Pregnancy 20-24 Weeks
Back Pain In Pregnancy
Back pain is both common and normal in pregnancy. In some cases, back pain may continue after your baby is born.
Factors Contributing To Back Pain:
- Hormonal changes, which contribute to the loosening of ligaments in your body
- Change in posture, slouching, center of gravity and body weight
- Increased abdomen size
- Increased breast size
Common Types Of Back Pain:
- Shooting buttocks pain: Due to an uneven pelvis. This will occur when getting out of bed, walking or stair climbing
- Shooting groin pain: Increases with walking, getting out of bed and rolling in bed
- Dull ache along waist and back: You may become more aware of this at the end of the day
- Dull ache between shoulder blades: Due to slouching, sitting too long, not wearing a good support bra or poor positioning with breastfeeding
Comfort Measures For Back Pain In Pregnancy:
- Heat: To help loosen tight, achy muscles
- Ice: To reduce sharp pain
- Warm compress
- Slush Ice Pack: One-gallon Ziploc bag, 1 cup of rubbing alcohol with 3 cups of water. Zip close and freeze overnight
- Pregnancy/Postpartum Massage
- Swimming
- Exercises recommended by your physician
- Acupuncture
- Warm bath
- Chiropractor, who is certified for pregnancy
- Massage: Certified pregnancy massage is offered at WomanCare
Warning Signs. Pain associated with:
- Spotting, bleeding
- Leakage of fluid from vagina
- Decreased/absent fetal movement
- Hard, tender uterus
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Urinary symptoms: frequency, painful urination and/or blood in urine
- Fever
Effects Of Pregnancy On The Wrists And Hands
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can develop in some women when they are pregnant, especially in the later trimesters, due to hormonal changes. As the estrogen and progesterone balance shifts, the body retains more fluid. This fluid can put pressure on the Carpal Tunnel and may lead to increased pressure in the hands, wrists and/or thumbs. This fluid pressure can irritate or compress the nerves and tendons that run through this small area. Some symptoms that one may experience are tenderness, numbness in the hands, thumbs and/or wrists. There may be tingling in the fingers or wrist pain that may awaken you at night.
Things To Do To Reduce Symptoms:
- Pay attention to ergonomics – adjust your work station to allow the wrists to be positioned in a relaxed, neutral posture (not bent) with forearms parallel to the floor
- Avoid prolonged bending or twisting of wrists
- Take frequent breaks from “repetitive” activities
- Perform stretches to improve circulation
- Avoid static positions, such as sitting or standing for long periods of time
JOINT PAIN IN PREGNANCY
Joint pain is common and usually involves the lower back, the pubic joint or the hip joints. Increased pain can occur when you are sitting or lying in one position for too long.
Avoid:
- Crossing your legs
- Uneven standing
- Sitting Indian style
- Repetitive stair climbing
- Wide legged positions
- Walking on uneven surfaces
Cord Blood Registry Information
Cord blood banking is an important decision to make for you and your family. To help you learn more about the power of cord blood stem cells and your options for saving them, please visit Cord Banking Basics.
