I am the mother of two fine boys, one of which is nine months old now. Although he is gaining new skills everyday, I am still lifting him and holding him a lot (and as I should be!) all while multi-tasking around the house with various chores. Although I am fairly ambidextrous, I find he still squirms his way onto that left hip for what I can only assume is the best view of the house. In addition to this, I continue to lug his 18 pound frame around in the car seat weighing in at a over 22 lbs whenever we go in the car or stroller. Whew! No wonder I have back pain!
A patient once told me, “My baby is breaking my back” and that phrase keeps coming to mind as I struggle to maintain good posture and a pain free status with my own spine. The demands on parents during the first year are high. Sleepless nights, lack of personal time for exercises and all the lifting, bending and twisting all whilst holding that bundle of joy can take a serious toll on the upper and lower back. Women who are breast feeding can add that flexed posture to their list as well.
Why all this discomfort? In general it boils down to the poor posture with many of these tasks.
So what is a parent to do? Awareness of your posture is by far the most important step in changing some bad habits. Simply being aware of when you are rounding your shoulders forward or lifting the car seat with one arm and your back completely flexed and knees straight will help you identify areas that could be modified. Remembering to keep your shoulder blades down and squeezing them together will help with the slouched posture. Lifting your little one with your low back straight and your knees bent will take an enormous amount of stress off the muscles and discs of the low back region.
If your back is hurting, seek our care early before you are in an acute situation where you can’t lift your baby at all. Also, instead of carrying the little one, sit down with them on the floor or in a chair. Of course, exercise is very important for maintaining core strength and many low tech, highly effective exercise programs can be designed for at home routines. Even a few minutes dedicated to stretching and strengthening your core muscles can leave you feeling stronger and decrease your pain.
Chiropractic care is a simple and drug free approach to muscle and joint pain. Our office is dedicated to educating you about your spine and how to take better care of your body. We recognize that at different stages of your life you will have increased demands on body and we are here to help you feel better!
