This post contains affiliate links which means that I will make a small commission if you purchase a product after clicking on any of them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.
I started having lower back pain in the eleventh week of pregnancy. It was so bad that it would take my breath sometimes and make me not want to move. So, I asked my doctor ways to help it. They provided a few options but when I tried them, they didn’t really work for me.
I ended up doing my own research on how to relieve the pain I was feeling. I brought them up to my doctor for them to okay it before trying. You should always ask your doctor before trying new exercises or methods of pain relief.
I didn’t want to have to use medications for the sake of the baby, so I started trying different approaches to relieving back pain during pregnancy, including using turmeric, sleeping with a body pillow, different forms of yoga and stretching, and more. Read on to learn my top ways to help with back pain during pregnancy.
Sleep With A Body Pillow
Sleeping with a body pillow that can be tucked between your legs and support your belly is my number one recommendation. It helps with back pain, sciatic nerve pain, and hip pain all in one.
I believe if I didn’t start sleeping with a body pillow, I’d probably still be in pain every day during pregnancy. It’s important to go ahead and find one that has an area to support your belly for when you get into your second and third trimesters.
Having a pregnancy pillow to support your belly will help keep your body in alignment and lower the pain of your back. The part of the pregnancy pillow that goes between your legs will help elevate your leg to a higher position, taking the pressure off your lower back and hips, also eliminating sciatic nerve pain.
There are several types of pregnancy pillows available. Discover the one that will help your pains most on The 3 Best Pregnancy Pillows For Expecting Moms
Prenatal Yoga and Stretching
My second most helpful suggestion for pregnancy back pain relief is prenatal yoga and stretching. I originally followed the suggestions given by my doctor, which were to use a heating pad and doing the tennis ball massage. Though it may work for some people (which is why
I ended up finding some videos on YouTube that showed some helpful poses and stretches that really loosened up my lower back and hips.
The most helpful poses for me were the Cat pose, Child’s pose, and Cow Face pose. Give them a try and let me know how it goes for you! For best results, I recommend doing them every day or every other day. Or just any time you’re in pain in those areas!
You can find a lot of different prenatal yoga for free online if you just search for videos in a Google search.
Take More Breaks
I am a work at home mom and wife and tend to be on my feet for a majority of the day. I’m sure a lot of you hard working mamas can relate. Even if you don’t stay home, you may have a job that requires you to be on your feet all day.
You will find that if you take a few breaks during the day to sit and take the pressure off your back, it will help you get more done in the long run without as much pain to go along with it. I would recommend taking a five-minute sitting break once an hour.
After doing this for even one day, I find that I’m no longer left with excruciating back pain at the end of the day. The kind that takes your breath away with stabbing pains!
If you work in a stricter environment that does not want to see you sitting unless you’re clocked out (I’ve worked places like this) then ask your doctor to write you a note for your employer to show that you are required to take multiple short breaks during the day. Have your doctor include the time duration of each break and how many times per hour you are there.
Exercise Ball
An exercise ball, also called birthing ball, can help in multiple ways while pregnant.
You can use it to sit on in place of the couch or a chair. It will help your stability and posture,
You can also do different stretches with your exercise ball. Here are 2 suggestions that helped me:
- Placing your knees on the floor and the ball in front of you, place your chest on the ball with your belly hanging. You don’t want your belly pushing on the ball. This will take the pressure off your back.
- Sit up straight on the exercise ball, feet a little more than shoulder-width apart. Slowly walk your feet forward, bringing your upper back onto the top of the ball. Your back should be rounding the ball toward the floor. Raise your hands above your head, parallel to the floor.
Again, ask your doctor before trying these exercises.
Heating Pad or Back Massager With Heat
While sitting, taking a break from working or just relaxing on the couch, it may be helpful for you to have a heating pad on your lower back to relax the muscles for a few minutes.
I also have a back massager with heat included to hold on my back when I need a good massage. It works wonders. You can hold the handles and control the amount of pressure you want. It can be used with or without heat. I personally have never used it without heat, as the heat makes it so much better.
If I’m sitting around watching Netflix at night after all my day’s work, that is my prime time for using my heated back massager. It’s also nice to use on your legs and neck or hip area for more muscle relaxation.
Tennis Ball Massage
A different method of massage is to take a pair of tennis balls and have your partner or a helper apply presser and roll them around your stiff muscles for relaxation.
If you don’t like how they are doing it, you can do it yourself by putting the balls on the painful area and lean on a wall. Move your body to create a message for your back with the exact pressure you want, in the exact places you desire.
Maternity Belt
Maternity belts, also called belly bands, are very helpful for supporting the weight of your growing belly while you have to be on your feet. The weight of your belly can put more strain on your back. So with the support of the Maternity belt, it holds the weight of the belly and immediately relieves most pain of your lower back.
There are some very expensive maternity belts out there that doctors suggest, but here is a more reasonably priced belt that has worked for me and has all the same features and quality of a more expensive belt.
These can also be used postpartum for your comfort when your body is trying to heal back to normal.
Pick One & Start!
Along with all these pregnancy back pain relief suggestions, try to do some kind of regular exercising every day to help strengthen your back and keep you healthy during your pregnancy.
These things have all helped me during pregnancy, so I hope you can find one of these methods to help you as well.
Please remember to ask your doctor before trying any of these suggestions. Everyone is different, and your doctor may have other suggestions for you and your specific pregnancy.
Let me know what helped you best during your pregnancy!
