When people talk to you about motherhood, they rarely tell you what a pain it is going to be. Literally! It actually takes a physical toll on your body. Right now, I’m suffering from backaches again because of carrying and breastfeeding my baby. Well, they never really went away even when my second son was old enough to walk because he still loves to be carried (and he’s over 35 lbs!) A friend of mine had to have surgery on her hand because of her “Mommy Thumb” also known as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, a painful condition that affects the tendons of the wrist, near the thumb side.
Here are some remedies for common pains associated with new moms.
BACK, SHOULDER, AND NECK PAIN
When you’re pregnant and carrying around that extra weight (whether it is 20 lbs. or 55 lbs.), you will probably feel pain in your back at some point because your center of gravity has shifted and your body is not used to the additional weight. The good news: Back pain disappears once you give birth. The bad news: It usually returns due to muscle strains from breastfeeding and carrying your baby. New nursing moms sometimes nurse in awkward position that can cause pain. In addition, you will be picking up and putting your child down so many times throughout the next three to four years, which will cause more back pain. Here’s how to lessen your back pain
1. Exercise as soon as you get the go-ahead from your doctor, so you can strengthen your muscles.
2. When picking up your baby from the floor, squat down and bend your knees. Don’t bend with your legs straight and the force centered at your waist.
3. Don’t twist your body when lifting your baby.
4. Try not to carry your baby on your hip (I do this and suffer!) as it misaligns your spine and puts it in an awkward position. If this position is really the most comfortable for you, buy a hip seat so that the weight of your baby is supported and distributed.
5. Sit straight when you are nursing rather than lean forward. Using a breastfeeding pillow helps your posture because it is ergonomically designed with these things in mind.
6. Place a pillow behind your back when you are breastfeeding.
7. Do back-strengthening yoga postures at home.
8. Enrol in a pilates or yoga class to help your back and shoulders. Regular practice will help straighten your posture by strengthening your back and abdominal muscles against common pregnancy conditions such as lordosis (sway-back) and kyphosis (hunchback).
THE MOMMY THUMB
The “Mommy Thumb” is caused by strain. Symptoms range from slight tenderness to intense pain in the thumb all the way to the wrist area. Lifting your baby repeatedly throughout the day for months/years on end with your thumbs pointed up severely stresses the thumb tendons, leading to inflammation. Treatments for it range from a massage and avoiding lifting your baby with your thumbs pointed up to splints, steroid injections, and surgery for severe cases.
You can avoid getting the “Mommy Thumb” by picking up your baby in a supination position and try to relax your thumbs so you don’t strain them.
This article has been modified from the book Project Mom. Get your discounted copy at www.projectmombook.com. Just mention that you read “The Mommy Project” column in Manila Bulletin Lifestyle.
Source : Manila Bulletin , 31st Oct 2015
When you’re pregnant and carrying around that extra weight (whether it is 20 lbs. or 55 lbs.), you will probably feel pain in your back at some point because your center of gravity has shifted and your body is not used to the additional weight. The good news: Back pain disappears once you give birth. The bad news: It usually returns due to muscle strains from breastfeeding and carrying your baby. New nursing moms sometimes nurse in awkward position that can cause pain. In addition, you will be picking up and putting your child down so many times throughout the next three to four years, which will cause more back pain. Here’s how to lessen your back pain
1. Exercise as soon as you get the go-ahead from your doctor, so you can strengthen your muscles.
2. When picking up your baby from the floor, squat down and bend your knees. Don’t bend with your legs straight and the force centered at your waist.
3. Don’t twist your body when lifting your baby.
4. Try not to carry your baby on your hip (I do this and suffer!) as it misaligns your spine and puts it in an awkward position. If this position is really the most comfortable for you, buy a hip seat so that the weight of your baby is supported and distributed.
5. Sit straight when you are nursing rather than lean forward. Using a breastfeeding pillow helps your posture because it is ergonomically designed with these things in mind.
6. Place a pillow behind your back when you are breastfeeding.
7. Do back-strengthening yoga postures at home.
8. Enrol in a pilates or yoga class to help your back and shoulders. Regular practice will help straighten your posture by strengthening your back and abdominal muscles against common pregnancy conditions such as lordosis (sway-back) and kyphosis (hunchback).
THE MOMMY THUMB
The “Mommy Thumb” is caused by strain. Symptoms range from slight tenderness to intense pain in the thumb all the way to the wrist area. Lifting your baby repeatedly throughout the day for months/years on end with your thumbs pointed up severely stresses the thumb tendons, leading to inflammation. Treatments for it range from a massage and avoiding lifting your baby with your thumbs pointed up to splints, steroid injections, and surgery for severe cases.
You can avoid getting the “Mommy Thumb” by picking up your baby in a supination position and try to relax your thumbs so you don’t strain them.
This article has been modified from the book Project Mom. Get your discounted copy at www.projectmombook.com. Just mention that you read “The Mommy Project” column in Manila Bulletin Lifestyle.
Source : Manila Bulletin , 31st Oct 2015
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