That's Fit

In our Fit Pregnancy feature, blogger Jennifer Jordan speaks her mind about maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Every two weeks through March 31, 2007 she'll weigh in on exercise, diet, wellness and other health-related issues as she manages her own journey from pregnancy to motherhood.

Lately, my lower back is killing me. I'm starting to feel like I'm 80 years old: I sit down on the couch and simply can't get up again. Of course this would offend my grandmother, who is nearly 77 and engages in jazzercise and aerobics. She'd tell me to just get over it. And I'd love to, but I can't figure out how. Being nearly 35 weeks pregnant, I can certainly figure out why I'm experiencing lower back pain, and it has little to do with old injuries, my previous rabid running schedule or not sitting up straight at my computer. No, it's the baby.

Apparently the little guy now weighs somewhere around 4.5 pounds and all of him plus everything else swirling around in there, including but not limited to placenta and amniotic fluid, which is all centralized rather adorably right in my tummy, is putting a strain on my lower back. Never one to focus on or even at times notice pain, I am surprised by at times just how uncomfortable I feel.

Baby aside, there is one thing that tends to cause folks--even the non-pregnant ones--lower back pain, and it's something I've had a lot of in my life these past few weeks: stress. Although I hate to admit it, the countdown to baby has begun, and I don't feel fully prepared. Never mind that no one feels prepared enough for their first child, but the stress associated with getting the house in order and figuring out what I'm going to do about work is enough to make both me and my lower back scream.

Sitting is fine, and walking is fine. In fact, walking actually makes me feel better. But standing, whether it's in a line at the grocery or just changing the contents of my purse to another, is really taking a toll on me. Luckily I spend most of my time these days sitting or walking, but there are times when I find myself standing and feel the dull ache set in to my lower back. Even standing for five minutes at the fridge deciding what to make for dinner can bring the pain.

So, what to do? Well, the stretches I would normally incorporate to release the throbbing are out since I have something the size of a beach ball in my stomach, which keeps me from doing a lot of bending. Additionally, my balance, which was never great to begin with, has taken a turn for the worse. The more round I get the less graceful I am. That said, back pain during pregnancy is normal and there are recommended stretches for pregnant women to help relieve such symptoms.

Also, pain meds are out for me. Even if I weren't pregnant I am not the type to mask pain. I feel pain is there for a reason, my body telling me something is wrong or out of whack that needs addressing. More often than not, the addressing entails resting and relaxing, something we should all do more of, not just those of us in the family way.

Rest and relaxation may seem like goals simple enough to accomplish, but that's not always the case. Getting enough sleep during the last trimester of pregnancy can be difficult. As I near the end of my third trimester the pain in my lower back can take a substantial amount of time to subside, if it does entirely, which can keep me awake despite how tired I feel.

Getting a friend to massage the area can be a big help. In fact, it seems the method that works best. Massage, in combination with walking, not standing for long periods of time, and resting whenever possible, seems to alleviate most of the aching.

Signing up for a prenatal massage can help too. Although I freely admit they're expensive (at least $100 for 60 minutes in the New York area and usually more) and haven't been able to figure out a way to get my insurance to cover them, there is nothing--and I mean nothing--like a professional touch to do the trick. In addition to working out all the pregnancy kinks, prenatal massage therapists, in my experience anyway, are some of the nicest people on earth. Just being in a place full of nice people genuinely concerned about you and your baby, who know how to give killer massages to boot, can bring immediate relief.

Are there any tricks or tips you know of to alleviate lower back pain during pregnancy? If so, I'd love to hear them. So would my husband, who is probably tired of hearing me moan about how much my back hurts!