Work the back….Baby!!

Women know that once you become pregnant, you are going to feel some changes, physically, and modifications will eventually need to be taken. However, not all those changes have to be converted into pain as so many of us are led to believe.

When your uterus grows and relaxin takes over, your body begins making variations and shifts almost immediately following conception. As ridiculous as it may sound to some, I have met women only weeks into gestation and they are already complaining of back pain. But for most of us, this sort of discomfort usually begins more into the latter part of the second trimester and through the third.

When your belly grows, not only does your centre of gravity get pulled up and forward but your back is required to work even harder to compensate for the weakened abdominal cavity. Your pectorals become shortened and tight to help support your growing breasts (and if you think they are big now, just wait until your milk comes in!).

Blood volume doubles by your second trimester and blood pooling in your legs can cause tightness and swelling in your calves and for some, varicose veins.

Pregnancy requires a lot of help from your posterior structures to maintain the constant growth out front. So instead of falling victim and just accepting that you will suffer back pain, shoulder pain and have to put your feet up every night, try being proactive.

Strength training is a wonderful way to help combat what mother nature is trying to do. Focusing on the core, thoracic and lumbar spine will help to alleviate back pain. The trapezius, subscapularis and rhomboids help to improve posture, avoid the shoulders coming forward and allow you to carry those “big, darn breasts” around. And lastly, staying moving (avoid standing still for long periods of time) and calf raises will keep the blood circulating.

But after you have done all of this, don’t forget to stretch. All this strain during pregnancy can make muscles very tight. A good stretch routine will keep you limber and allow your strengthened muscles to repair and thus get stronger which, believe me, you need all the strength you can get.

Samantha Montpetit-Huynh is a mom of two beautiful girls and the owner and founder of Core Expectations, a Toronto-based full service wellness team that delivers personal training, abdominal rehabilitation, nutrition, massage, chiropractic and doula services to pregnant women and new moms across the GTA.