Pregnancy backache is something experienced by most pregnant women, whether it’s a constant twinge in the lower back, aching shoulders or pelvic girdle pain.  As your centre of gravity changes with the weight of your baby, your posture can change too, putting additional strain on your muscles and causing your ligaments to stretch and hurt.

It’s not just the weight of the baby that can cause back pain –  the hormone relaxin, released during pregnancy, causes your joints to soften in preparation for birth.  It loosens the ligaments attaching your pelvic bones to your spine which can affect your stability and contribute to pain in your back.

Standing or sitting for long periods can make it all worse and you can feel twinges in your back even before your baby bump has really started to show.

The good news is that exercise can help!  P

regnancy fitness experts FittaMamma have shared their top tips for easing pregnancy backache with us!

Tips for Pregnancy backache

  • If you’re not already exercising regularly it’s not too late to start.  Regular exercise will improve your overall strength and flexibility making it easier to cope with the extra strain of pregnancy.   Experts agree that all healthy pregnant women should aim for at least 30 minutes exercise on five days a week to enjoy a whole raft of benefits – including easing the pain in your back.  If you can’t manage half an hour try and squeeze in two 15 minute bursts of exercise.
  • If you don’t already have one, grab yourself a fitball and use it to sit on whenever you can-  it will work your back and strengthen your core muscles.  Circle your hips on your fitball in both directions in a figure of eight to help ease backache or lean across your fitball for a deep, relaxing back stretch.
  • If you’re sitting at your desk all day make sure you get up, move and stretch regularly.  Adjust your computer screen if necessary to make sure it’s the right height so you’re able to sit upright with a straight back.
  • It can be especially tiring being on your feet all day when you’re pregnant.  Try and keep  your back straight and avoid slumping, which puts more strain on your back.
  • You don’t have to join a gym or an exercise class to include more prenatal exercise in your life – there are lots of ways to increase your heart beat and improve your cardio-vascular strength.  Walking, cycling, taking the stairs instead of the lift or even doing your housework to music and dancing as you dust will help!
  • Wearing supportive clothes makes a big difference! The FittaMamma range is designed to support bump,  back and boobs, helping to lift the weight, ease the strain and improve your posture too.
  • Prenatal yoga is great for easing backache in pregnancy. The Child’s Pose is especially good for taking the weight of the baby off your spine, easing tension and improving circulation to the pelvic area.

Exercise can make a real difference to your pregnancy backache – if you’re not sure where to start or what’s safe to continue, FittaMamma has a free guide with lots of useful info.

Make sure you discuss any pregnancy aches and pains with your midwife or doctor and let them know what exercise you are intending to do so they can observe or check your progress and advise if there are any medical reasons for you to avoid any pregnancy exercise routines.

Where to next