New Mums: Alleviate Your Neck Pain With These Four Tips
If you have neck pain due to holding a baby, they are multiple things you can do to relieve your pain and stop it from getting worse. If you are a new mum tired of back or neck pain, check out these tips. They will make caring for your baby without pain easier:
1. Elevate baby while nursing
While nursing your baby, pay attention to your neck and back to make sure they are in proper alignment. Unfortunately, many nursing mums hold their babies on their laps, and they crunch their backs or necks while bending down to feed their baby. To prevent these odd postures, elevate your baby using a special nursing pillow or a sling.
If you are bottle feeding, make sure to rotate sides. That way you aren't always bending your neck in the same direction to look down at your beautiful baby.
2. Switch from a sling to a wrap or an ergonomic baby carrier
If you like to wear your baby and you have neck pain, the cause may be your sling. Slings traditionally crossover only one shoulder which can be cumbersome to your neck. Instead, replace your sling with a wrap that goes over both shoulders to more evenly distribute your baby's weight.
If even a wrap gives you neck pain, try switching to an ergonomic baby carrier. Also called soft-sided backpacks, these baby carriers put your baby right next to your back, and they distribute the weight to your legs.
3. Do exercises that support your neck and back
When you have neck or back pain, exercises can be one of the most effective ways to subdue your pain. If possible, sign up for a yoga class. If you aren't ready to leave your baby, look for a mummy and me yoga class designed to alleviate the aches and pains of new mamas or hire a yoga instructor to come to your home for a special private session.
4. Switch from shared sleep surface to a co-sleeping bassinet
If you are one of the 80 percent of Australian parents who co-sleeps with your infant, look at the position you take while sleeping. If you sleep with an arm bent in a weird position to encircle the baby, that sleeping position could cause neck pain.
To alleviate the pain and keep your baby close at night, consider investing in a bedside sleeper for your infant. Bedside co-sleepers attach to the side of your bed, keeping baby close, but as the baby is not right next to you, you can assume a more comfortable position for sleeping. To learn more, contact a company like Coogee Chiropractic.