Exercise: Prepare your neck
Stretch and strengthen your neck for a super strong posture that beats breastfeeding neck and back pain
BREASTFEEDING IS RATHER demanding in and of itself. Not only is it accompanied by fatigue and a variety of niggles, but it also commonly leads to neck, shoulder and back discomfort. This is primarily due to incorrect posture while feeding. There is hope, though. We’ve come up with a few exercises and guidelines that will help prevent excessive pain.
When looking at your spine from the side, you’ll see that it has an S-curve formation to it. This is to assist the discs between your vertebrae with necessary shock absorption. When the curves are compromised and are either flattened or over exaggerated, you run the risk of increasing inflammation in the spine and overworking certain muscle groups. This could result in muscle spasm and pain. All of this starts in your pelvis, which is the foundation of your spine. If your pelvis is tilted or arched [A] your spine follows suit. Your head, being the end of a leverage system, will also position itself according to your pelvis and spine position. If your lumbar curve (lower-back curve) is flattened [B] or over exaggerated, your head position compensates by placing itself over your centre of gravity to counterbalance what you have done with your lower back. All of these posture positions cause your shoulders to hunch up and place stress on your spine. This ends up in neck spasms, among other things.
A neutral pelvis is achieved when your hip bones rest on top of your pubic bone [C&D]. This is especially important when you’re breastfeeding.