Reduce the risk of developing or worsening back pain by following these simple measures:
Feeding your baby
- First, get into a comfortable well supported position.
- Choose a chair where you can sit with your feet flat on the floor
- Your back should have good support. Use a small towel rolled up, or a small cushion and placed in the small of your back to give more support if necessary.
- Especially if breastfeeding, use a pillow on your knees to help take the weight of the baby and to raise the baby up towards your breast rather than having to bend over him / her.
Lifting your baby in and out of the cot
- Leaning over high cot sides with the baby risks causing back pain. Find a cot with height settings and lower the mattress level as the baby grows.
- Choose a cot with sides that drop, reducing the amount of bending over. Make sure the drop sides can be operated with one hand only.
- Travel cots involve a particularly long reach. Consider using a Moses basket instead.
Bath time
- A baby bath on the floor, or better still on a stand will require less bending over than trying to bath baby in the normal household bath.
- For a bit of extra baby bonding and far better for your spine, jump into the bath together. Make sure the temperature is suitable for baby though.
Nappy changing
- Set up your nappy changing station so you can get to everything you need without bending and twisting.
- Changing the baby at worktop height is better than on the floor.
Car seats
- Do not carry your baby in his car seat for prolonged periods of time. Most 1st stage car seats need to be carried out to your side, this puts a tremendous stress on your spine. Instead use a push chair or front carrier
- A four door car is better than a two door so you don’t have to stretch and twist when putting the car seat in the back.
Exercise
- Your spine is protected by the pelvic floor, a core stability muscle. This will have been stretched and weakened during pregnancy and during a normal birth.
- If you had a caesarean section the incision will affect one of the other main stability muscles - the transversus abdominis.
- Carry on with your pelvic floor exercises from as early on as possible after giving birth. It may seem hard to find the time, but get yourself into the habit of doing some every time you start to feed your baby, every nappy change etc.
If you want to know more about how to self manage your injuries, take a read of our articles
For more advice
Sports Injury Clinic - Lower Back Pain
Disclaimer: The information on this page is written to help you avoid injury. There are many possible causes for back pain and should you have any concerns you should always seek advice from a qualified health professional such as a Chartered Physiotherapist or your GP.
