What to do with back pain after childbirth

Confinement is a golden period for the mother's body to recover, so during this period the mother should pay attention to many precautions and recover her body as soon as possible. During the confinement period, the mother's body will inevitably undergo many changes, which is the result of sudden changes in hormones in the body. Some women experience lower back pain during their confinement period. What are the relief methods?

1. Why do I have back pain during confinement?

When experiencing lower back pain during confinement, many people’s first reaction is that they did not sit properly during confinement and their lower back got cold, leading to the pain. In fact, sometimes it is not because of the proper confinement period, but may also be due to calcium deficiency in the body, excessive pressure on the waist during pregnancy, incorrect breastfeeding posture, etc.

1. Calcium deficiency. After giving birth, women are already weak, and they have to breastfeed. If the body does not get enough calcium, the baby and the postpartum mother are prone to calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency in postpartum mothers can easily cause postpartum osteoporosis, which can lead to symptoms of low back pain.

2. During pregnancy, the gradual enlargement of the uterus will put greater pressure on the waist, and lumbar muscle strain will cause back pain. If you gain weight too quickly during pregnancy, it will increase the burden on your waist and pose a risk of back pain.

3. Incorrect breastfeeding posture. Some mothers feel back pain when they stand up after feeding their babies. This may be caused by improper breastfeeding. Incorrect breastfeeding posture puts a burden on the lumbar spine, which will cause back pain in the long run.

4. The waist gets cold. Especially for mothers who are in confinement in winter, the waist can easily get cold when feeding the baby, so they must pay attention to keeping the waist warm and add or remove clothes in time.

2. What to do if you have back pain during confinement?

1. Keep your waist warm

If the pain is caused by cold waist, you should pay more attention to keeping your waist warm. Especially for mothers who are in confinement in winter, they can turn on the heating or air conditioning in the room to keep the room temperature at around 26 degrees, so as to avoid catching cold while breastfeeding. New mothers can also use hot packs or add more clothes to help with postpartum recovery.

2. Eat more foods containing calcium

Breastfeeding mothers need to supplement calcium more. They can eat more calcium-rich foods, such as shrimp, milk, seaweed, and kelp. Therefore, whether you have back pain or not, it is never wrong to take appropriate calcium supplements, which will help increase the calcium content of breast milk. If you want to supplement calcium by taking calcium tablets or multivitamin tablets, it is recommended that you consult a doctor in advance.

3. Pay more attention in daily life

During the confinement period, you should pay more attention to all aspects of daily life. For example, you should not stand, sit or squat for long periods of time, you should often hold the baby in your arms, and you should squat to bathe or wash clothes for the baby. Try to ask your family members to help with these things during the confinement period. Also, you should not wear high heels too early, the bed should not be too soft, you should not lift heavy objects, and you should not wear a belly band for too long or too tightly.

4. Exercise appropriately

Moderate exercise after childbirth will not only not make the mother feel more tired, but also can strengthen the waist muscles. Get out of bed and walk around as soon as possible after delivery, and do some simple postpartum exercises. Mothers who have the conditions can ask a professional yoga teacher to guide them in doing yoga, which is beneficial for body shaping and recovery.