Pregnancy and Postpartum Pain What is prenatal pregnancy pain? Prenatal pregnancy pain includes any symptoms of discomfort experienced during pregnancy. Every woman’s pregnancy is different so there are no set rules when it comes to the type of pain you may encounter. Even though side effects vary, almost every pregnant woman will experience at least some of the symptoms below: Sciatica: Pain into the buttock and/or down the leg usually from nerve compression in the low back and buttock Low Back Pain: As a woman’s abdomen grows, there is extra strain on the low back to counter the additional weight. Sacroilliac Joint Pain: As hormones flood the body during pregnancy, ligaments become more flexible. This can cause extra stress around the ligaments of the SI joints causing pain across the low back and into the buttock. Heachaches: The changes in hormones and additional abdominal weight can pull on the upper back and neck causing tension heachaches. What are the symptoms of prenatal pregnancy pain? Aches and cramps in the pelvis, abdominal region, pressure on the muscles, veins, and joints, discomfort in the stomach, back ache, painful gas and bloating, constipation, and soreness around the hips. How do we treat prenatal pregnancy pain? We understand aches and pains during pregnancy as we have treated many pregnant women and have also dealt with pregnancy pain ourselves. We assess and adjust your posture, strengthen any weak muscles, massage tight muscles to take pressure off your lower back and prescribe a gentle workout to help improve the way your hips, abdomen, pelvis, and back move and feel. Our technique is always gentle to protect the health of the baby and soon to be mother. What is postpartum pain? Every woman’s birth process is different in intensity and length so whether you’ve had a natural vaginal birth, an epidural, or a Cesarian Section, we’ve worked with women who have experienced pain after every kind of birth. It is important to heal properly after giving birth to avoid the following conditions: Diastasis Recti: This is a separation of the abdominal muscles straight down the middle of a woman’s six pack muscles known as the Rectus Abdominus. Approximately 2/3 of women experience this separation postpartum. The key is to strengthen the core properly and under guidance to not increase the separation. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: From the natural birth process the pelvic floor can either be tight and overactive or weak leading to incontinence. Low back Pain: After giving birth, the hormones in the body relax the ligaments in the body. This laxity can lead to low back pain especially while learning how to hold and carry your baby in the first months of life. Headaches: As hormones return to a pre-pregnancy states and sometimes after an epidural, women can experience intense headaches. What are the symptoms of postpartum pain? Postpartum pains can be similar to pregnancy pains including: aches and cramps in the pelvis, abdominal region, pressure on the muscles and joints, discomfort in the stomach, back aches, painful gas and bloating, constipation, and soreness around the hips. How do we treat postpartum pain? We have treated many women after pregnancy and have also dealt with postpartum pain ourselves. We assess your diastasis recti and examine your pelvic floor externally. We teach you good posture while breast feeding and hold your baby. We focus on strengthening any weak muscles, massage tight muscles to take pressure off your lower back and prescribe a gentle workout to help improve the way your entire body moves and feels after giving birth.