Teaching your self good posture can decrease, eliminate or avoid neck and back pain:
- When feeding, it is important to sit in a chair that offers good support and allows you to feel comfortable and relaxed. Sit right at the back of your chair, feet flat on the floor and knees and hips in a straight line. An arm rest or pillows for your arm to rest on is also important. Place baby on a good feeding pillow to prevent you leaning toward baby.
- When picking up your baby or child, try to avoid bending forward. You should rather bend your knees and hips with feet slightly apart, thereby moving into a squatting position. Support your little one underneath with one arm and wrap the other arm around his/her torso. Slowly straighten into a standing position.
- When carrying your child for long periods it is advisable to rather use a good quality baby carrier which keeps your and your baby’s spine and hips in the best ergonomic position. When carrying your little one on your hip, you are putting pressure on your spine and surrounding structures, which may lead to spinal, hip or leg pain.
It is not always possible to do things the “right way”, but it is important to remember to contract your tummy muscles when you have to move into a position that will be strenuous on your spine, such as placing your child in the car seat or rushing to console baby. When your tummy muscles are contracted, there is more support for your spine, and therefore less chance of injury.