Emotions Of Pregnancy
One of the most difficult parts to pregnancy can be dealing with your own emotions. One
minute you are feeling happy and secure and the next moment you burst into tears for no
explainable reason. One minute you are madly in love with your partner, the next you are
trying to throw him out of the house. Crying easily, mood swings, energy lows and
fatigue are all normal aspects of pregnancy. During pregnancy your body experiences an
increase in hormones that are needed to support this pregnancy. Some women are more
sensitive to a similar hormonal shift before their period. It also takes time to adjust to the
fact that you are pregnant, no matter how planned this baby might be. The responsibility
can weigh heavy as the reality of pregnancy sets in, it is also quite normal to have
conflicting emotions over this pregnancy – you are on an incredible journey that causes
role changes that will involve all aspects of your life. Your poor partner can be astonished
at your newfound behavior- not too sure how to deal with you or what to say.
Communicate with your partner and reassure him you are still the same person he has
been living with. Tell him if you could control these mood swings you would- you don’t
like them any more than he does. Another area that is very difficult to deal with is the fact
that your pregnancy totally consumes you. Every minute of every day revolves around
pregnancy because it is your body that is continually changing, so your entire life is
pregnancy- you eat, sleep and drink pregnancy and babies. Whereas, your partner doesn’t
seem to do the same- which can make you feel insecure and causes you to need the
reassurance that he is pleased that you are pregnant. Meanwhile he is ecstatic you are
pregnant, he has told you that, and so what is the fuss all about. Men and women
experience pregnancy very differently. Talk about your insecurities so that you can
understand each other.
Backache During Pregnancy
Half of all women will experience low back pain in pregnancy. Just because something is
common it is not normal nor something that you must ‘put up with’. How do you decide
what is part of pregnancy and when to seek extra help? True pregnancy back ‘ache’
develops due to the changes in posture associated with carrying a large weight in front of
you. At the same time the abdominal muscle sling designed to support our spine by
wrapping around the pelvis becomes stretched. Unless your muscles keep up their
strength you will start to depend on the small spinal muscles which tire easily and
complain by aching. Poor postures such as hanging your weight forwards or standing
tilted on one leg put strain on the spinal ligaments hurt in a different way to muscles and
bones. Imagine leaning with your hand pressed on a table as you stand and chat to
someone, it doesn’t hurt while you do it- but when you take the weight off the finger
joints ache and are sore, and there will be tingling or heaviness in your hand. The same
thing happens to your back. During the day it may only niggle but constant stretching,
bending, lifting and slouched postures strain the ligaments, then when you climb into bed
you feel all the pain build up through the day. This sort of backache is best managed by
close attention to your posture, your sitting and lifting habits as well as exercises to
strengthen your lower abdominal muscles. Pregnancy yoga, Pilates, Alexander
Technique, swimming or assessment and exercises from a physiotherapist are all
excellent choices. Listen to the body’s messages. If back pain is severe and/or traveling
down your leg then it can be a sign that nerves are irritated. There is no such thing as a
baby lying on a nerve. Pregnancy lasts a long nine months. You are just as likely to injure
or jar your back or sacroiliac joints as anyone else, perhaps more so as your ligaments are
softer and movements may be more awkward. This pain should definitely be fully
assessed by a spinal physiotherapist. Movement of your bones and balance of the muscles
will be assessed. Most manual therapy techniques can be applied in positions modified
for pregnancy. Less well recognized but distressing for the sufferer is Symphysis Pubis
Dysfunction, collection of symptoms such as sharp central pubic pain which is irritated
by things like getting in and out of bed or the car, or turning over in the night. Simple
steps like keeping your knees tight together for these tasks and walking with smaller
strides can help but again seek professional advice as muscle strengthening or a support
belt can significantly improve symptoms.