The Posture of Pregnancy
During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes many exciting changes both physically and mentally. The most noticeable changes are anterior weight gain, breast enlargement, pelvic enlargement, and foot swelling. From a postural perspective, pregnant women demonstrate changing spinal curves to compensate for a change in body composition.
Postural Changes and Pregnancy
One major change that women experience during pregnancy is an increased lordotic curve. As the baby continues to develop inside the uterus, a woman’s belly grows. To compensate for this anterior development, the lumbar lordotic curve of a pregnant woman is usually more profound. Changes also occur to the position of the pelvis to make room for the developing baby in preparation for childbirth.
The pelvic floor plays many roles during pregnancy. Pelvic floor function is responsible for supporting the uterus, controlling bladder functions, and stabilizing pelvic and spinal joints. The pelvic floor also undergoes many changes in the course of the pregnancy.
Hormonal changes cause the pelvic tissues to become softer and more elastic to prepare the body for delivery. Due to increased weight from the growing baby and increased pressure from the bladder and bowel, the pelvic floor muscles weaken.
In the case of vaginal delivery, the pelvic muscles stretch beyond their normal limits, which at times leads to post natal pelvic floor dysfunction. All women are encouraged to do pelvic floor exercises after pregnancy to strengthen the muscles and counter any damages that might have occurred during the pregnancy.
Postural Correction for Expecting Mothers
A pregnant woman is expected to adapt new postures throughout her pregnancy as her body undergoes changes. Postural correction is a way to ensure that a woman maintains proper postural design of the body during pregnancy to prepare the body for labor while reducing back pain, neck pain and excess fatigue.
References:
Baddeley, S. (1999). Health-related fitness during pregnancy. Dinton: Quay Books.
Brewer, S., & Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc. (2011). The pregnant body book. London: DK Pub.
Jacob, A. (2012). A comprehensive textbook of midwifery and gynecological nursing.
