|
|
|
| Free E-magazine |
| Subscribe to our Free E-Magazine on Pregnancy. |
| Learn More |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Home > Exercises and Comfort > Comfort Measures
| |
| | Comfort Measures during pregnancy
| |
| |
You cannot avoid aches and pain during pregnancy in spite of good posture. To get some relief, follow the positions and exercises given below:
Low Backache
Positions
Sitting cross-legged or Tailor-Sitting is a good way to keep the low back rounded and relaxed.
Squatting also helps relieve low backache in many women.
Exercises
Pelvic Rock Exercise
Starting position: Get down on your hands and knees. Place your hands di-rectly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Do not sway your back as it will strain your low back muscles. Keep the small of your back flat or in a neutral position.
Exercise: Rock your pelvis, contracting your abdominal muscles and tucking your buttocks as you arch your low back. (Imagine a frightened dog, tucking his tail between his legs.) Hold for a slow count of five and then slowly release the contraction, returning your back to the flat position. Avoid sagging.
Repetitions: Five to ten times.
 Knee to Shoulder Exercise
Starting position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Exercise: Pull up one knee up to your chest holding it with one hand. Bring the other knee up and hold it while letting your knees spread apart around your abdomen. You head should rest on the floor. Gently pull your knees toward your shoulders until you feel a slight stretch in the lower part of your back. Hold for a slow count of five. Release the pull while still holding on to your knees.
Note: In late pregnancy, it may be difficult to raise and pull both legs together. You may wish to raise and pull only one leg at a time. Roll onto your side as soon as you finish the exercise. If you feel dizzy after doing these exercises do not do it.
Repetitions: Repeat five to ten times. Let your foot down one by one.
Upper Backache
Exercises
Shoulder Circling
Starting position: Stand or sit with your back straight, your arms relaxed, and your chin level.
Exercise: Bring up your shoulders toward your ears, then slowly roll them forward, down, back, and up again. Try to make the roll as large as possible. Imagine someone is rubbing your back while you slowly make circles with your shoulders. You will feel relaxed. Finish with your shoulders back and down in a normal position.
Repetitions: Do five to ten rotations, then reverse the direction and repeat.
Upper Body Stretch
Starting position: Sit cross-legged or stand with your arms straight and extended in front of you.
Exercise: Cross your arms at the elbows. You will feel your upper back stretch. Breathe in slowly, raise your crossed arms towards the ceiling and gradually uncross your arms. Reach upward such that you feel your en tire body stretch. Exhale as you lower your arms down to your sides and then behind you with palms up. Feel the stretch across your chest and upper arms. When your arms are down behind you, stretch further with five gentle pulsing motions. Exhale with each stretch, making an audible whoosh sound. Drop your arms to your sides and relax without slumping.
Repetitions: Repeat five times.
Aching Legs or Swollen Ankles or Varicose Veins
Exercises to promote circulation
Try to keep moving as much as possible. Avoid standing still.
While sitting, rotate your feet at the ankles and avoid crossing your legs at the knees.
If you want to lie down, lie on your side. If you want to sit, make sure to rest your feet on an elevated surface - sit with your feet up.
Exercises to prevent or reduce swelling in the legs
Wear support stockings. Put them on when you get up in the morning since this is the time when there is the least amount of swelling.
Put the foot of your bed on two- to three-inch blocks to raise it. This will ensure that the position of your feet is a little higher than your heart when you lie down. It helps to reduce the swelling in your legs, feet, and ankles. If this position does not suit you, or cause more heartburn or shortness of breath, avoid this position and rely on other measures as given above.
Leg Cramps
At the latter stages of pregnancy, you may get Cramps in the calves or feet when you are resting or asleep for a long period. The reasons for cramps are fatigue in calf muscles, increased pressure on the nerves to the legs, impaired circulation and a calcium-phosphorus imbalance in the blood. The calcium-phosphorus imbalance may be due to in-sufficient calcium intake or excessive phosphorous intake through ingestion of food containing phosphorus- such as processed meats, snack foods and soft drinks. Sometimes in spite of a good diet and proper attention to circulation, cramps do occur, especially when you point your toes or when you stand or walk on your tiptoes. You get relief from muscle cramps by slowly and gently stretching your muscles.
Exercise to get relief from cramp in the calf
Shift your body weight on the cramped feet to get relief. In order to stretch the calf muscle keep your knee straight, your ankle bent, and your heel on the floor. Then lean forward. It will stretch the calf mus-cle. Your partner`s help may be required if your cramp is severe. Sit comfortably in a chair or on a bed. Keep your affected leg straight with the support from your partner. Your partner (while facing you) will hold your knee with one hand and your ankle with the other hand. He will push gently towards your face the foot and the toes with the forearm of his vertically place hand which is holding the ankle. A cramp in the foot tightens the mus-cles of the arch and curls the toes. Cramps in your toes can be relieved by stretching out your toes and foot with your hand. Curling your toes can lead to cramps.
Sudden Groin Pain
Most women experience a sudden pain in the lower abdomen or groin, on one or both sides. This may happen when you get up quickly, or sneeze, cough or laugh while you have your hips extended (lying down or standing). The pain is caused by sudden stretching of one or both of the round ligaments that support the uterus and connect to the front of the uterus on either side of the groin. The ligaments contract and relax like muscles, but much more slowly. Sudden stretching of these ligaments will cause pain. You must move slowly to give time to the ligaments to stretch gradually. Bend or flex your hips when sneezing or coughing, to reduce the pull on these ligaments.
During labor, the round ligaments go through contractions along with uterine contractions. The action causes the ligaments to pull the uterus for-ward and align it and the baby with the birth canal for a comfortable vaginal birth.
| |
| |
|
