Having a newborn baby is hard work. Bending down to pick up things, carrying supplies, changing nappies and breastfeeding all strain your back. Although in the majority of new mums back pain isn’t debilitating, it can take 2 to 3 months for back pain to ease after the baby is born.

Our chiropractor Louis Westerbeek suggests these helpful tips for new mothers:

• Bring the baby to your breast – when you’re feeding you’ll be sitting for extended periods
• Try not to let the lower portion of your spine curve excessively
• Put a pillow behind your back to keep it straight and bring your baby to your breast or chest
• Use pillows on your lap to ease the tension and provide extra support

Switch up your feeding position

We often overlook the risk of repetitive strain injury and bending over to feed your baby a dozen times a day can cause problems.

Use different positions to give certain muscles a rest – If you think your feeding position might be leading to back pain, try feeding in front of a mirror; seeing your position can help you adjust to ease the pain.

Try breastfeeding standing up with a baby carrier – moving around while breastfeeding can ease the pressure on your back.

Make sure you find the right baby carrier for you.

Look for:

• Wide, padded shoulder straps
• A belt going around your hips to distribute the weight and a carrier where the baby is positioned facing inward and fairly high on your body.

If you feel ready try some gentle exercises to restore muscle tone to the abdominal and back muscles, as this will help your body to balance the weight of carrying a new baby. Stretching exercises or light yoga are a great way to reduce back pain!

Try: lying on the floor on your back and bringing your knee to your chest and holding for 20 seconds.

or

A ‘wall sit’ is also a great way to build up strength gradually over time. Think about simple changes to your daily routine; sit on an exercise ball to eat meals or watch TV – engaging core muscles, this will ensure your back muscles are taken care of!”