Core Twists

Begin by taking a resistance band or a small dumb weight and stand with your arms at shoulder length feet apart. If using a resistance band your foot should be firmly planted on the band to keep it from slipping into you.

Next, take your body and twist it in the opposite direction from where you’re standing on the band. You should feel your core engaging. Continue this for 10 to 15 reps, and then switch sides!

This exercise works by using the muscles in your core, which help support your power back. When your core is strong, your lower back is more supported and the weight of your child is balanced out.

Deadlift to Curl

Your feet should begin stride length apart from each other, one side in front of the other. You’ll want to have a low-weight dumbbell in each hand.

Lean forward and engage your core, with the dumbbells at your side. From here, you’ll want to slowly lift your upper body up while turning the dumbbells into your body. Continue this for five to ten reps then switch sides.

Triangle Pose

This position uses the techniques of yoga to help you stretch your body. Begin by takin your feet and putting them a strides length away from each other. Reach out with your arms in each direction.

Next cross your left arm over your right side and stretch. Keep your head level and looking up toward the ceiling, and make sure your arms are a straight as possible.

Come back up and cross in the opposite direction. Do this five or six times holding in each position for a while. This will help elongate your body and keep your back relieved of tension.

Let us know how these exercises help, and send us some hints and tips from your own exercise routine! We’d love to hear about them. In the meantime, check out our store for pregnancy support belts that help manually alleviate pain and support your belly when carrying.

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The post Exercises for Back Ache in Pregnant Mothers appeared first on AT Surgical.

Are you a working parent? Perhaps a single parent that needs to keep the money for bills coming in even during pregnancy? Wearing a pregnancy support belt during your pregnancy will help you redistribute and support the weight of your child while being on your feet for many hours.

• Supports any extra weight gained during pregnancy and reduces strain from polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid)

Pregnancy isn’t the same for everyone, nor should it be. Some of us gain more weight than usual or hold excess amniotic fluid. This makes pregnancy a little harder, but let a pregnancy belt will help hold the weight and support your stress.

• Carrying more than one child

The miracle of childbirth is a blessing to us all, when you get more blessings than you bargained for – any help can go a long way.

• Relieves lower back pack

When you become pregnant, your whole body shifts its center of gravity – like..whoa. Imagine what that’s doing to your back? The extra strain on your bones and muscles should be supported.

• Provide relief for the symptoms of Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) or Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP), common issues during pregnancy

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction is a condition of the pelvis where the bones become loose early in pregnancy instead of before the typical pregnancy. Pelvic Girdle Pain is a blanket term for any kind of pelvic/pubic pain experienced by people who are pregnant. These conditions can range from mild to severe, but using a pregnancy support belt may be helpful.

• Hip and pelvic pain caused by the release of the hormone relaxin which prepares your body for labor

You’re getting ready to enter the final weeks of pregnancy, and bam! Your hips and pelvis feel like something is coming with a vengeance. If relaxin is supposed to help so much, why does it feel like it’s beating you up? This is a great time to slip on a pregnancy support belt to shift weight away from the areas and aid in the process.

• Relief for sciatica – a common nerve pain which can spread down the back or leg

Pre-existing conditions or conditions arising from pregnancy can make it that much harder to carry on.

• Relief for round ligament pain

Round Ligament Pain is a common type of pain experienced in the lower belly and groin on one side of your stomach or both.

• Support for women who suffer from hernias in pregnancy

Hernias during pregnancy can happen, check out our other article Different Types of Hernias for more information.

• They can be used to help your muscles strengthen and be supported postpartum

Okay, you have given birth. You now have a screaming child and aches all over, wasn’t this supposed to be a blessing? Strap on a pregnancy support belt to help your body acclimate to not carrying a child. As for the screaming baby… it’s your partner’s turn.

Check out our selection of pregnancy belts here!

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The post 10 Reasons to Use a Pregnancy Support Belt appeared first on AT Surgical.

Sarah

I fell on hard ice 5 years ago, after that I had pricking pain in lower back for about 2 months or so. I wasn’t able to find the exact place of my pain, I could only sense its in my lower back. Then it faded away by itself, but when I’m feeling sick or tired the pain starts again. Now I’m 7 weeks pregnant, and my back aches a lot. No matter what I do the pain doesn’t go away! Especially when I am to bed at night, I find I’m not able to move at all. I have tried laying down on a flat surface and it seems ok for a while, but it worsens after a few minutes.

Rosa

I’m currently 8 months pregnant, and have managed to gain only 21 pounds so far. You really need to watch how much you’re actually taking in on a daily basis, and, if you can, take walks. That way whatever you’re taking in, you’re only keeping what you need and getting rid of what you don’t need. Experiencing back pain that soon is actually normal, cause your body just isn’t use to your growing uterus. When you get to be about 8 months is when the back pain really starts. Just a heads up. Oh and Tylenol won’t relieve much of it at all. Just do different stretches they help ease it a lot.

Tori

I have been having head aches as well and think that is has to do with my back pain. The doctor says my back pain is caused by a pinched Sciatic Nerve. Sitting too long causes it and standing too long causes it to hurt worse. I also noticed when I am extremely busy moving about at the end of the day it catches up to me causing me more pain. I try to snack frequently to not get headaches and I take Tylenol the only thing we can take right now. physical therapy and stretches are suppose to help with the back but in my case do not.

Aidan

I have a disc bulge and am 10 weeks pregnant and the pain is getting substantially worse. I was going to a heated pool doing aqua aerobics, this was great for my back. I initially started walking in water, then running and then I started the classes. The pain went away completely – until I stopped going. Now that I am pregnant I’ll be starting up again as well as dong Pilates. Swimming is just as good, but best to work yourself up to it after walking a few days a week for a few weeks, then running a few days a week for a few weeks and then the swimming or aqua aerobics.

Hope

I cannot advocate Pilates enough for avoiding back pain! Before pregnancy I had a herniated disc with the whole sciatic thing… surgery was highly recommended. My GYN kindly warned that I would be in a lot of discomfort if I ever became pregnant. I opted out of surgery and started individualized Pilates for a year before pregnancy which helped my back. When I became pregnant (or beginning in my 2nd trimester) my Pilates instructor altered my routine a bit, and I did my own condensed version at home EVERY day of pregnancy, including the day I gave birth, and I was healthier than I’d ever been! Of course it was after giving birth that I had no time (not even 25 minutes) to spare for exercising or going to Pilates class and that’s when the back pain started again. However, once my son became more independent I resumed my condensed routine and haven’t had issues with back or sciatic pain in a few years.

Check out our other articles about maternity, or surf our products for expecting mothers.

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The post Mothers Speak About Back Pain from Pregnancy appeared first on AT Surgical.

Review of Symptoms:

Lochia rubra — first 2 to 3 days after delivery

• the lochia is mostly blood
• the blood looks bright red
• the blood flow can be heavy to moderate
• you may see small blood clots

Lochia serosa — starts about day 4 and lasts until day 10

• the color changes to pink or pinkish-brown
• the flow is much less
• blood clots or bright red blood during this time may be signs of a problem.

Lochia alba — from about day 10 until day 21

• the color is light yellow to a cream color
• the flow has almost stopped and does not smell
• the presence of clots, a bad smell, or bright red blood may be signs of a problem

The progression from lochia rubra to lochia serosa to lochia alba should not reverse. The color should always turn from red to pink to white as the amount of discharge gets less and less. If you see a red flow after the flow has turned pink or white, call your doctor right away.

Also, call your doctor right away:

if you have heavy bleeding that soaks more than 1 pad per hour for 3 hours

if you see blood clots or bright red blood after the 4th day

if the lochia smells bad (it should smell like your normal menstrual flow)

if you do not see any lochia during the first 2 weeks

if you have bad cramps and heavy bleeding

if you have a fever over 100.4˚ F

if you have severe pain in your lower abdomen

Source: http://www.healthpages.org/care-after-vaginal-birth/physical-healing-after-vaginal-birth/

Anecdotes

Tonya

My daughter was born, and after 9 days I had already stopped bleeding. I have checked with the internet and my bleeding has went through all the stages that is supposed to take four to six weeks. I am breastfeeding so I am not sure if that is helping thin it out.

Angel

It definitely must vary significantly per person. I am 5’2″ and was 118 pre-delivery and 160 when I delivered, they didn’t weigh me after so I’m not sure what my current weight is. Anyway, I’m less than 3 days post-partum and have very minimal spotting. I don’t need a pad, just a liner, and it’s mostly clear/pink fluid, not bloody at all, so it really just depends on the person. However, they did have me on pitocin to induce, and continued it for quite a while after delivery (several hours), plus I am breastfeeding, all of which helps close things off more quickly.

Sarah

Mine tapers, then picks up, then tapers, then picks up.  Then disappears, then comes back.  It sometimes takes 3-4 weeks to completely end.  Afternoon is a typical time for increase.  Mom is tired, milk is lower, hormones are moving around, water needs to increase.  We don’t realize what “I’m really not doing very much” really means!  We ALL do way too much post partum.  My midwife told me that in some cultures the new mom stays in her home and the women take turns bringing food, caring for children, and giving her an hour long full body massage each day for at least a month! So listen to your body, that’s true.  Red blood means lay down, drink water, nurse and rest.  If it’s still there at 6 weeks, be drastic! I am a mother of 6, my youngest is 5 months and I’mm 40 years old.

Tyler

When I was at 2 weeks it had pretty much tapered off to nothing, did not need more than one pad a day. Well about a week after I started passing fairly large clots again, very black ones, and lots of very dark bleeding. More than my normal period, I have never had a cloth pad fail me during my normal cycles – but they were then. The bleeding was constant all day, I was doing quite a bit, but only out of necessity. It slowly tapered after that, and I was done after the fifth or sixth week.

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The post Postpartum Bleeding and Discharge: A Review appeared first on AT Surgical.