Kid, if you don't stop kicking me, I swear to God...

Ouch. I'm knocked flat on my back right now- my back being the primary issue at hand. It feels as though my little bundle of joy is stretching out and pushing their legs directly into my lower back. The pressure is tremendous, and it doesn't matter where or how I sit or lay- there is no reprieve. My mom chuckles when I tell her these things; apparently it's just "how it goes." Well, I'm not going to take it down! Well, I mean, if you're taking it literally I am, but still...
The October 2007 edition of Orthopedics points out that, "An enduring debate in pregnancy care is whether low back pain is an inevitable or perhaps even essential component of a healthy pregnancy. Some have suggested that low back pain may perform a functional role as a protective agent by focusing women’s attention on the physical stresses their bodies are undergoing, thereby making them more cautious during pregnancy." Great, so people think it's necessary. Why do people keep telling me that pain is good?!
BabyCenter.com explains it a little more literally, saying, "Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. The extra weight you're carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why your back may feel worse at the end of the day. Your growing uterus may also cause back pain if it's pressing on a nerve. In addition, hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things." So in other words, my body hates me. Oh, and sitting down? What I do most of the day? Causes the pain as well. WTF?!
Blech. Fortunately, BabyCenter provides a couple of solutions. Unfortunately, some of these I'm already doing, such as sleeping on my side, making sure I vary sitting down, laying down, and walking around, etc. One thing I am going to try, though, is using a heat pad. It's helped in the past, and I'm hoping old trusty won't fail me. They also recommend a prenatal massage- but do they think I'm made of money or something?! No, the heat pad will have to do.
In closing, I guess it is pretty amusing to watch us preggo ladies waddling around with our hands gripping our lower back, but keep in mind- that grimace is real!!