Keep Core Strong to Treat Pelvic Pain during Pregnancy

Exercise

Pregnancy is a time when women tend to develop a lot of aches and pains that they are not accustomed to, and the further along the pregnancy is, the more achy a woman tends to become. But it is not necessary to simply suffer in silence if you are experiencing pelvic pain. It is best to check with your doctor or midwife first to make sure that nothing is seriously wrong (usually, everything is fine, and your body is simply reacting to carrying around extra weight that it is not used to). Once your doctor or midwife has okayed exercise, you may want to try doing some core exercises to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen. Your doctor or midwife may be able to prescribe specific exercises customized to your particular situation, and can also show you how to do them. You might also want to check with a chiropractor, yoga teacher, or Pilates instructor who has experience dealing with pregnancy.

Using Core Exercises to Treat Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy

Method

• You may want to try taking a prenatal yoga or prenatal Pilates class, or working out with a prenatal exercise video, to strengthen your core muscles. Pilates mat exercises that are considered safe for most pregnant women include:
• saw, spine twist, modified roll-up/roll-down, mermaid, rowing, spine stretch forward, chest expansion, legs against the wall, modified hundred, neck roll, swimming, and shoulder bridge.
• To strengthen the transverse muscle, sit in a chair and imagine pulling your belly button in as far as the spine and then pulsing the belly button out the back of your spine. One hundred little pulses, or squeezes, should take about two and a half minutes. Do at least five sets every day.
• Think about pulling the belly button toward the spine all day long, during all of your daily activities. Swimming regularly is another good way to build abdominal strength during pregnancy, as long as you do not overdo it.

Why It Works

Pregnancy puts a strain on your abdominal muscles. As the baby grows, its weight pushes on those muscles, making them uncomfortable. Doing exercises can make these muscles stronger, so that they can better support the baby’s weight. As an added benefit, strong abdominal muscles can reduce the length of the time you spend in labor, make the baby’s birth easier, and help you to recover from labor and delivery faster. You can also continue to do these exercises after the baby is born, to aid in your recovery.

Precautions

For most pregnant women, mild exercise is not only safe, but a very wise choice that will help to reduce stress and tension, strengthen the body, and eventually help childbirth to happen more quickly and easily. But you should always check with your doctor if you are experiencing pelvic pain during pregnancy, to be certain that nothing is seriously wrong. Usually, pelvic pain, especially if it is mild, is more likely to be caused by stretched or strained muscles and tendons, but there are other possible causes that should be ruled out by your doctor. Any form of exercise begun during pregnancy, for any reason, should be approved by your doctor or midwife as well. In addition, you will want to verify that your pain is in the pelvis, and not your back. Treatment for pelvic pain and back pain differs.

If you decide to strengthen your core muscles using Pilates, bear in mind that traditional Pilates exercises are not intended for use during pregnancy. Some traditional Pilates exercises involve lifting the head and shoulders off the ground, or lifting both legs off the ground. Exercises involving those sorts of movements need to be entered into cautiously during pregnancy. Plank and push-up positions used in yoga and Pilates classes can also be problematic during pregnancy. Make sure that you get advice from an instructor who is accustomed to teaching pregnant women.

When you exercise during pregnancy, make sure to rest whenever you need to, drink plenty of fluids, dress comfortably, and avoid exercising during extremely hot weather. Never exercise to the point of becoming exhausted or breathless.

During the second and third trimester of pregnancy, do not do exercises that involve lying flat on your back, as these exercises decrease blood flow to the uterus.

More Remedies

• Click here for all Pelvic Pain remedies