The Joys and Pains of Breastfeeding

Jamie Justice, DPT WCS, is a physical therapist at Creative Therapeutics. Jamie holds a specialist certification in Women’s Health

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and many moms have stories to share of their experiences.  There are stories of success: the baby thrived, and mom loved every minute of it.  Then there are the stories of hardship: the baby didn’t latch, mom is in pain, mom is not producing enough milk, and now she is feeling stress and guilt.  We put so much pressure on ourselves to have the perfect bonding experience that in the process we tend to forget about our own bodies.

Breastfeeding makes many demands–your sleep cycle, your nutritional habits, and your mental state may all be affected.  Your musculoskeletal system feels the effects, as well.  From great products like the Boppy nursing pillow to the valuable education provided by lactation consultants (or physical therapists), we have many resources for maintaining proper posture when nursing.  Yet even for those moms that really try to practice good form, proper posture is still very difficult to maintain it at all times.  And trying to keep a toddler sibling entertained while breastfeeding only adds to the difficulty.  Even with best intentions and executions, prolonged sitting for this amount of time is tough on the body.

Any mother can relate to this picture, especially when out in public and not at home with a Boppy pillow handy. Here’s what’s happening in this position: Your chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor) shorten and tighten and pull your shoulders forward.  Your middle back between your shoulder blades (thoracic spine) becomes stiff and loses its ability to extend backwards as well.  Muscles around your shoulder blade become weakened from sitting in this position for long periods.  Your neck may get very stiff from looking down so much (because who can resist staring at their beautiful little baby)?  You wind up feeling like you can’t sit up straight or pull your shoulders back, you feel strain between your shoulder blades, and you may begin to have neck pain or even headaches.

Now that we’ve established nursing is hard on your back, let’s discuss the easy ways to make it better.  The good news is that for all the time you spend in this position, stretching and moving can help all of the strain and tightness.  Stretching your neck and middle back can really help. Check out a few of our favorite ways to get some relief after long periods of sitting.

“Thread the needle” stretch

Clasp hands, pull back shoulders, open chest

Use a foam roll to open and stretch

There are many ways besides these to stretch and strengthen before and after nursing. Most importantly, try to pay attention to your posture and how you are feeling–and take a few minutes to take care of yourself!  It’s so easy to forget about yourself when focused on your little one.  Before you know it, a year has passed and you are still putting up with annoying back or neck pain.  Remember: being a happier, healthier mom is a fine, worthwhile goal!   If you are a nursing mom experiencing pain, Creative Therapeutics offers free 30-minute consultations. Let one of our physical therapists take a look at you.  We also offer our Body after Baby program, which focuses on building your core strength back up after delivery.

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