Pelvic Health Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Help Your Back Feel Better When Feeding Baby
My children are now 5 and 8 years old, but I deeply remember the feeling of upper back burning that would happen while attempting to rock them to sleep or after feeding them for stretches on end. Back pain is very common after birth and by those caring for little ones. Here are a few tips to help reduce pain after feeding or caring for a baby. (And if you're not in this phase of life... please pass this on to someone it could help!)
1. Pay attention to your body position during feeding.
My daughters generally took 20 minutes to feed and ate every 2-3 hours after birth. This meant loooonnggg stretches of time feeding. To minimize aches and pains, aim to find a position to sit with adequate support for your back, where you can relax your body. Use pillows to support your arms so they can relax, and use pillows (breastfeeding or regular pillows will work) to ensure the baby is positioned where you won't have to lean forward. If breastfeeding, remember to bring your baby to your breast--not your breast to your baby.
2. Use pillows and cushions to provide support for you... and your baby.
I know I just mentioned this, but it really needed to be it's own point. Using cushions/pillows like the boppy, brest friend, or dockatot can be excellent to help get the baby in a supported position for feeding. For my own children, I preferred different pillows during different stages. In my early postpartum period, I kept regular pillows around and stacked them all around me to support my daughter and myself. As time progressed, I switched to specific feeding pillows for support. My husband and family members also used the different pillows when rocking our daughter so they could relax their arms.
3. Change it up.
When it comes to posture, the current thought is along the lines that there is not one perfect posture per se, but rather variability in posture and movement seems to be important. So, changing up your position to feed can sometimes help. This can mean feeding in a wrap or a carrier (I have yet to master that!), or nursing while lying down (my most favorite!). This could even mean choosing a different chair to sit in, standing instead of sitting to rock the baby, or sitting in a glider instead of bouncing the baby while you stand. I know it seems simple, but mixing it up can make a difference!
4. Take movement breaks between feeds.
This goes along with Tip #3. Movement breaks like this felt amazing to me after nursing my little girls. Some of my favorite exercises to do between feeds were the Cat-Cow, Child's Pose, Wall Angels, and a Corner Pec Stretch. You can also head for a quick walk, sit on an exercise ball to do hip rolls, or do some of your exercises from your favorite physical therapist.
5. If pain keeps going, seek help.
I always like to end with this. The reality is that aches and pains are so common when caring for little ones. These tips should help--but if pain persists, help is available! Our team works with people dealing with pain like this all the time and we'd be happy to help you!
I hope these tips help you feel better when caring for a little one!
Get In Touch With Dr. Jessica Reale
Southern Pelvic Health offers services in Atlanta as well as remote virtual consultations.