Breastfeeding...Tips to Reduce Upper Back Ache

My first experience breastfeeding was in an ER.

My delivery was pretty by the book. I went into labor Friday night, I was able to sleep between the contractions, we were up by around 7:00 am and two hours later I was to the point I couldn't stay home anymore.  We arrived at the independent Birth Center by 9:00 am.

I tried the tub...man was that hot and not for me...even though I LOVE water.

But clearly my body was saying, nope and I respected that.

Instead I climbed into the queen sized bed and pushed on my hands and knees.

Everything was going well, as far as I could tell...even though I joke with my husband that I only dropped the f-bomb once, he chuckles and says if you say so.

But even though I was in pain I was riding the waves of it, resting in between and in a total state of euphoria.

It was REALLY hard work, but I have a hard time describing just how painful and hard of work it was even just 3 years later.

Mostly, I remember things being in a haze around me, the midwives encouraging me, my husband by my side, my mom helping me stay hydrated.

But then, everything changed.

The midwives had me flip onto my back. They insisted I get my baby out.

So after a few pushes her head emerged.

This is when things really get blurry.

Apparently, unlike other circumstances when the umbilical cord is wrapped around a newborns neck it can be removed or does so on it's own during decent.

This was not the case for our little one.

I was strangling her with every push and if I had kept going she may not be here with us today.

This is why the midwives think it took me as long as it did to actually get her head out.

So instead of being able to keep her cord connected as long as possible, as my plan intended, they needed to cut it even before she was fully delivered.

I had 30 SECONDS to get her out after they cut the cord!

Well let me tell you there was no amount of time you could have told me to get my baby out if I knew her life was on the line.

Needless to say with that last push, she was born and I tore.

They placed her on my belly and told my husband and I to rub her vigorously to try to get her to cry.

This didn't work.

They removed her from my belly and had to perform rescue breathing on her to get her to breath.

It has been 3 years and I still tear up thinking about how our vivacious, head strong, wonderful daughter may not be with us, if my awesome midwives hadn't been on the ball.

Within minutes the ambulance came to pick her up and bring her to the hospital.

I was not able to go with her because I tore and needed stitches before I left.

So last I saw her was partially limp, but breathing on  the bed next to me.

My husband followed the ambulance and my mom stayed with me as I was cleaned up.

When I arrived at the hospital, the nurse at the ER desk didn't seem very concerned that there was a newborn infant waiting for her mother in one of the rooms and it felt like eternity to get me back to her.

My midwife was not impressed and rather cross.

When we finally arrived, my husband had our daughter all bundled up and was letting her suck on his finger with sugar water.

The whole time I was being cleaned up and driven over to the hospital and then waiting to be reunited, I was petrified that I wouldn't be able to breastfeed because we had been away from each other too long.

I climbed into an ER bed, in a dark room tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the other goings on and my daughter was handled to me.

When I held her to my breast, it felt so awkward and she seemed so tiny that I was fumbling. But my midwives again encouraged me my daughter latched.

It was a miracle.

We were fortunate that we had no issues nursing, after I was so terrified that I wouldn't be able to.

We went on an nursed for 2 years.

I can't say that through those 2 years it was all sunshine and roses though.

Hello teething!!!

She never really bit, but holy cow her suck became so strong to sooth those tender gums.

But the trickiest part for me was finding positions that wouldn't hurt my neck and back.

She was a nurse to sleep kind of girl.

And sometimes, she would stay nestled in my arms for hours and any time I moved she would scream.

So if I wanted her to nap, I needed to stay put in my rocker.

Fortunately, we found a super comfy glider, rocker combo with ottoman, but even that wasn't enough.

I had pillows galore and would stuff them in all the crevices to get me from slouching down to meet her.

This helped, but still my muscles would ache.

Of course being the physical therapist that I am, I was determined to stop the ache.

This meant not only making sure my posture was in good alignment or that I switched up the position I was in so I wasn't always using the same muscles but I stretched.

I stretched my neck, chest, upper back, hips and buttocks after every feeding.

But stretching isn't enough to make sure you don't slouch. Our core plays a HUGE roll in our posture. After pregnancy and birth our core muscles have to heal, shrink, and remind themselves what their roll is.

Most of the time, they need our help.

This meant when I was sitting or lying down or standing while nursing I did sets of pelvic floor and core exercises.

Some of you may question me when I say exercise, when I not breaking a sweat.

But exercising a muscle does not always require us to be jumping around or moving our whole body to gain benefit.

Actually, in the postpartum period smaller, slower, more intimate exercises will help you heal and get back to those more intense, vigorous exercises without long term issues.

So to recap my tips:

1. Make sure you are in good posture while breastfeeding. This means if you are sitting - not sitting on your tailbone, bringing the baby to your breast and supporting with as many pillows as necessary. If you are lying down try to switch up the sides you lay on and again prop baby until she is big enough to not need support. If you are standing, the easiest way to breastfeed a newborn without a carrier is in football hold.
2. Stretch. Tight muscles will lock in the chemicals that help our muscles to work, but over time this build up and constant shortening and pulling on the joints will cause pain. So balance out your muscle by stretching those that are most shortened while nursing. Try out these!
3. Work on your Core. Starting simple and easy with breathing exercises is the best way to reacquaint yourself with your core. If you had pelvic floor trauma or a cesarean this reconnection may take longer and you may need help from a specialist to figure out what muscles your are targeting and if there is anything may be inhibiting your reconnection, like scar adhesions. Check this video out!

To find out more about proper nursing postures, postpartum stretches and reconnecting to you core sign up here for your free consultation with a maternal pelvic health specialist.