Today I’m sharing how I’m managing low-back and hip pain during pregnancy today! Affiliate links used.
This second pregnancy has been eerily similar in some ways but in other ways very different than my first. The first trimester nausea and exhaustion felt way worse this time around but I think I may be able to attribute that to the fact that I’m now the main caregiver of a 2.5 year. It was a lot harder, and it still is, to take it easy whenever I felt like I needed to. As we are creeping towards the end of this pregnancy (only 8 more weeks to go!) my old friends intense nightly heartburn, varicose veins, irritability, and exhaustion no matter how many hours a day I sleep have begun to creep in. Oh, and comments from people about how they KNOW I must have twins in there because of how big my stomach is. Insert eye roll here. Whoops, is that my irritability showing? 
The other major similarity of this pregnancy to my first was the early onset of lower back and hip pain. I’m talking eight or less weeks into both pregnancies and I was having trouble sleeping due to it. During my first pregnancy, I pretty much just accepted the pain as my burden to bear in order to carry a child. I suffered through it for MONTHS before coming to my senses and calling my chiropractor for help. She was able to help a little bit but I never felt like my pain was truly under control and it just got more and more out of control as the weeks passed. Again, I just chalked it up to the “this is what it means to be pregnant” mentality. But it doesn’t have to be like that!
Fast forward two years to my second pregnancy where thankfully I was a little older and wiser. The same pain came on again right around week eight but instead of just accepting it as part of being pregnant I did several things right away that have really seemed to make a difference. Hopefully if you are struggling these things might help you too!
Leachco Back ‘N Belly Pregnancy Pillow
1. Pregnancy Pillow
The very first thing I did to change it up for my second pregnancy was to buy a pregnancy pillow. I went back and forth during my first pregnancy on if I should get one or not and ultimately decided on not. There are just so many things you need to buy for your first baby already and it seemed over-indulgent. I’m here to tell you, if you are struggling to sleep due to pain at all, GET ONE. A good night’s sleep is invaluable while you are pregnant and I slept 100x better the very first night.
I did a lot of research (aka Googling “pregnancy pillows for hip pain”) and I would definitely suggest doing that and comparing the options before pulling the trigger on one. There are a ton of different shapes, sizes, materials, and price points! The one I ended up purchasing is definitely a higher price point than a lot of them but also came as the most recommended for the support I needed. And frankly, I’d pay double the amount I did (for real) knowing how much better I’ve slept since the day I got it. Amazon has consistently had the lowest price I’ve seen on my specific one but it’s also sold at other retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Motherhood Maternity as well.
2. Regular Chiropractic Care
God bless the chiropractor. (Hi Deana!) I know I mentioned in the first part of this post that I did go to the chiropractor during my first pregnancy but I suffered through literal months of pain before I called her for help. (Which was so weird/dumb because I had been going regularly for years at that point already.) Not this time. My chiropractor may have known I was pregnant before my husband (kidding).
Sometimes people want to get into discussions with me whenever I mention chiropractic care, which I understand and respect. Just do your research and ultimately don’t do anything you are uncomfortable with! Pregnant or not if you are in the Evansville area and are looking for a chiropractor let me know and I’d love to point you towards mine.
3. Massage
Regular massages have been another life saver for this pregnancy. They are covered by my insurance with my chiropractic care so I get one every 3-4 weeks depending. Chiropractic massage is more targeted to your problem areas but is so helpful in relieving tense muscles and reducing stress. I was also gifted a prenatal massage by my sister-in-law at a local salon which was a total dream. I keep saying I’m going to treat my self to another but haven’t yet! For a more “recreational” massage you will likely have to get the OK from your OB (mine just had to fax something to the salon saying it was ok) so keep that in mind.
Oh cute, tiny baby bump. How I miss you at 32 weeks pregnant!
4. Physical Activity
One of the biggest and most helpful changes I feel like I’ve made this pregnancy is continuing to exercise vigorously. I’ve talked about it before, but during my first pregnancy I was just so unsure of what my body could do. Going into that pregnancy I was in fairly good shape but pretty much stopped all physical activity other than walks with my dog within a few weeks. My back was already starting to hurt but truthfully I was also really nervous about doing something to hurt the baby. Exercise has always been vital for me personally in managing my weight and stress and it really showed (physically and mentally) during my first pregnancy.
It’s actually a lot harder for me to go to the gym or fit in time for a run these days (hello, I’m the full-time care taker of a 2.5 year old) but I’ve made it a priority and it’s made a huge difference in how I feel. With few exceptions I’ve worked out at least 2-3 times per week for the past 32 weeks and will continue to do so until I have this baby or my doctor tells me to stop! My usual workout consists of some sort of treadmill workout (I stopped running around 28 weeks so now I do incline interval workouts), rowing, and body weight (planks are so helpful in building a strong foundation of your core and back) or light free weight exercises. I am by no means a personal trainer or someone with body #goals but if you are interested in more details of my weekly workout schedule, let me know!
The culprit of my first pregnancy back pain loves to use my pregnancy pillow for unintended proposes.
SO many of you said you also suffered with back or hip pain when I did a poll over on Instagram Stories! I also asked for you all to share some things that helped you manage your back pain during pregnancy and here are some of the responses I got:
“Snoogle body pillow and weekly visits to the chiropractor!” – @jennafalcon_
“Pregnancy pillow” – @megan_stillwell
“Chiropractor!” – @alanalivingston
“Consistent chiropractic care!” @carriebholiday
“Sleeping with a pillow between my legs helped marginally but the only thing that really helped was a prenatal massage. Also, switching to a “professional backpack” instead of lugging my work bag around.” – @amandahager_
“Chiropractor!! And since I sit at my desk 9-5 if I got up and walked every hour it lessened.” – @mrschelseallen
I really hope this post helps someone out there have a more comfortable pregnancy! I’ve seriously felt like a different person physically during this pregnancy and it has been SO much more enjoyable. Crossing my fingers that it makes labor, delivery, and recovery easier as well like “they” keep telling me. Share any tips you have with us in the comments!
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The post MANAGING LOW BACK AND HIP PAIN DURING PREGNANCY (WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY DURING MY SECOND PREGNANCY) appeared first on rachel emily.