No new mother needs more back pain

However, the fact remains that back pain is ubiquitous among new mothers adjusting to life with a baby in hand. Some of the main factors that contribute to back pain in new mothers are:

• Stress and lack of sleep- which are both directly implicated in elevated levels of muscle tension
• Poor posture while holding a child
• Poor breastfeeding techniques

At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we want to help new mothers reduce the back pain involved in nursing a newborn and also prevent that pain from occurring in the first place. 

Baby to breast rather than breast to baby, and more tips

The amount of time a new mother spends leaning over her baby, whether to play or to pick it up, adds a lot of strain onto the soft, supportive tissues in the back. This combined with the fact that ligaments at the base of the spine remain looser in the months following childbirth often leads to pain in different parts of the back. Try these tips for preventing and minimizing pain while nursing:

• When breastfeeding, always bring the baby to you.
• Experiment with different positions while breastfeeding to minimize pressure build-up. 
• Utilize a baby wrap to hold the child in position and share the burden of weight with your back. 
• Focus on core strength with stretching and gentle exercise
• Focus on minimizing stress whenever possible

Chiropractic can help minimize the back pain involved with nursing. 

We ensure that your spine is properly aligned to allow for the baby’s weight to be evenly distributed across the body while breastfeeding. Furthermore, we can help you identify ways to improve posture and breastfeeding technique to account for your back pain.