Is it Normal to be Clumsy During Pregnancy?
Clumsiness during pregnancy means often having mishaps or tripping up. Have you noticed yourself being clumsy since you got pregnant? Since becoming pregnant, you have small and silly accidents like tripping over steps that have always been there? Or dropping things unexplainably? Or bumping into doors that have always been there? Yes! We can blame all of the clumsy little accidents on pregnancy. Thankfully!
I had to laugh at myself many times due to my clumsiness during pregnancy. How often did I drop things, trip over, spill stuff? I seemed to get more and clumsier week by week. Some women could have more trouble with their balance during pregnancy than others.
What is Being Clumsy in Pregnancy Typically Like?
Sometimes it just got beyond silly. I couldn’t explain why I had just tripped over that step again even though I knew it was there and always took care to step over it properly. I dropped several plates and glasses whilst emptying or stacking the dishwasher. They just seemed to slip out of my hands, despite taking extra care.
Being clumsy during pregnancy can sometimes get quite irritating and frustrating; bumping into the same cupboard or tripping over the same step repeatedly. It can get especially annoying when you have clumsiness combined with forgetfulness during pregnancy. Can you imagine going upstairs, tripping on the way, to get something which, by the time you get to the top, you have forgotten what that thing was. Some days you really feel like you should just give up and sit still.
Why am I Suddenly so Clumsy During Pregnancy?
- Changes to your centre of gravity: During pregnancy, your centre of gravity changes and your brain needs time to adjust to this when you are pregnant. In an interview with Dr. Jones she explains the change to your centre of gravity during pregnancy by comparing it to wearing a 15kg rucksack on your front. Our brain needs to adjust to having a lot of weight out front to deal with.
- Looser ligaments and joints: The increase in the Relaxin hormone – see Bones to relax the pelvic girdle could cause your other muscles and ligaments to relax more during pregnancy. Therefore, you may not be as strong as you are used to being before getting pregnant. Your muscle control changes during pregnancy which explains why you find yourself feeling clumsier.
- Water retention: Pregnancy Helpline mention that water retention during pregnancy could also affect your grasp, making it less effective, causing items to slip or drop out of your hands more easily. Water retention could also affect the way you walk, causing you to stumble more often.
- Not being able to see our feet: Healthline.com state the obvious that towards the end of pregnancy we cannot see our feet any more, making it more likely that we will trip over unseen objects on the floor.
What Can I do to Prevent Being so Clumsy During Pregnancy?
- Take things a more slowly: take your time when doing your standard jobs and try to concentrate on one thing at a time. It can be quite easy to lose focus during pregnancy, simply because our minds are preoccupied.
- Maintain good posture: during pregnancy, many women start to lean backwards and curve their spine to compensate for the new weight on their fronts. This can lead to problems with misalignment of your bones and could cause back pain due to lordosis (over curvature of the spine) – see Back Pain.
- Train your abdominal muscles: Dr Anthon Cortes, Doctor of Chiropractic recommends women to train their abdominal muscles up in preparation for pregnancy and during early pregnancy, as far as it is healthy to do so. Stronger abdominal muscles work to support pregnant women for longer and maintain a better centre of gravity.
- Move potential tripping hazards out of the way.
- Wear sensible shoes that support you well and help you to keep your balance.
- Use walking aids: Dr. Amos from Babymed recommends, in the case of more severe clumsiness and being off-balance, to use walking aids, such as a stick.
- Relax: your body is changing and you need to get used to the changes. Remember to take time out and put your feet up during the day, even if just for a few minutes.
- Share your clumsy stories with others 🙂 See the humorous side of life, it will help you loosen up about things and take things more likely. Perhaps not easy if you are normally a perfectionist. Remember, there are lots of pregnant women out there going through the same experience as you at the same time and it’s good to share stories.
Always consult your doctor for advice if you are feeling off-balance. Always report any slips or falls immediately to your doctor to ensure you get correct medical advice.