Becoming a parent should be (and usually is) one of the happiest times of your life. But pregnancy, labour and caring for a small child can put a huge strain on both body and mind. Mums and mums-to-be are faced with a range of potential problems, from tiredness and swollen ankles to lower back, neck and shoulder pain. Of course these are all sacrifices worth making for your children, but many problems can be avoided with a little bit of basic know-how.
Upper back pain is something I see very often in new mothers. One major cause is the weight and size of your baby. At up to 6kg, the baby places extra strain on the joints of your lumbar spine and pelvis, as well as on the muscles of your back and tummy. This causes the curve in your lower back to become exaggerated. Your upper back then curves forward to compensate, placing pressure on the muscles between your shoulder blades and across your neck and shoulders.
After birth, holding and feeding a baby is surprisingly hard work for your arms, shoulders and back. Pushing a buggy and carrying heavy bags can exacerbate the problem. After a while you may start to feel tension and stiffness building up in those areas. This often worsens until you are constantly aching!
Our joints are usually supported by ligaments, which bind bone to bone. During pregnancy these ligaments become a lot looser than normal thanks to a hormone aptly called relaxin. While this is necessary for labour and birth, it has the unfortunate side effect of reducing the stability of your joints and thus aggravating the problems discussed above. Thankfully, there are many simple but effective techniques for avoiding back pain. Here are my tips:
Prevention is better than cure. It’s a good idea to build up your core strength and to seek treatment for misalignments in your body before you become pregnant. A qualified therapist such as an osteopath or physiotherapist can help you with this.
Take care of your posture. Stand and sit upright rather than slouching. Avoid crossing your legs. Use a small cushion to support the small of your back when sitting down. Make an effort not to slump forward—pull your shoulder blades together and then down to help prevent this.
Be careful when carrying. Try to keep the weight of bags to a minimum. Placing heavier items such as food and drink on your pram or pushchair can help. If you must carry a bag, a backpack is best as it distributes the weight across both shoulders. With shoulder bags, keep the strap as short as possible and regularly swap sides.
Support your back and your bump. Sleep on your side, with your knees bent up and a cushion under your tummy. You can also try placing a pillow or folded towel between your knees. When standing, tuck in your bottom to flatten the curve in your lower back.
Seek help. If back pain has set in and the above steps aren’t shifting it, get professional help. Speak to your GP, and consider having hands-on treatment to help gently loosen tight muscles and realign your joints. A therapist can show you simple stretches to help maintain the effects of treatment.
About the author:
Sarah Oliver (B.Ost.Med DO ND) is the principal osteopath at west London based Wellbeing Therapy Clinic in Fulham. Since qualifying in 2008 she has treated patients of every shape and size, from pregnant women to the elderly, and office workers to professional footballers. She is an expert in the treatment of neck, back and pelvic pain but also successfully treats a range of other muscle and joint problems. You can reach her at [email protected] or 07708130319.
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