Pregnancy is a thrilling time as you prepare to meet your sweet newborn. However, it also affects your body, often including back pain. Even if you aren’t normally prone to this discomfort, you will likely experience it during pregnancy. The first step to staying as comfortable as possible in those last several weeks is understanding the source of your discomfort, a few of which are below.

5 Reasons Pregnancy Causes Back Pain

1. Gravity Shift

As your baby grows, your body will distribute most of the weight toward the front of your body, altering your center of gravity. Naturally, you’ll start leaning back more often or adjusting your posture to compensate. Although it helps maintain your balance, the strain causes spinal pain.

2. Muscle Strain

A growing baby needs considerable room, which means that they may push your abdominal muscles out of their way. Because this process weakens, stretches, and sometimes separates your muscles, they cannot support your spine. This will exacerbate any lower back pain that you experience.

3. Weight Gain

Women usually gain at least 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. This supports the baby’s growth and circulation, as well as holds the placenta and amniotic fluid. However, your weight gain and the baby’s growth puts extra pressure on your spine, leading to back pain. This happens because your back muscles are not used to carrying around the extra weight, and strain to support it.

4. Hormonal Changes

Throughout your pregnancy, your body increases hormone production to keep you and the baby healthy. One of those hormones is relaxin, and it allows your muscles to relax and reduce strain. Its effects become noticeable in the second and third trimesters as it encourages your pelvic and spinal ligaments to loosen in preparation for labor. This is essential for a smooth delivery, but until then, it increases spinal instability.

5. Enhanced Stress

With so many changes in your hormones, you may be susceptible to both new and everyday stressors. Because of this, the adrenaline that stress produces will tighten the muscles in your back. The more stressed you feel, the more back pain your tense muscles will cause, so try to relax to reduce the pain.

If you need help managing your back pain while pregnant, contact Alpha And Omega Chiropractor in Ruidoso, NM. They have been serving Lincoln County for more than 10 years, and pride themselves on their holistic approach to health care. They assist with pain relief through massages, meridian therapy, and other methods both during and after your pregnancy. To check their availability, call (575) 258-5999. Visit them online for more information about their services.