Pregnancy is a time of eager anticipation and joy in a woman's life. You probably have so much on your plate. Everything from deciding on a name, painting the baby's room, and enjoying your baby shower with your friends and family. This time in your life is surely a time of eager anticipation. But many women may start to feel intense back pain as their pregnancy nears the later months.

This doesn't just make it more difficult to do the basic daily tasks you need to do, but it can even hurt your quality of life and make your pregnancy something that is less joyful and cherished than it is supposed to be.

It shouldn't be hard to figure out that the pain your feeling is a direct result of your growing belly and added weight. You'll notice your belly start to pull you forward as it grows larger. You then instinctively lean your upper body backward more to keep your balance better. This posture will accentuate your curvature of your back and really place serious pressure on your lower back and hips.

There are more reasons behind back pain during pregnancy than just this however. Muscle imbalances not only contribute to back pain while you are pregnant, but they also are responsible for most cases of back pain in the general public as well.

The overall condition and strength of your muscles is incredibly important when it comes to keeping your back strong and healthy. Your muscles should move evenly and with balance when you move your joints. As one muscle gets tighter, another will stretch and open up. And the amount that these muscles contracts of stretches should be equal. If this isn't happening then you will develop muscle imbalances.

As a pregnant woman, your growing belly will require that every move you make from walking (or waddling), sitting, sleeping, or bending over be adjusted and your muscles will need to shift to accommodate. Any muscle imbalances you have in your back will only become worse during your pregnancy.

These imbalances will pull your back further out of alignment and place even more stress on your bones and joints. You have twenty-four bones in your spine. Normally your spine and your hips are aligned to carry the weight of your body evenly. Your muscles will need to take up the burden if even one of the vertebrae is out of place and they will need to carry all the extra weight. You're much more likely to experience back pain and even back injury if this happens.

So, if this is what you're going through, now you have to endure a painful pregnancy. It is unfortunate that a pregnancy, the time in a woman's life that is normally full of joy and happiness, should become filled with pain and suffering.