressure off.

You could try to Chiropractic? You can chekc out this website and it explains a lot of information about chiropractic. www.chiropracticfranklin.com. It is very safe for preganancy. I just finished a 3 year program about chiropractic and pediatrics and pregnancy.

Salsa - I would highly recommend chiropractic care. If you live in the south metro are of the Twin Cities, I have several chiropractic offices I would recommend.