Common Discomforts During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is often the most incredible experience for expecting mothers. However, it comes with discomfort and health-related challenges. As the body transforms to support pregnancy, many changes happen within the muscles, joints, ligaments, and hips/pelvis.
An expecting mother may experience abdominal pain from the womb pressing on other organs, even making it difficult to breathe at times. Towards the end of pregnancy, women may also experience aching in their pelvis due to hormonal changes preparing the area to expand for childbirth.
As an expecting mother gains weight and approaches her due date, she may experience low back pain, muscle aches, joint pain, and a change in flexibility. Carrying weight at the front of the body creates extra pressure on the low back as the body attempts to settle into a new posture.
This new weight also creates extra stress on muscles making them work much harder, and women tend to fatigue quite easily during pregnancy.
Low back and joint discomfort can make several activities difficult and painful for expecting mothers. Women may experience low back and joint pain with standing, walking, and even sleeping. Physical therapists seek extra training to work with expecting mothers, understand all of these factors that contribute to pain, and work with women to feel their best physically and experience pregnancy as pain-free as possible.