People say pregnancy is for three trimesters, but if you think about it, our body is not our own for a long long time!
Our body changes drastically during and post pregnancy, every single joint and every single cell is affected.
Be it a vaginal delivery or a Cesarean-section, back ache in all circumstances is inevitable. Apart from the lower spinal anesthesia which can also add icing on the cake in case of a c-section, there are various factors (reasons) that contribute to this pain:
Spike in the hormone ‘Relaxin’: During pregnancy, in order to relax the joints and ligaments, our body produces a hormone called ‘relaxin’ in our pelvis to make it easier for the baby to pass through the birth canal. This hormone, basically makes all the muscles and ligaments elastic and soft, which can increase the chances of injury and pain when seated for a long time. Also, since it’s presence is unstable (in terms of amount), the risk of inflammation and joint misalignment increases which leads to lower back pain. It takes about 5 months for levels of this hormone to normalize.
Stretching of uterus: Again, during pregnancy, our uterus stretches to it’s maximum size, thus altering the posture and putting tremendous strain on the back.
Long feeding hours and bad posture: After delivery, comes the era of feeding (cluster feeding, comfort feeding and all sorts of feeding) due to which, mothers are sitting for long duration, and sometimes, for hours together. Bad sitting/reclining posture may add on to the back ache and make it even worse.
Constant bending: Constant bending to lift and keep your baby also causes strain on the back, especially for the first couple of weeks.
How to treat post-partum backache?
Exercise: Stretching exercise on the floor, soon after delivery ensures restoring muscle tone and flexibility.
Weight reduction: Reducing weight goes a long way in bringing down the strain and pressure on your back.
Don’t bend, sit: When lifting your baby, don’t stretch your arms, instead, sit on your knees and take him/her. This will not cause pain in your back and also help in reducing belly fat.
Avoid bending while feeding: While breastfeeding, do not bend to reach, rather try to pull the baby towards you so that the stress is reduced. You can also opt for lying position to reduce the stress.
Last, but my favorite. Consider babywearing:
Since the weight is distributed throughout your shoulder and back, the strain is reduced significantly.
I’ve felt a lot of strain on my back while carrying my daughter without a carrier. When you wear your baby, the shoulder straps take the weight, your back is spared.
If you’re a new mom like me, here’s a suggestion for you. Choose babywearing- and choose an ergonomic carrier. It’ll help a lot in curbing back ache and even preventing it.
Featured here is Soul AnoonA- A carrier fit for children from birth to toddler-hood (3.2-20kg)
Check more here: https://soulslings.com/in/shop/full-buckle/anoona/anoona-lead
Hope this was helpful!
Thanks for reading and do share how you managed your back ache!
I was lucky not to experience post partum backaches, but I absolutely agree that after consulting your doctor, babywearing makes things a lot easier on your body. Glad you were able to find some relief 🙂
Though I didn’t have any back ache but I always felt difficulty in holding my baby while doing daily chores. And ohhh my myy….I always thought how much good a baby carrier could do. Only to realise how evenly the baby’s weight gets distributed on wearing them. No doubt it’s a life saviour😇
This is a very nice article- I was in lot of pain post delivery – and the pain still comes back at times!
I will abide by the tips you have shared!
I had a terrible backache post delivery and it was mainly because of wrong posture. I wish someone had told me then about the right posture . Totally agree with you on babywearing part. It does help in many ways.
I did not experience PP backache but it sounds menacing. Your post will surely help those experiencing this.
Thanks!
I experience a lot of back ache after both my deliveries. Yes baby wearing does help alleviate the pain.
We love baby wearing too and not only does it help with the back ache it is so good for both the mother and the baby!
Oh I remember how bad were those first 8 months post delivery, I had severe back pain which turned to sciatica later on, but I clearly remember using my baby carrier on the days of the growth spurt and teething phases when I used to wear my baby almost all the time. I haven’t tried soul slings but these definitely looks great to use. Thanks for writing about this 🙂
I am not tat lucky and i am still stuck wit postpartum back ache…i changed two beds too.. but stil i cudnt carry my baby for long…i too found baby wearing so useful and i loved it..
I started babywearing only at 4 months …I wish I had known about it before that because you are completely right ..it would have been a boon on those initial weeks.
It was very informative .. Though I knew all these .. I never knew the terminology or the reasons behind 🙂 Thanks for the post mama!
What a super helpful post Elina. I had no idea that #babywearing wouls be a boon for backache. It totally makes sense though
Babywearing is a complete win win !! Thankyou for introducing baby wearing to me .. Wish i tried earlier , i have major back ache issues
This is a very informative post. I had a very bad backache when I was expecting my younger one. It took me some time after delivery too.
I never thought of baby wearing this way but some seriously good info her. My tail bone had gotten pushed down quite a bit during pregnancy and it used to hurt while sitting after delivery. While doing house chores, Karma would either be in the cot or I would wear her for quick errands. It’s definitely a boon! 🙂
So..thankfully I haven’t experienced back ache during or after pregnancy but reading your post does make me realize it can be a real pain for women who experience it. Thanks for sharing tips on how to ease the pain.
All the pains after post-partum are so unbearable.. thanks for sharing these tips. Will definitely consider wearing my second baby this time.
Baby wearing was very helpful. I love the Boba SSC