The Postpartum Pains Nobody Tells You About

When it comes to pregnancy and postpartum, people seem to be privy to the pain of childbirth and pelvic postpartum pain. People expect and prepare their minds and bodies to deal with the difficulties of breastfeeding, intercourse, and even using the restroom immediately postpartum. What we don't anticipate or prepare our bodies for, is the neck strain, back pain, or even the lingering effects these have long after the 6-week mark. The postpartum period is typically defined as the six-week period following childbirth. In reality, the body needs much longer than that to fully recover, especially after spending nearly ten months growing another human being. We also know that postpartum is technically forever!

 As Dr. Jess writes in her new book Postpartum is Forever, “Postpartum begins right after we give birth, and it is associated with specific changes in the body you must not overlook”. This can include things like stress incontinence, which is when some women urinate when they sneeze, laugh, cough, or exercise after birth. This typically occurs due to issues with the pelvic floor that happen because of childbirth. Postpartum pains can also include the obvious cramping and soreness that happens when you are recovering from birth. But, there are certain pains and issues that arise during the postpartum period that aren’t talked about as much, and that is postpartum back and neck pain.

Postpartum neck and back pain are typically caused by the following:

• Pregnancy hormones have loosened your ligaments and joints.
• Strained abdominal muscles that were used to support your bump and during delivery (if you labored at any point during your baby's birth), which may have thrown your back and even your posture out of whack. A weak core can put a lot of strain on your back and therefore lead to back pain or soreness.
• Bending and baby lifting can lead to poor repetitive motions that will wear on your back and neck over time.
• Holding your baby in certain positions as they grow can also lead to postpartum back pain too later on.
• Breastfeeding for long hours can cause neck and back pain if you are constantly lowering your head or arching your back in a certain way while sitting down
• Lack of sleep or poor sleep posture

Postpartum pains can affect people differently and at different stages of the postpartum journey. While some symptoms you may feel right away, others can take time to develop. The best advice is to be patient with your body and your recovery. The majority of postpartum people take much longer than six weeks to recover and experience postpartum pain and complications years after pregnancy and birth due to a lack of specialist intervention. Luckily, there are certain things that you can do in order to reduce or eliminate postpartum neck and back pain. Here are some tips below that you can try in order to ease the new aches and pains that you might be experiencing after baby:

• When feeding your baby, try to keep good posture using pillows and try to avoid straining your neck down for too long. It can be hard to keep good posture while breastfeeding or bottle feeding and not cause any neck strain, so working with a postpartum chronic pain specialist can be the best way to counter-act this repetitive motion.
• Relax your shoulders while feeding or carrying your baby, as high tension can lead to pain and discomfort over time.
• Drink enough water, it allows your muscles to repair faster and your blood flow stays strong. Snacking and hydrating are especially important while breastfeeding.
• Use your legs and keep an equal distribution of weight when lifting something. 
• Book a Myofascial Release Therapy session. You will notice a positive impact on your back and neck pain, and it helps to work with someone who understands all of the changes and habits that your body will be going through! MFR therapy is a gentle and effective way to eliminate the aches and pains and be in tune with your new body and mind.
• Don't rush into exercise and activities. You can end up doing more damage than good if you push your body before it's ready. If you aren't sure what to do or when you will feel ready to ease back in, try speaking with a specialist for free.

If you are experiencing any postpartum symptoms such as:

Urinary incontinence

Back pain

Neck pain

Abdominal weakness or separation

Pelvic pain

Or anything else that is concerning, you should contact a pelvic health physical therapist near you to get the care you deserve. Here at Arancia Physical Therapy, we love speaking with moms to help them find the best care possible and to hear their individual concerns. If you are experiencing chronic neck, back, pelvic pain, or anything else related to pregnancy and/or childbirth, please reach out to us now by contacting us online here or by giving us a call at 401.602.7006. We look forward to getting you back to feeling like your best self!