Back pain and leg crampsIn the second and third trimesters, your baby's growth may add pressure to your uterus, causing cramps and back pain. Since leg cramps may be a sign that you need more calcium or potassium in your diet, try eating healthy foods that contain these nutrients. If you do lots of sitting during the day, be sure to take breaks and stretch. If you stand for long periods of time, wearing support hose may be beneficial. To keep back pain to a minimum, notice the ways you sit, stand, and move, and see if there are ways to lessen the burden on your back. When lifting, be sure to bend at the knees, not the waist, then lift with your legs, not your back. For sleeping, lie on your side with your knees bent and a pillow placed in between them. Place another pillow under your abdomen. This should help to lessen your lower back pain. Review Date: June 29, 2001  A.D.A.M.'s health encyclopedia is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation Healthcare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial reviewers. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch). The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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 Encouragement + An Assist = Success Nine days past her due date, Sara Howe was awakened at 3:00AM when her water broke. Thrilled that the long wait was finally over, Sara and her husband David packed up and headed to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. By 5:00AM they were comfortably settled into one of PeaceHealth Southwest’s Labor Delivery Recovery and Postpartum rooms, ready for action. But four hours later, Sara contractions had still not progressed so her midwife started her on Pitocin. Soon the contractions kicked in and Sara was well on her way. At around eight o’clock the next morning, it was time for Sara to start pushing. So she pushed. And she pushed, and she pushed, and she pushed. "The first few hours of pushing went by without me realizing the time," remarked Sara. "But around the fourth hour I started to wonder if I was still making progress. That is when the encouragement of my midwife, husband and the PeaceHealth Southwest nursing staff kept me going. It was like I had my own cheering section." Unfortunately, even with all the support and encouragement, Sara’s labor was not progressing because her baby’s head was tilted in the birth canal. Neither Sara or her midwife wanted her to have a Cesarean section after all that work, so her midwife suggested an assisted delivery. Read more > Share your story. Submit your story with a local angle, and you could receive a free gift if it is selected for publication. |
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