Are you a new mom who struggle with an achy neck? Are you concerned that your symptom will prevent you from looking after your baby in the best way possible? You’re not alone. Several newbie moms come to clinics and Upper Cervical Care offices because of neck pain. Understanding this pain point, we thought of creating a quick and easy guide to help you understand your symptom and determine how you can move forward with the help of a few tricks.
For many new moms, breastfeeding is a beautiful and natural way to bond with their new baby. However, many moms don't realize that breastfeeding can become a literal pain in the neck. It's no secret that breastfeeding can also be a challenging experience. Some new moms may find it especially challenging in the early days and weeks learning about proper latching, how often babies should feed, etc.
Sometimes, the challenges experienced by breastfeeding moms can get mixed up with too many worries. As a mom, you may find yourself asking questions such as "is my baby feeding enough," "am I producing enough milk," "is the baby comfortable while feeding," and so on. And because mothers tend to be too preoccupied with caring for the baby and addressing their needs, sometimes their overall well-being becomes an afterthought.
Neck pain is a common concern for people seeking upper cervical care. Unfortunately, this is also one of breastfeeding mothers' common complaints. If you're one of them, don't worry, you're not alone. We will share with you some tips to tackle neck pain to reduce your breastfeeding-related neck pain woes and what you can do to alleviate the pain.
While breastfeeding moms often complain about neck pain, mothers who bottle feed their babies can also deal with the same concern. Feeding your baby can lead to repetitive stress and pressure on the neck and back. Breastfeeding moms often look down on their babies while feeding, which can happen 8 to 12 times a day. Babies also take an average of 10 to 20 minutes every time they feed, meaning your neck and back tend to experience stress and pressure each time you feed your baby.
Always putting your neck in a flexed forward position can lead to muscle strain and inflammation. Your ligaments and tendons tend to be affected as well. Stress in the neck muscles can start during pregnancy, too, as the neck curve usually gets affected due to forward weight distribution in the belly. And this tends to continue through the postpartum period with the nursing position. Improving your breastfeeding posture can help reduce neck pain while attending to your baby's needs.
With hundreds or even thousands of hours spent feeding your babies, putting stress and pressure on your neck and back will take its toll on you. The longer it takes to correct your bad habit, the longer the pain and aches can linger. They may even be there even after you finish the breastfeeding phase.
It may benefit you to get started with proper breastfeeding posture as early as possible to prevent unnecessary stress and pain from forming. It's an understatement to say that you will always get your hands full; hence, practicing early on can help develop the habit.
We encourage you to practice being able to relax while feeding your baby and not keep your muscle tense during feeding. Preparing an ideal breastfeeding setup can help put your body more at ease. Follow these tips to improve your breastfeeding posture:
If you are experiencing neck pain while breastfeeding, improving and maintaining good posture during feeding times may help. However, if the pain persists, it’s possible that you have misaligned Upper Cervical bones. This issue is quite common among patients with a history of whiplash, concussion and other similar traumatic injuries. And often, the problem goes undetected until recurring symptoms such as neck pain persists and wreak havoc on one’s life.
Thankfully, you can fix the problem with the help of gentle Upper Cervical Chiropractic adjustments. This technique helps restore balance and realigns the spine, taking the pressure off the ligaments, muscles, and nerves. Once the pressure is relieved, your blood flow improves, and the affected surrounding area tends to heal naturally.
We encourage you to visit an upper cervical chiropractic doctor near you as soon as possible and get your spine's alignment checked.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
