Your body goes through a lot during pregnancy. Not only does your uterus expand to accommodate the growing foetus, but it’s normal to notice changes to your weight, joints and posture – especially in the final trimester. And thanks to these changes, many women experience aches and pains as their pregnancy progresses.

But while some of this achiness is to be expected (your body is going through a monumental transformation, after all) there are things you can do to ease the discomfort.

Regular exercise is a great place to start. You can find out more information about exercising during pregnancy on the NHS website or check out our guide to exercising in each trimester to see what kind of movement is suitable for your stage of pregnancy. Remember: you don’t want to do anything out of the ordinary or push your body to the limit. But staying active and supporting your muscles and joints through gentle movement can really help to relieve some of the tension.

3 simple stretches to relieve pregnancy aches and pains