10 Ways Babies Cause Back Pain

This one comes to you from my friends at www.newborncare.com:

Toward the end of your pregnancy you may notice increasing back pain. Welcome to motherhood! There are various causes for the pain you may experience and the good news is that most symptoms can be handled through exercise, rest or making some minor changes in how you do things. Listed below are some ways in which your baby may cause you to experience back pain.

1. Hormonal changes – As you near the end of pregnancy your hormones begin to change to prepare your body for birth. In the pelvic area, your ligaments begin to soften and your joints become looser. This causes you to lose some of the core support you once had in your back and the result is lower back pain.
2. The growing baby – As the baby gets larger, you experience a change in posture due to a shifting of your center of gravity. The larger you become the more shifting takes place.
3. Weight gain – Most women gain several pounds during pregnancy. Between the baby growing and your own weight gain the stress on back muscles is building. All the extra weight you are carrying can cause chronic back pain.
4. Poor posture – One of the main culprits causing back pain is poor posture. If you have poor posture to begin with, you will likely experience more back pain as the size of your baby increases.
5. Excessive standing – Women who must stand for long periods of time may find that they experience back pain more often in the last month or so of pregnancy. If possible stand for shorter periods of time.
6. Stress – You may not be aware of the fact that stress tends to migrate toward the weakest part of your body and cause problems. In this case, any stress you may have can settle in your back area as your body prepares for birth. Find ways to relax and ease any stress you may be feeling.
7. Pregnancy-associated osteoporosis – This is a rare but painful condition that some women may experience. If you have severe chronic back pain consult your doctor about your symptoms.
8. Poor posture while feeding – Once the baby gets here, some mothers have a tendency to hunch over as they breast feed. The strain put on your neck and upper back when you are looking down at the baby in a bent position can cause some back problems
9. Carrying the baby on the hip – Many people have a tendency to carry little ones on their hip. While this may be a comfortable way to carry baby, it throws your spine out of alignment and after a while can cause serious back pain. Try using a baby sling or carrying your baby in front.
10. Bending over to lift baby – If you are in the wrong position when you lift your baby, you can do harm to you back over time. Extending your arms away from your body to lift baby or bending over to pick the baby up can put stress on back muscles and cause pain. It is better to move in close and bend your knees if possible before you pick up the baby.

Knowing that some of the back pain you may experience is normal and going to go away is a relief. Good posture and exercise will do a lot to alleviate a great deal of pain both before and after baby arrives. Take the time to learn how to pick up your baby correctly so that you can avoid injuries. If you experience severe chronic back pain, be sure to have a talk with your doctor.

Happy, Healthy Parenting!