Nursing and back pain: 3 steps to avoidance.
posted in Child Birth, Post Partum, Pregnancy |Nursing and back pain kind of go together, but they don’t have to. There are at least a few things you can do to help you avoid this common problem. I’ll give you a few tips which should not be kept secret. The first step is prevention, the next is preparation, and the third is alleviation.
Preventative measures:
- One very simple and light exercise to do is sometimes referred to as the “cat stretch.” It is where you get on your hands and knees with your back level. Arch your back up like a cat would, hold it for a count of 8 or 10. Then you can let it relax for a few seconds, gently flex the other way, and repeat the procedure again. All the while though, focus on your stomach muscles and holding them in tight, sucking in your gut and all the stomach muscles you possibly can. Start out with just a couple of reps, and work up until you are satisfied.
- Having a strong stomach helps you to have a strong back.
- Unless otherwise instructed by your physician, this exercise should be safe for you to do pre-pregnancy, prenatal, and postnatal. I will warn you though that just after you’ve had your baby will most likely hurt so you’ll probably want to take at least a few days off before resuming, and then work back into it slowly. Also seek your physician’s advice if you had a cesarean section.
The best things is to ensure you never have back pain in the first place. When you are pregnant and/or nursing, back pain is common, but if your back and stomach muscles are in shape beforehand, your chances of suffering may be greatly reduced.
Preparation:
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Even perfectly fit people may suffer from nursing and back pain if they are ill-prepared so here is a suggestion to help you prepare: Pillows! Have several, anyway.
- I love my Boppy Pillow, and I’ve been able to use it for more than just breast feeding. I recommend getting covers for it too. When you use it a lot, it can get kind of grubby.
- Sometimes little throw pillows come in handy to stuff under one side of the Boppy (the side you are nursing on). The main idea here is to prop the baby up adequately so that you are not slouching to meet the baby. You may have to try a few combinations before you find what works best for you, but it will help save your back, so do it. I like to have my knees up a little too.
Alleviation:
- Always have adequate support for your back, even if you must stuff pillows behind you. Don’t be lazy and slouch, that will only make matters worse.
- Heat may be comforting to you, preferably from a heat pack and not an electric source. I like to use a rice bag (a cloth bag filled with rice and heated up in the microwave for a few minutes).
- Massage is almost always good. I can only think of one instance that it might not be, and that is if something is broken. Massage helps to release and relieve tension, it increases circulation which in turn promotes healing, and it just feels good.
Live well, feel well, and be well.
Sheilah 
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