The Thing You May Not Know About Debilitating Back Pain During Pregnancy

I made my way out to my vehicle in the chiropractor parking lot as tears of frustration brimmed at the corners of my eyes.

I had just dropped a chunk of money on yet another adjustment and I felt zero relief from the pain in my lower back.

“You need to get in here more often”, they would tell me every time I went.

“Easy for you to say,” I thought.  “You're the one who's getting the money.  I'm paying money that I don't really have to spend and I've got nothing to show for it.”

I had already been splurging on twice-monthly visits as opposed to the typically prescribed monthly maintenance visit.  But this time I was in so much pain that I called only one week after my previous visit and went in for another adjustment.

I couldn't hold the tears in any longer.

“I've spent months in pain and I'm so tired of not being able to walk.  I can't run my household or take care of my children.  I keep getting adjusted and doing everything I'm supposed to do, but still this lower back pain persists through every pregnancy. I don't think anyone truly understands how bad it is.  I need help, but no one seems to get it.”

Not only has the pain been, well, painful, but it's embarrassing as well.

“How cute.  You're waddling already.”  I've heard that statement with every single pregnancy as I begin to waddle very early on.  They think I'm trying to accentuate my pregnancy because I'm so excited about it (I am, obviously, but that's not why I'm waddling.)  I'm waddling because I cannot walk.  My lower back is in horrible pain, people!  But instead I just smile, my face flushed with embarrassment.

As the pregnancy progresses and my belly grows larger and larger, the pain becomes worse and worse.  I know I should be exercising throughout the pregnancy, but even just a walk to the end of the driveway is almost more than I can handle.

So I settle in to “wait it out”. “I guess this is just the way it is until after the baby is born.”

But as I sat there that day in the chiropractor parking lot, I had reached the end of my patience.  Here I was at 35 weeks along – almost to the end of my pregnancy, but I just could not take the pain any more.  My back was so locked up that I had to take my hands and physically move my legs up stairs because they would not lift that high on their own.

When I got home I began to do some searching online to see if there was anything that could be done, but I became more discouraged than ever.

“Here I am almost to the end of my pregnancy, and I have no idea how I am going to deliver this baby.  I haven't been able to exercise, so my body is incredibly weak.  How am I going to go through labor?  My body won't have the strength to do this!”

Finally I decided to post in a Facebook group where a lot of my natural living blogger friends hang out.  I have been in that group for years, and we are all very close, with most of our chats having less to do about blogging than they do about seeking health advice or asking for prayer.

Within minutes I had my answer.

“You should get in touch with The Tummy Team.  You need to strengthen those core muscles so that your chiropractic adjustments will hold.  That will also take a lot of the pressure off your low back.”

“But I only have 5 weeks left in my pregnancy.  Is there any chance for relief in that amount of time?  And how can I get my body strong enough for labor in that amount of time?”

The answer I received gave me so much hope: “You are definitely not a lost cause!  You have 5 weeks left, and the Prenatal Course from The Tummy Team is 6 weeks long and will cross over nicely through birth.  I work closely with Kelly, and we have seen ladies experience dramatic relief after just 3-5 days of diligence in their exercises.”

I immediately got up off the bed where I was lying and got onto The Tummy Team website.

To further my excitement at having found some hope, I saw that they also offer a 2 week Prentatal Crash Course, specifically for women who are at the end of pregnancy but need some help preparing their body for labor and delivery.

“Wow!  It looks like it is possible to get prepared for labor and delivery even if I only had 2 weeks left!” I thought.

I sent an email to Kelly immediately, and within a day I had begun my first week of classes and exercises.

I have been in the program for only a few days so far, but I know it is going to help!

Already I am much more conscientious of how I carry myself, and I'm learning how to properly activate my core so there is not so much weight pulling on my back.

Whether you're at the beginning of your pregnancy or very close to the end, I know you will benefit from the resources at The Tummy Team.

I am really looking forward to finding some relief to the back pain, being stronger for labor and delivery, and having my body in a better position for recovery once the baby is born.

CHECK OUT THE TUMMY TEAM PRENATAL CORE TRAINING HERE.

Update March 2017: Baby is now 8 months old, so I think it's been long enough for me to give you an accurate update on how The Tummy Team helped the remainder of my pregnancy! 😉

How did it help the pain?

There was a noticeable difference in my level of back pain in just about a week!  Now, mind you, I was pretty bad off, so it's not like I went down to zero pain, but just learning the proper technique for activating my core (it's a different technique than a lot of people think) made a HUGE difference.  I was able to start walking a little more and build up some strength before labor and delivery.

How did it help labor and delivery?

I loved how the course teaches proper pushing technique so that you don't further damage your core during labor and create a long recovery time.  I felt that it really helped me.  Also, I have never felt so good after a birth.  You know that awful, jello-like feeling you have in your empty belly after the birth?  Learning how to splint after birth made a night and day difference.  Splinting my belly felt wonderful!

Do you see any additional benefits?

Yes! Now that I am no longer pregnant, I still have proper posture and core activation at the top of my mind.  I have greatly reduced the number of chiropractic adjustments I need because my stronger core keeps my back in alignment!  I'm still in the Facebook group that all Tummy Team course members receive access to, and Kelly is the sweetest thing ever.  She's always accessible for questions or a word of encouragement.

Are there any cons to the Tummy Team course?

The only thing that might be a deterrent to some people is the price.  You'll pay $149 for the course, plus Kelly recommends a tummy splint, which will be about $40.  Honestly, though, I find it to be a worthy investment.  (The relief I found, plus being able to reduce my amount of chiropractor visits made the course totally worth it.)

Some people may not like the fact that you only have access to your course for 6 weeks (plus an additional week of grace if I'm not mistaken.)  I personally found that to be a very smart way to run an online course because too many times I have signed up for something that gave me lifetime access, and then never actually completed it because I got too comfortable with the fact that I could come back if I got behind.  I liked the extra pressure to complete the class.  Plus, having lifetime access to the Facebook group, gives me additional education and encouragement now that my course is completed.

If you're experiencing debilitating back pain, first of all, let me say I am so sorry!  I know how miserable it is!

But I also want to let you know there is hope!  You will not regret placing yourself under the tender care of Kelly and her team.

CHECK OUT THE TUMMY TEAM PRENATAL CORE TRAINING HERE.