5 Simple Tips to Feel Strong Through Your Pregnancy

Please enjoy this guest blog post from our Community Partner, Dr. Jessica de Nooij. ❤️

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Although it’s common to experience back and or pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy, it’s also possible to enjoy this incredible time of your life. Here are 5 simple tips to help you feel strong and healthy through your pregnancy and prepare your body for your best birth:

1. See a Chiropractor (of course I’m going to start with this one!)

   Chiropractic care is a safe, gentle and effective way to support your body as it goes through the changes of pregnancy.

   Right from the first trimester, the relaxin hormone starts to have an effect on the ligaments that provide body stability. This provides an opportunity for your body and pelvis to change and adapt to the physical changes required for pregnancy. However, these hormonal changes often cause changes in body and spine alignment leading to tension, weakness and/or pain.

   Chiropractic adjustments can help your body to better adapt to the normal physiological changes in pregnancy by balancing nerve system communication between the brain and body, restoring spinal motion and reducing muscular tension. Maintaining optimal body mobility and stability helps to keep you feeling and functioning your best through all stages of pregnancy and into your postpartum.

   Look for a Chiropractor who is Webster Certified with the ICPA (International Pediatric Chiropractic Association)

2. Focus on your 3D Breathing

   This type of breathing is extremely beneficial for health as it helps to coordinate the diaphragm with the pelvic floor, promotes spinal stability, activates the vagus nerve and our parasympathetic nervous system.

   To begin, lay on your back (or on an incline) with your hands on either sides of your rib cage. On your inhale focus on moving your diaphragm down as you fill your torso with air and fully relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. As you breath in be sure that your shoulders and neck remain relaxed.

   Be mindful to breath into all areas of your torso by feeling forward expansion in the belly, side expansion in the ribs and back expansion towards the floor or bed.

   As it becomes more natural, try it in other positions as well: on all fours, sitting, and standing. Start with 10 minutes per day of mindful breathing, then try to incorporate it into your daily activities.

3. Get Walking and Squatting

   Motion is lotion to the joints of the spine and pelvis in pregnancy. Walking and squatting help to maintain optimal function in the SI joints, sacrum, spine and pelvic girdle. These key movements also provide an opportunity for muscle activation and building strength and stability.

   Aim to walk 30-60 minutes per day throughout your pregnancy. Be sure to wear supportive footwear and build up slowly if you have been inactive prior to your pregnancy.

   Work up to doing 25 deep squats per day and 5 additional repetitions where you are holding the position at the bottom of the squat for 30 seconds.

   Contraindications to this type of exercise squat may include knee pain, pelvic floor pain or pelvic organ prolapse or if baby is not in an optimal position for birth. In these cases, be sure to speak with your health care provider.

4. Focus on your Alignment and Body Posture

   The body changes in such incredible ways in pregnancy from week-to-week. As the body adapts physically to the growing baby it becomes even more important to be mindful of your body alignment. Here are a few things to get you started:

   1. Keep a “micro-bend” in your knees when standing: this helps to ensure that your pelvis stays stacked up over your feet and that you’re not putting additional tension on the hips and knees.

   2. Try to maintain a Neutral Pelvis when sitting and standing: place your hands on your hips with your fingers wrapping around the front of your hips and your thumbs wrapping around the back. Imagine that your pelvis is a bucket of water. If you tip your pelvis back (posterior pelvic tilt) you’ll spill water out the back. Tipping the pelvis forwards (anterior pelvic tilt) will spill water out the front.

   3. Keep your torso stacked over your pelvis: when sitting, standing or walking, aim to keep the front of your ribs in line with the front of your hip bones. If there’s excessive anterior or posterior tipping of the pelvis, or arching in the lower back, the ribs may feel as though they’re flaring out. When the torso and pelvis are stacked it allows for better activation of the muscles of the hips, back and core as well as the diaphragm and pelvic floor.

   4. Fix your Forward Head Posture: looking down when working, doing hobbies, playing with children or when we’re on our devices, causes the head to drop forward. This places excessive strain on the muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper back. Place your hand in front of your nose and try to move your head back into good alignment. Imagine there’s a string at the top of your head and you’re being pulled up tall towards the ceiling.

5. Manage body Tension

   There’re many reasons why you may experience increased muscular tension in pregnancy including increased physical demand on the body, changes to your center of gravity and ligament laxity. A combination of daily static stretching and muscular release (using a ball against the wall) often produces the best results.

   Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and connects muscles from one end of the body to another. This explains why tension in the muscles of the calves can effect the hamstrings at the back of the legs and pull on the sacrum, lower back and even into the shoulders, face and jaw.

   Spend 10-20 minutes each day releasing out the muscles of the body to keep them healthy and strong.

If you have questions on Chiropractic care or how to incorporate these tips and suggestions, please reach out. I would love to help you feel strong and healthy through your pregnancy and into postpartum and life with baby.