As Mother’s Day is fast approaching, our thoughts turn to celebrating mothers. With that in mind our London chiropractor thought it was a timely to offer some back care advice to new mums. 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.
In this post, our chiropractor offers back care advice to keep a new mum’s back safe whilst caring for their little one.
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.
Our objective as chiropractors at MotionBack in London is to help you. If we can’t help, we’ll tell and you help you find the right medical professional for you.
Visiting our London chiropractors
Our objective as chiropractors at MotionBack in London is to help you. If we can’t help, we’ll tell and you help you find the right medical professional for you.
We have been successfully treating patients for over a decade. We are ethical, straight-forward and we care.
What to expect when visiting our London chiropractors at MotionBack
For your chiropractor to better understanding of your overall health you will be asked to complete a short medical history form.
Your chiropractor will then carry out a comprehensive consultation followed by an examination which will test your nerves, joints and muscles.
If no further tests are required, your chiropractor will explain in detail the cause of your problem and how to get rid of it. Your chiropractor will also cover how long it will take and how to prevent a recurrence of the problem.
If treatment is appropriate and you have a detailed understanding of your problem and what to expect, your chiropractor will begin the treatment which is tailored for you.
Our chiropractors at MotionBack in Central London are here to help you with your back pain. Why not book an appointment to visit by calling us on 0207 112 5408 or you can visit our website and book an appointment online here.