Emotions Of Pregnancy
One of the most difficult parts to pregnancy can be dealing with your own emotions. One minute you are feeling happy and secure and the next moment you burst into tears for no explainable reason. One minute you are madly in love with your partner, the next you are trying to throw him out of the house. Crying easily, mood swings, energy lows and fatigue are all normal aspects of pregnancy. During pregnancy your body experiences an increase in hormones that are needed to support this pregnancy. Some women are more sensitive to a similar hormonal shift before their period. It also takes time to adjust to the fact that you are pregnant, no matter how planned this baby might be. The responsibility can weigh heavy as the reality of pregnancy sets in, it is also quite normal to have conflicting emotions over this pregnancy – you are on an incredible journey that causes role changes that will involve all aspects of your life. Your poor partner can be astonished at your newfound behavior- not too sure how to deal with you or what to say. Communicate with your partner and reassure him you are still the same person he has been living with. Tell him if you could control these mood swings you would- you don’t like them any more than he does. Another area that is very difficult to deal with is the fact that your pregnancy totally consumes you. Every minute of every day revolves around pregnancy because it is your body that is continually changing, so your entire life is pregnancy- you eat, sleep and drink pregnancy and babies. Whereas, your partner doesn’t seem to do the same- which can make you feel insecure and causes you to need the reassurance that he is pleased that you are pregnant. Meanwhile he is ecstatic you are pregnant, he has told you that, and so what is the fuss all about. Men and women experience pregnancy very differently. Talk about your insecurities so that you can understand each other.
Backache During Pregnancy
Half of all women will experience low back pain in pregnancy. Just because something is common it is not normal nor something that you must ‘put up with’. How do you decide what is part of pregnancy and when to seek extra help? True pregnancy back ‘ache’ develops due to the changes in posture associated with carrying a large weight in front of you. At the same time the abdominal muscle sling designed to support our spine by wrapping around the pelvis becomes stretched. Unless your muscles keep up their strength you will start to depend on the small spinal muscles which tire easily and complain by aching. Poor postures such as hanging your weight forwards or standing tilted on one leg put strain on the spinal ligaments hurt in a different way to muscles and bones. Imagine leaning with your hand pressed on a table as you stand and chat to someone, it doesn’t hurt while you do it- but when you take the weight off the finger joints ache and are sore, and there will be tingling or heaviness in your hand. The same thing happens to your back. During the day it may only niggle but constant stretching, bending, lifting and slouched postures strain the ligaments, then when you climb into bed you feel all the pain build up through the day. This sort of backache is best managed by close attention to your posture, your sitting and lifting habits as well as exercises to strengthen your lower abdominal muscles. Pregnancy yoga, Pilates, Alexander Technique, swimming or assessment and exercises from a physiotherapist are all excellent choices. Listen to the body’s messages. If back pain is severe and/or traveling down your leg then it can be a sign that nerves are irritated. There is no such thing as a baby lying on a nerve. Pregnancy lasts a long nine months. You are just as likely to injure or jar your back or sacroiliac joints as anyone else, perhaps more so as your ligaments are softer and movements may be more awkward. This pain should definitely be fully assessed by a spinal physiotherapist. Movement of your bones and balance of the muscles will be assessed. Most manual therapy techniques can be applied in positions modified for pregnancy. Less well recognized but distressing for the sufferer is Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, collection of symptoms such as sharp central pubic pain which is irritated by things like getting in and out of bed or the car, or turning over in the night. Simple steps like keeping your knees tight together for these tasks and walking with smaller strides can help but again seek professional advice as muscle strengthening or a support belt can significantly improve symptoms.