Post Pregnancy Back Pain

Thanks Shikha, for appreciating my posts. The commercialization of medicine is a different debate. Lets just say government and patients forced medical professionals to do so with the latest trend of MLCs that doctors now face like petty criminals more  

Thanks Dr. Mittal. Have great respect for the medical professionals. Hope we go back to the same old days when I was growing up where Doctors served the societies and were highly regarded. Off late, things have become very commercial. Keep up your good work! more  

Well its a part of my job to know Shikha. On a more serious note, i have been working on backaches for sometime, in addition to the other aspects of medicine :) more  

Very useful info Dr. You seem to know more than gynaecs. more  

During pregnancy, your expanding uterus stretches and weakens your abdominal muscles and alters your posture, putting strain on your back. Plus, extra weight means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints. Also hormonal changes in pregnancy can loosen the joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine, which can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things. You can also end up with a sore back as the result of a long or difficult labor. During labor you may have used muscles you don't normally use, and you'll feel the effects for some time. Also, many new moms inadvertently make their back problems worse by not being conscious of good posture while feeding their baby. These changes don't go away overnight. It's common to have some back pain after giving birth. It usually resolves within a few months, though some women will continue to have pain for much longer.Women who had back pain before or during pregnancy are more likely to have persistent back pain after pregnancy, particularly if their pain was severe or began relatively early in pregnancy. Being overweight increases the risk too. So your back may continue to ache until your muscles regain their strength and tone and your joints become less lax. What you can actively do about it is- a. begin exercise gradually- Choose a gentle form of exercise, such as walking. Walking is safe to start almost immediately after either a vaginal birth or a cesarean section. Take it slowly and keep walks short in the first few weeks. (Swimming, which helps strengthen your muscles without putting undue stress on your joints, is another good option later on.) Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Inhale and allow your belly to expand with your breath. Exhale and tilt your tailbone toward your belly button while keeping your hips on the floor. (It's a subtle movement.) At the top of the tilt, tighten your buttocks, then release. b. Pay attention to your posture and stand up straight.Sit up straight, too. c. Think about your posture when feeding your baby, whether you're nursing or bottle-feeding. If you have low back pain, try using a footstool to keep your feet slightly raised off the floor. Choose a comfortable chair with armrests, and use lots of pillows to give extra support to your back and arms. Also try different breastfeeding positions. If you have tense shoulders and upper back pain, the side-lying position may be most comfortable. Always bend from your knees and lift objects and children from a crouching position to minimize the stress on your back. d. Let someone else lift heavy objects – this isn't the time to risk throwing your back out. (If you've had a c-section, you shouldn't be lifting anything heavier than your baby for at least eight weeks.) Will add a few pictures regarding this in Staying Healthy circle. Could not find a way to attach it here. Hope you find this useful. Get better soon, and congratulations :). Sorry couldn't add all the info right here.... more