As your baby grows and your baby bump becomes larger, your spine can be dragged forward with the growing weight, this is called a ‘sway back’.
The spinal joints are not in their usual alignment and protest by causing you backache or even back pain. You might start to waddle when you walk to ease the pain, until even waddling begins to hurt.
Here are some simple strategies to manage your back pain.
- Stand up straight so your spine returns to normal. Gently elongate your spine from your pelvis to the top of your head, and breathe normally as you do this.
- Sit tall; don’t slump.
- Draw in your abdominal muscles around your baby during all daily activities, especially when you are walking or lifting.
- Do belly dancing movements daily to keep the normal flexibility in your spine.
While these exercises are simple, they do involve muscular effort. When you first start using these techniques, you will feel as though you are working quite hard to hold the new posture. Doing these exercises regularly will increase your strength and should lessen your back pain. If pain still persists seek help from your GP or a physiotherapist.
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