When It Comes to Babies, We Need to Watch Our Backs

After nine months of morning sickness and swollen ankles, a new mom usually expects her pregnancy aches to disappear once the baby arrives.

But for many, muscle pain only worsens when our little ones greet the world. That 25 pounds of baby you carried in your womb is now a 25 pound toddler you carry in your arms eight hours a day. Add in bending to pick up toys, scrubbing accidents out of the carpet, and sleeping with someone the weight of a kettlebell on your chest, and your back may feel even worse than it did when Junior was inside cooking.

I know in my experience, my daughter refused to go in a baby sling or wrap so I rested her on my left hip while I did housework. For the next two years. It’s why my left arm looks like Hulk Hogan’s and the left side of my body is two inches shorter than my right.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, 31 million Americans suffer from back problems. And surprisingly, it’s not just overuse and injury that leads to sore muscles and aches. To get to the root of the problem and to address preventative measures new parents can take, I asked Dr. Barry DeLassus of Southern Illinois Chiropractic Center in Maryville, Ill. and soon-to-be first-time father for his suggestions.

How can a mother reduce back pain when pregnant? There’s no denying that pregnancy changes the biomechanics of the body. A growing baby up front places extra stress on virtually every other area of the body at some point during pregnancy.

In addition to regular chiropractic care, staying as active as possible, maintaining a very healthy diet and minimizing stress are great ways to help prevent spinal issues. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association is a great resource for preventative health and wellness information related to parents, pregnant moms and children.

Since we can’t keep our babies and toddlers captive in their pack-and-plays 24/7, how can we protect or backs when lifting another human being all day?

I often advise parents to remember to switch sides when doing things like feeding the baby or carrying him or her in a car seat or on their hip. For example, many of us could lift a bowling ball one time without any noticeable effects. But if we had to carry that weight for extended periods of time or lift it from positions or angles that were less than ideal, we would likely begin to notice symptoms arise from that activity over time. 

Remember to use large muscle groups for heavy or repetitive lifting. The big muscle group on the front of the thigh (the quadriceps) is much stronger than the small muscles which surround the spine. This is why it is important to bend at the knees, and not at the waist, when lifting. It is also important not to bend, lift and twist at the same time. In the spine, intervertebral discs are found between each vertebrae. These discs are more likely to be injured when bending, lifting and twisting are combined repetitively. 

What are some ways new parents can relieve neck and back pain?

While chiropractic care is always a great way to improve your overall health and nervous system function regardless of pain, things like massage therapy or physical therapy might be appropriate too. Making sure the spine and nervous system are working in harmony with your muscular system is very important.

In terms of preventative at-home care, regular stretching can also really help. In fact, if parents would take 5-10 minutes daily to stretch the major muscle groups many spinal problems could significantly be reduced or eliminated.

Dr. DeLassus also noted that while stretching and other preventative measures are crucial to protecting your back, you need to critique your entire outlook on wellness. In fact, regularly downing a fast-food cheeseburger and gluing yourself to your couch for a Top Chef marathon are as big as stressors as hauling a bulging diaper bag on your shoulder.

“A toxic or deficient diet, a lack of exercise or chronic emotional stressors individually or together can, and over time will, lead to back and neck pain,” he remarked.  “Often people think that it was a simple repetitive physical activity which caused their pain, when in reality that may have only been the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camel's back.’” 

So, the bad news is we can now longer make our kids for guilty for the ravage they caused on our bodies. The good news is we can prevent many back injuries from happening, and at the same time, improve our overall wellness. 

By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting