We all know that a mom’s body goes through a lot during pregnancy. Having a baby is a joyful but obviously painful experience. But as a mom, you know that the pain doesn’t stop with childbirth. From infant to toddler and beyond, here are the top seven triggers of real pain for moms and some tips to help keep you pain-free!
Pain Trigger 1: Having a Baby
Ok, this one may seem too obvious, but it’s important to realize that pregnancy and childbirth do take their toll on your body. If you haven’t had chiropractic care during pregnancy, you may not know the full extent of that toll on your spine, and you may have set yourself up for an extra-painful motherhood experience. Get checked out by a Tulsa chiropractor and begin taking care of yourself as early as possible in your journey of raising kids. You’ll be glad you did!
Pain Trigger 2: Breastfeeding.
How many of us have realized too late that we are executing common, daily activities with poor posture and slowly putting ourselves out-of-whack? Breastfeeding is one of those activities that can really wreck your posture! As a mom, you’re hard-wired to cuddle and look in your baby’s face during feeding, but don’t let yourself slouch and lean forward. Use pillows to support your baby and choose a chair with good back support. A few shoulder stretches before and after nursing can be helpful as well.
Pain Trigger 3: Lifting your baby out of the crib.
Lifting your baby from their crib can be a huge strain on your spine if you are not aware of how you do it. Remember, “Lift with your legs.” As your baby grows, bending over that crib to lift them out will put increasing strain on your back. Make sure your feet are hip-width apart and pull your baby toward you before lifting, then bend your knees as you do.
Pain Trigger 4: Picking a child up off the floor.
Again, lift with your legs! If you watched yourself on video, you might be shocked how many times a day you bend over to pick up a child! Squat down, tighten those abs, hold your child close to your body, a stand gently with your back straight.
Pain Trigger 5: Placing your child in a high-chair.
Pay close attention to how you put your child in the high-chair at meal time. Stand close to the chair, and remove the tray before putting your child in. You’ll be surprised how much strain (and fussing) you save yourself!
Pain Trigger 6: Putting your child in the car seat.
This is a big one! Just like the temptation to bend over to lift a child off the floor, beware of the tendency to bend and reach your child into his or her car seat using back muscles only! If you can, sit in the seat next to them and rotate your torso to buckle them in.
Pain Trigger 7: Using a stroller.
The stroller–yet another daily activity in which you as a mom probably tend to put unnecessary strain on your back! Whenever possible, use a squatting position to put your child in and get them out. Walk with a tall, relaxed posture, and adjust the handles so that you are pushing from the waist if possible.
Pain-free motherhood
Bending, slouching, straining, and improper lifting are all activities that throw off your spinal alignment, and as a mom, they can be very tough to avoid! But be aware of how you perform these daily tasks and you can save yourself lots of pain!
