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11 Natural Remedies to Ease Round Ligament Pain: https://www.mamanatural.com/round-ligament-pain/
So, what is round ligament pain? Well first of all it’s a tight, painful sensation in the groin area on either side of the uterus. Before I talk about what that feels like, it’s important to know where your pain is coming from.
If you’re feeling pain in the center of your belly area, that’s more likely to be an issue with the uterus itself. Especially if you have symptoms of an infection like fever, it’s important to talk with your doctor or midwife to rule out something more serious.
What does it feel like and what causes it?
Ok, so back to round ligament pain. Now this is usually a sharp, jabbing, shooting pain. Sometimes it can feel dull and achy, like overworked muscles.
The uterus is propped up on either side by a pair of ligaments called the round ligaments. As pregnancy progresses and your growing baby puts more weight on these ligaments they stretch. This can result in tenderness, tension and downright ouchiness. You may feel it if baby is in the wrong position or you move too suddenly.
Round ligament pain is most common in the 2nd and 3rd trimester and usually goes away by the end of pregnancy.
Thankfully though, there’s plenty that you can do in the meantime to help ease the pain and get your body back into alignment!
10 Ways to soothe round ligament pain
Epsom salt bath
If you have access to a bathtub, this is the perfect time to use it. A warm bath helps soothe achy muscles and relax tightness. Add a little Epsom salts, which are magnesium, and they’ll help amplify the effects.
Heating pad
If you don’t have a tub you can still warm up the area. A hot water bottle or heating pad on low will do the trick. Be sure it’s not too hot and only leave it on for a maximum of 10-15 minutes.
Stretch and strengthen
It can also really help to stretch the area. Now you may be thinking I’m in pain because it’s too stretched out, why do I want to stretch it more?? Well hear me out. Certain pelvic exercises help strengthen our abdominal muscles as a whole. This keeps the uterus, pelvis, and our baby in proper alignment. A strong, healthy body equals less pain.
Some good exercises include pregnancy yoga, swimming for cardio, and core strengthening moves. You’re going to want to avoid situps and crunches since these put too much strain on the area.
Take a rest
Now while it’s important to do gentle exercise if you can, we don’t want to overdo it. There’s so much to do when getting ready for baby, but it’s important to take breaks. The dull cramping feeling in the abdominal area is our body’s sign it’s time to slow down. To reduce the pressure you can lay on your left side, draw your legs up, and put a pillow between your knees.
Actually slowing down our movements can help too. We want to avoid strenuous exercise and sudden movements.
Position
Just like we want to sleep in a good position, it’s important to keep good posture as we move through the day. Tucking the pelvis in or jutting it out can throw the hips out of alignment which causes pain. Focus on standing straight and sitting on the sitz bones. Wearing flat shoes that don’t squeeze the feet is also a must.
Chiropractic
One of the best ways to fix round ligament pain is to see a chiropractor that regulary works with pregnant women. A Webster trained chiropractor uses a special technique that really helps align and balance the pelvis.
Massage
Similar to chiropractic, massage can also be helpful. You want to lie down and use firm, but gentle pressure, focusing on the sides of the groin and uterus. Add a little magnesium oil to boost the benefits.
Support
As your baby grows it puts more weight on your pelvis. Getting some extra support from a maternity belt or splint can ease that pressure. This is especially helpful if you have diastasis recti, or abdominal separation.
Ditch the Bra
While cinching in the stomach for added support can help ease round ligament pain, a tight bra can have the opposite effect. As crazy as it may sound, a tight bra puts pressure on the mid back and diaphragm. This can cause a domino effect that affects pelvic muscle alignment.
Nutrition
And last but definitely not least is focus on nutrition. Your body is busy building a baby and needs plenty of nutrients to keep you both healthy and strong.
Our ligaments are made mostly of collagen, so taking a grass-fed collagen powder or drinking bone broth can be really helpful.
Some other key nutrients to focus on are:
Zinc, magnesium, B12, B6, B2
Vitamin C and Iron
Manganese and copper
When to see your midwife or doctor
If you have symptoms like lower back pain, bleeding, or fever, it’s time to talk to your doctor or midwife.
Round ligament pain is common, but thankfully with good nutrition and a little self care it’s totally possible to ease the pain. bvDq20a7UBw |