So you got yourself a Bub's Maternity Pillow™, used it for a few nights, excited to finally get a good night's sleep, but you're still waking up with back pain? Keep reading.
Though most of our mommas find back pain relief within only a few nights, this isn't the case for everyone. Remember, there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to the changes that occur in your body during pregnancy, but you most definitely don't have to live in pain through it.
There are numerous reasons why you may still experience back pain despite using the Bub's Pillow. In this article, we will discuss the most common causes, how to deal with them, and offer a few other solutions that will undoubtedly be beneficial as well.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BACK DURING PREGNANCY?
First, hormonal changes cause your body's ligaments to relax and stretch in preparation for labor.
Second, these hormonal changes cause discomfort on the side or back of the hip, and also in the general pelvic girdle area, likely to result in backaches.
Finally, the weight of your growing baby places additional strain on the arch in your lower back, forcing you to adopt poor posture during the day, resulting in back pain.
I BOUGHT THE BUB’S MATERNITY PILLOW™ BUT I STILL GET BACK PAIN. WHAT CAN I DO?
By supporting your belly and back while sleeping, our Bub's Maternity Pillow™ can help reduce upper and lower back pain from poor sleeping posture. At night, this relieves pressure on your back joints and ligaments.
This, however, may not be sufficient to completely alleviate back pain during pregnancy. This is because the back pain experienced during pregnancy does not originate from how you sleep alone (in fact, sleep isn't even the main reason!).
The three main causes of hip and back pain are hormonal changes that affect the joints and ligaments in your back, extra weight punishing your back during the day, and posture changes caused by both of the preceding reasons.
Furthermore, if you only recently began sleeping on your side after receiving the Bub's Maternity Pillow™, you should also consider that the cause of this newly discovered pain may not be due to the pillow, but rather due to the transition from sleeping on your back/belly to sleeping on your side.
Tips on how to get the most out of your BUB’S MATERNITY PILLOW™
SOLUTION #1: BETTER BACK SUPPORT AT NIGHT
If you wake up with back pain after using the Bub's Maternity Pillow™, there are a few things that could be happening with your pillow that can be easily solved. These are:
- Your pillow isn’t supporting your back enough (too wide)
Solution: Narrow down the gap between the two pillows slightly. Lay on it for 2-5 minutes and see if it feels better. If it doesn’t, keep making small adjustments to the width of the pillow until you find the perfect distance for you.
- Your pillow is adding too much pressure on your back (too narrow)
Solution: Widen the gap between the two pillows slightly. Lay on it for 2-5 minutes and see if it feels better. If it doesn’t, keep making small adjustments to the width of the pillow until you find the perfect distance for you.
- Your back pillow is too firm
Solution:
a) Remove the cover of the pillow that feels too firm (front, back, or both)
b) Unzip the inner pillow and remove a small handful of stuffing
c) Zip it back up, fluff the pillows to get them back to shape, and start again.
- Lower back pain: Your pillow may be too high (too little support on your lower back)
Solution #1: Wedge your back pillow slightly lower on your back, supporting your lower back more than your upper back.
Solution #2: Gently wedge the Auxiliary Pillow on your lower back for extra support at night.
- Upper back pain: Your pillow is too low (too little support on your upper back)
Solution #1: Wedge your back pillow slightly higher on your back, supporting your upper back more than your upper back.
Solution #2: Gently wedge the Auxiliary Pillow on your upper back for extra support at night.
Every woman's body and every pregnancy are unique. Some mothers suffer from upper back pain, while others experience more lower back pain. Some require a lot of support, while others find that too much extra support becomes uncomfortable.
Remember that what you do during the day determines your back pain. Because there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to back pain during pregnancy, taking the time to adjust your Bub's Maternity Pillow™ is essential to getting the best sleep possible.
Additional Tips:
- If you’ve tried all the options above and still can’t find relief, you may benefit from using a larger pillow that supports your entire back.
- You can try fitting a regular sleeping pillow behind your back, but we found these are often too soft, move too much at night, and make us very, very sweaty!
- If you can’t seem to find a larger pillow that really helps, you can try our Bub's Full Body Attachment. This pillow is specifically designed to attach to your Bub's Maternity Pillow™ so it doesn't move during the night. It's breathable, and it has up to 10 different side-sleeping configurations that may solve your sleeping problems for good! Just like our Bub’s Pillow, our Full Body Attachment also comes with a 90-Night Risk-Free Trial, so if this doesn’t help with your discomfort, you can send it back for a full refund.
SOLUTION #2: BETTER BACK SUPPORT DURING THE DAY
Maternity belts support your growing bump during the day, reducing strain on your back joints and ligaments, and reducing pressure on the arch of your back. This makes maintaining proper posture and balance during the day easier, reducing back pain both during the day and at night.
Many maternity bands are available on the market, and as long as they comfortably support your belly, many of them will work.
We created the Bub’s Maternity Belt to help mommas enjoy a pain-free pregnancy, especially when our Bub's Maternity Pillow™ isn’t enough. Just like our pillow, the Bub’s Maternity Band comes with a 90 Day Risk Free Trial. If it doesn’t help you, you can send it back for a full refund.
SOLUTION #3: PRENATAL YOGA
One of the most popular techniques for pregnancy back pain relief is yoga, a movement-based strength and flexibility practice with roots in ancient India. Prenatal yoga is popular among pregnant women whose backs, muscles, joints, and nerves are aching from the strain of pregnancy.
Prenatal yoga can help improve posture and "tone the physical body in preparation for the birthing process," says Liz Owen, a Boston-area yoga teacher and the co-author of Yoga for a Healthy Lower Back: A Practical Guide to Developing Strength and Relieving Pain.
Prenatal yoga also addresses emotional stress by utilizing deep, mindful breathing exercises that both strengthen and empower the mother. Yoga can also help you sleep better and relax your mind and muscles.
SOLUTION #4: MEDICAL INTERVENTION
If you have persistent or severe back pain during pregnancy, you should consult your doctor.
It's generally safe to take acetaminophen during pregnancy for normal and occasional back pain, but avoid ibuprofen and other NSAIDs, unless your doctor gives the go-signal because they can cause low amniotic fluid and heart problems in your baby.
Pregnant women should carefully follow their doctor's medication instructions. Common over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen, have some risks. As a result, it is crucial to consult a doctor before using any over-the-counter pain relievers during pregnancy.
OTHER WAYS TO AVOID BACKACHE DURING PREGNANCY
Avoiding or changing specific activities can help protect your back during pregnancy. Doing so is extremely important as your pregnancy progresses. Here are some tips to help you avoid discomfort:
- Avoid heavy lifting. Bend your knees, keep your back straight, and tighten your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles if you need to lift something heavy. It’s important that you keep the object close to your body as you lift it. Is your toddler being very clingy? Let them climb into your lap instead or start allowing them to climb into the tub and the car by themselves.
- Always have a good posture. Maintain symmetry in your pelvis. When standing, make sure your weight is evenly distributed between your two legs, your back should be straight, and your pelvis tucked under. Don’t stand for long periods of time, and most of all, don’t slouch when sitting down. Instead, sit up straight with your bottom towards the back of the chair, and your feet on a stool if needed.
- Avoid activities that might hurt your back. Walking up steep hills, bending or twisting, and even climbing ladders should all be avoided.
- Be careful in bed. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. Roll onto your side with your knees together to get out of bed. Then swing your legs onto the floor, while using your arms for support.
- Wear shoes with low heels, but not flats. Footwear with low heels are highly recommended as these provided efficient arch support, but you shouldn’t use high heels as well.
- If your mattress is too soft, it should be replaced. A firm mattress can help prevent and relieve back pain. But if replacing your mattress is not an option, simply place a piece of hard board under it.
- Stop smoking and get fit. Overweight, unfit, and smokers have a higher risk of suffering from sciatica (pain that travels along the sciatic nerve’s path) during pregnancy.
In conclusion, pregnancy back pain will most likely subside shortly after delivery. In the meantime, if exercises and home remedies don’t work for you, not even tips with the maternity pillows, make sure to make an appointment or seek specialized care from a physical therapist. We hope we were able to help you address back pain using our Bub's Maternity Pillow™.