Pelvic Pain, Backache, and Sciatica During Pregnancy

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If you feel aching or pressure in your pelvis or vagina, it's a signal to rest. Get off your feet and once you have rested awhile, the pain or pressure should subside. If you notice this pressure on a daily basis, you may need to evaluate the amount of physical activity you undertake regularly. This doesn't mean becoming a couch potato; it means taking things down a notch. Maybe your evening walk around the neighborhood should be a little shorter in terms of distance and time. Maybe you can leave the groceries in the trunk until you have someone else to carry them in. If the pressure or pain does not subside after relaxing or lightening your load, talk to your doctor.

Backache
Oh, your aching back! You may have never had a backache before pregnancy, but I'll bet you've had more than your fair share by the end of your pregnancy. You're carrying more weight, your center of balance is off, and your posture is probably not as straight as it should be. Your body is under pressure and that pressure can wreak havoc on your back...your lower back most likely.

Hopefully, your backaches are once in a while occurrences or are limited to specific times of day - like when you wake up and have been still for eight hours or after your commute home from work - or after more physical activity than you're used to - like a shopping spree. Backaches that come and go are annoying, but rest and a little TLC will get you through. If you are experiencing back pain which is interfering with your ability to relax at all, you will need to be pro-active. You may not be able to cure your backaches, but you may be able to decrease the severity or the frequency with which they occur.

Battling back pain? Try this:

1. Sleep on a firm mattress

2. Sleep with a pillow between your knees and at the small of your back

3. Stand and sit up straight; avoid slouching

4. Alternate standing, sitting, and reclining; avoid remaining in one position for extended periods of time

5. Exercise and stretch; but avoid exercises which cause you pain

6. Alternate heat and ice packs to the areas where discomfort occurs

7. Wear comfortable shoes; avoid going barefoot

Note: In the last weeks of pregnancy, be aware that the sudden onset of pain in the lower back which is strong enough to distract you from your daily routine may actually be labor.

If your backache is accompanied by pain which extends down your buttock or leg, you may have...

Sciatica
Sciatica is severe pain, weakness, or numbness of the lower back, buttocks and thighs that radiates from the side of the thigh to the front of the lower leg. This pain is usually concentrated on one side of the body. Sciatica can be mild, but usually people suffering with Sciatica are very uncomfortable.

Why do pregnant women get Sciatica?
As pregnancy progresses, baby grows larger and eventually presses its head into the mother's pelvis. The pelvic bones undergo great pressure, despite the fact that the pelvis shifts to house the baby. For a small percentage of women, this pelvic pressure actually stretches the sciatic nerves which are located in the back and buttocks. Stretching or pressure on the sciatic nerve causes intense pain, weakness, and numbness.

What steps can be taken to alleviate sciatic pain?
Follow the same advice given above for back pain relief. Sciatica is not an easy thing to live with, but chances are it will clear up before baby arrives.

In addition to the tips above:

1. Avoid lying flat on your back (which you shouldn't be doing anyway).

2. Use pillows for back support while sitting.

3. Stretch forward over the baby. This stretches the lower back muscles, relieving some pressure and associated pain.

4. Be careful when walking. It's possible to lose all feeling in a leg from the sciatic nerve problem, trip or fall.