Feeding your baby should settle into being a time of calm and comfort, but for many new mothers, it can quickly become a source of intense discomfort and pain. Strain in the neck and upper back is common, and in this post I’ll explain common reasons why this happens when feeding your baby and simple tips to make feeding more comfortable.
Why Neck Pain Happens While Breastfeeding or Bottle-feeding
Feeding a baby often requires holding sll for long periods in positions your body isn’t used to. Three main reasons cause this discomfort:
- Neck muscle fatigue
Your muscles are not used to holding your heavy (approximately 3 kg) head hovering in a bent-and-twisted position for minutes at a time. They are physiologically inefficient at working in this range, and for the length of time. To cope, the muscles tense up in a shortened position to. This means it can be hard for the muscles to relax again, and painful trigger points form. It takes time for the muscle structure to adapt and become efficient at holding the position.
- Ligament and fascia stress
If you hang your head all the way down, you’ll be relying on the tension in the fascia and ligaments to hold this position. The sustained stretch can cause sensitised and painful ligaments and tender points in the fascia.
- Mid-back stiffness
Pregnancy causes a straight midback simply because the baby-belly is in the way. We are also told that good posture is sitting up straight, which means we support our lower and midbacks. But this causes the neck to overcompensate when looking down at the baby.
Repetitive neck strain can lead to headaches, increased shoulder strain, referred pain into the arms, and jaw tension.
Learning how to adapt to this new posture and managing pain now can prevent longer-term issues and help you enjoy the special moments with your baby.
2 steps to Relieve Neck and Upper Back Pain While Feeding
Learn a healthy movement strategy to adapt to this new posture.
1. Regain Mobility in Your Upper and Mid-Back
To reduce the load on your neck, focus on increasing the flexibility in your upper and mid-back. A great way to do this is by practicing a gentle “slouching” stretch. This move allows your neck to stay still while your mid-back gains mobility, allowing these muscles to work better.
Movement Tip:
Try a simple upper-mid back stretch.
2. Balance Bending Between Your Neck and Mid-Back
When you look down at your baby, aim to request about half of the movement from your neck and the other half from your mid-back. This way, the muscles in your neck are in a more efficient position and are better able to generate force and manage the load.
This is what bending from your neck looks like:
Movement Tip:
Practice bending from both the neck and the mid-back while keeping your shoulders relaxed. This creates a balanced distribution of movement, easing strain on any one area.
Tips to Make Baby Feeding More Comfortable
Here are a few additional tips to help reduce discomfort while feeding:
- Support Your Feet: having your feet on a footstool can anchor your pelvis, holding you more stable in the chair. This is especially true if the chair is leather/PU, which you can slide down in.
- Choose a chair with a short enough seat: a long seat means you won’t be able to get your back into the fold of the chair with your knees bent over the front of the seat. Your lower back will slouch, setting you up for neck strain. Use cushions to support your lower back if you need to, and use a foot stool.
- Different feeding positions: Alternate feeding positions if you can to avoid straining the same muscles continuously. Side-lying or laid-back breastfeeding can be great alternatives.
- Keep Your Baby Close: Bring your baby up to your breast or arm height instead of leaning forward. You may need to add a few more props than the one-size-fits-all feeding pillow. A folded towel, bath sheet, or firm pillow under the feeding cushion can elevate the baby so you can maintain a more neutral posture.
You can now arrange your space to fit your body. A few simple adjustments can create a relaxed posture and make all the difference to your baby-feeding experience!
When adjusting your posture still doesn’t relieve neck pain
Try doing a stretch routine of 2-3 stretches done, yes routinely, 3 x a day.
Consider scheduling a consultation for persistent discomfort, as you may need treatment to restore movement to the segments of your spine and personalised guidance. This will help you recover soonest, so you have the comfort to ‘Mom’ at your best!
