Pregnant, uncomfortable, cranky? Here are some tips.
Changes in Your Body During Pregnancy
Your body undergoes lots of changes during pregnancy to prepare for baby growth within the womb and eventual childbirth. These changes include:
Weight Gain
Increase in abdominal mass
Widening of hips & rib cage
Ligament Laxity
The hormone relaxin, increases flexibility of your ligaments, joints & skin
Simple Things you can do that won’t cost a Bomb
Comfy shoes (nope, this does not include thongs)
As mentioned above, your body weight will increase and so will the laxity/movement of your joints, leading to changes to your general movement and centre of gravity. These changes increase pressure on the spine, pelvis, feet, and ankles. So wearing the correct shoes with good support such as runners and cushioned walking shoes is so important. Unfortunately, thongs are not in the list - unless they are good supportive thongs like Archies (sorry Havaianas)!
Your rib cage will never go back to the previous size it was
It sucks, but it’s true. Pregnancy will expand the rib cage to make room for your baby.
When picking bras, don’t just buy a bigger cup size but pick something with a wider width as well. Wearing suitable clothing and bras that allow for growth will decrease the pressure around the rib cage, giving your baby more room to move around.
Sleep Well & Lots
Good sleep is essential for life and even more so for a healthy pregnancy. A lack of sleep can negatively impact your physical and mental health. As your baby continues to grow in the later stages of pregnancy, sleeping on your left side is recommended compared to sleeping on your back or stomach.
Sleeping on the left will guide the baby to the best position for birth. It also allows for better blood flow through your inferior vena cava (a vein in your abdomen).
Back sleeping may pose a risk of compressing the inferior vena cava, which can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous.
A hugging pillow is also recommended to stop your shoulders from closing in over your chest. Having a hug pillow opens up your chest area and takes away the morning stiffness that you may experience in your neck and shoulders.
Get Up!
Get up and move around as much as you can; staying active and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, as many days a week as possible, can absolutely help with pregnancy.
Research has shown that mild to moderate exercise can help decrease the risk of:
Preeclampsia
Low back pain
Gestational diabetes
Constipation
It can also help improve fitness, energy, sleep and posture.
Activities or exercises that are safe to do during pregnancy include walking, bike riding, yoga, swimming, stretching and pregnancy-related Pilates. Strenuous exercises or competitive sport however may not be suitable and must be done with the guidance of a health-care professional.
Reminder: Things Do Not Have to be Perfect
There are a million and one things that need to be sorted out in preparation for the arrival of your baby. This can cause unnecessary stress and impact your overall wellbeing. Being pregnant by itself means you’re already on an emotional roller coaster on a daily basis and the last thing you need is more stress.
Make a list and prioritise the important things. The aesthetics can be left until later, or maybe not at all!
Talk to a Professional!
If you’re experiencing any pain or discomfort and would like to chat to somebody, reach out.
Research has shown that approximately 72% of the pregnant women who receive pregnancy chiropractic care have benefited from treatment (1).
Chiropractic manipulations and techniques are modified to suit different body types, especially when it comes to pregnancy-related conditions.
Want to see how chiropractic might be able to help you?
References:
Borggren, C. L. (2007). Pregnancy and chiropractic: a narrative review of the literature. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 6(2), 70-74.