As Mother’s Day is fast approaching, our thoughts turn to celebrating mothers. Being a new mum can be tough both physically and mentally. It can be especially tough on the spine! It is not uncommon for new mums to suffer back pain.
Taking care of a new baby involves a lot of extra lifting; bending, carrying and often sleep deprivation, which can all, have a detrimental impact on the back. It is all to easy to forget about taking care of yourself, as a new mum, as you focus on caring for your new baby.
BACK CARE ADVICE FOR NEW MUMS
LIFTING, BENDING & CARRYING
It’s surprising how much lifting; bending and carrying new mums have to do. Whether you’re lifting your baby in and out of their cot, in and out of car seats, bending down to play or carrying your little one around the house, it’s really important to take care of your back when doing so.
Lifting: When you are lifting, maintain a relaxed, straight back with your legs at least hips’ width apart and your knees bent. Avoid twisting your body when you are lifting. Keep your baby’s body as close to your body as possible.
Bending: Avoid bending from the waist as this increases the stress on your lower back and bend your knees.
Carrying: It’s common to favour carrying your baby in a certain way, such as on one side of your body, however, swap sides frequently. Keep your baby’s weight close to your body. Using a carrier/sling or papoose is a good option for carrying your little one.
FEEDING
It’s important to find a comfortable posture whether you are breast or bottle-feeding. Use extra pillows or a ‘V’ shaped pillow to support your arms while feeding. Alternate feeding sides to evenly spread any strain and change positions regularly.
PRAMS & PUSHCHAIRS
When pushing the pram or pushchair, keep your spine straight with your hands resting at a comfortable height on the handle. If you are finding that you are stooping over your arms are not in a comfortable position, adjust the height setting, if there is one.
If you are having to carry the pram. Then follow the lifting and carrying advice above.
CHIROPRACTIC AND BACK PAIN
Suffering back pain as a new mum is unfortunately not uncommon. There is a large amount of high quality evidence supporting the effectiveness of chiropractic care for the treatment and management of both acute (recent) and chronic (long term) back pain.
Unlike painkillers, chiropractic treats the cause of your pain rather than treating the symptoms of the pain itself.