Do your neck, shoulders or back get sore with breastfeeding? You aren’t alone and there are ways to help. Poor body mechanics are usually to blame when it comes to joint and muscle pain while breastfeeding. First and foremost, a comfortable chair is required.
Your feet must land flat on the floor without having to rise up on your toes to “hold” the baby. If you find yourself doing this invest in a footstool or find a box to use so that your hips are bent to 90 degrees. Furthermore your bottom should be scooted all the way back in the chair so that your tailbone and lower back are supported by the back rest.
If the chair doesn’t provide adequate support you can always use a pillow or towel roll to fill in the gap. Once you are seated nicely, always make sure you bring the baby up to your breast rather than bending over or leaning towards your baby.
This will only place undue stress on your upper back, neck and shoulders. Use a nursing pillow or combination of other pillows and the arm rest to allow your arms to be relaxed, while your shoulder blades are tucked back along your ribcage and down away from your ears.
Finally, make sure you take rest breaks from gazing at your child so that your head isn’t bent forward for very long. This again places a lot of strain on your joints, ligaments and muscles. When you are finished feeding, it is wise to stretch your head back and chest open to alleviate some of the stress of breastfeeding.
Now go enjoy that little one!
– Emily
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