Pregnancy is a beautiful period that brings a lot of joy, and happiness. However, it is also time to be very careful about your diet, bodily changes, medicines, and health checkups. Your watchfulness will help in protecting you as well as your baby.
Some expecting women are fearful of bending during pregnancy as they fear that it can harm the baby. If you also have this concern, then read this article. Here, we will discuss the safety of bending in pregnancy to help you clear your queries, and doubts in regards to it.
Safety Of Bending In Pregnancy
It is safe to bend over in pregnancy, and it won’t cause any damage to the growing baby. You can be rest assured that your baby is properly cushioned in the womb. When you move your body, the amniotic fluid helps to change the position of the baby by moving legs, hands, and feet. Bending is unlikely to hurt him, but as the baby bump grows, it is likely to cause you to discomfort to bend over in the final trimester of pregnancy.
According to health experts, bending is safe only when you do it in the right way. Posture is very critical in this respect. An expecting mother is advised to bend herself at the hip joint in place of at the knees, and at the spine/waist. In addition to posture, there are a few other factors such as the existing health of the woman, frequency of bending, and pregnancy stage, that determine the safety of bend over in pregnancy.
Bending over is safe only when it is done occasionally. If a pregnant woman bends at the waist several times a day then it can increase the chances of adverse birth consequences.
Generally bending over is safe in the first trimester. At this time the size of the bump is small and so it is less likely to impact the fetus. It is not going to cause any issue to your fetus in the second trimester. However, it can be uncomfortable for you.
The problem can arise in the third trimester. This is the time when the baby bump is quite enlarged. This can result in loss of balance at the time of bending. There are chances that you may fall, and hurt yourself.
What type of discomfort can be caused by bending in Pregnancy?
It is important to know how bending can adversely impact you during pregnancy. Not following the right posture, or excessively indulging in bending especially in the final trimester, can lead to the following troubles.
Pain in the spine: As the little one is growing in your womb, it can cause your abdominal muscles to lose a little strength. So, when you bend over, you can put extra pressure on the muscles in the low back. Excess stress can cause excruciating pain in the back that can prevent you to bend forward.
Heartburn and Acid reflux: Bending can even worsen existing discomfort that you commonly face in pregnancy. It can increase the severity of heartburn, and gastroesophageal reflux during the third trimester. By putting stress on your stomach, it can cause stomach acid to get into the food pipe.
Dizziness: In some cases, bending can even make you feel dizzy.
Tips to ensure safe bending during pregnancy
- If you wish to pick anything from the floor, then spread your thighs, bend your knees and get into a squat position to bend over. Do not bend your waist or spine while doing it as it can cause back pain.
- When you are lifting yourself up from a lower position, then ensure you don’t get up with a jerk. You can take support of your thighs, knees, and hands while getting up slowly from the floor. This will prevent back strain.
- Do not lift and hold a heavy object while bending as it can result in extended strain on your back muscles. It can also cause your body to get imbalanced and can make you fall.
- If you wish to lift something, then align it with the baby bump. This will help you come in alignment with the center of gravity. Ensure your feet are stable on the ground.
- Keep your shoulders, and spine completely straight to ensure proper flow of blood circulation.
Conclusion
As explained above, occasional bending over in pregnancy is considered to be harmless for you as well as your baby. In no way, it can squish your baby. However, when you reach your third trimester of pregnancy, it is very important to exercise a specific degree of caution to prevent yourself from falling and hurting yourself and your baby.
Whichever the stage of pregnancy it is, if you are experiencing persistent pain or discomfort after bending, then it is best to reach your doctor at the earliest.