If pregnancy is every woman's dream come true, severe back pain during pregnancy is a nightmare! As you go through a number of physiological and psychological changes, discomfort in the back is not an uncommon issue. It is said over 50% of women experience this discomfort at some point of time in their pregnancy.

Your pelvis and abdomen are becoming full, and your baby is beginning to press up under your ribs and chest. This upward pressure from your baby may also make you feel short of breath. This pressure on your ribs and diaphragm may also result in shoulder pain, because there are nerves in the diaphragm which can refer pain into the shoulders.

The vaginal secretions increases during pregnancy leads to increased secretion of leukorrhea (the odorless clear/white discharge) and as a result the vaginal secretion increases.

During pregnancy, your body produces a hormone called relaxing. This is generated specifically to prepare your body for childbirth. Muscles and ligaments are loosened and relaxed, and your ribs are allowed to expand outward. This alone can cause pain and discomfort. However, as with any other type of back discomforts, there are some simple ways to prevent it, and provide relief once you have it.

Many women's breasts also enlarge substantially during pregnancy, and the extra weight can pull your shoulders down, creating strain on your neck, the top of your back and ribs. In addition, your body will be undergoing some major hormonal changes as the body prepares for delivery, so muscles and ligaments are relaxed and loosened. Your ribcage will expand as part of this process, so your lungs can take in extra air.

A common cause for back pain is the increasing size and weight of the fetus in the womb. The woman has to continuously keep shifting to accommodate the growing demand of the baby for the space.There may also be a change in the centre of gravity because of the expansion of the abdominal area.

Treatment for lower back pain during pregnancy hinges on two important factors. The first is posture. When you become pregnant, your body manufactures a hormone called relaxin, which softens a lot of your tendons and ligaments, in preparation for childbirth. This creates instability in the whole back and pelvic area, making it easy to let posture slip.

Once you begin to notice that your pregnancy cramps are very strong and that they linger for awhile without abating, you should contact your health care giver because this could be a sign that there is a more serious problem tied to your abdominal pain. Sometimes you may also notice that you are bleeding through your vagina or experiencing fainting spells.

These pains may be recurring, but the duration of the pain is short. Sudden movements such as coughing, sneezing or laughing activate these muscles and can be painful. Changing positions too quickly can also result in these sharp, shooting pains. This type of pain frequently occurs in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. If you are suffering with round ligament pain, you may be able to get relief by bringing your knees up toward your chest.