Back pain is one of the common pains that often comes with being a new mother. There is nobody who likes to experience these kinds of pain after childbirth, but studies show that about 50 percent of the ladies experience back pain after pregnancy. This pain may last just for hours after pregnancy or last longer for days, weeks, and even months. But, the good news is that it can be treated.
In this article of Hipregnancy, we will cover all you need to about the back pain after delivery, causes of it, as well as the ways to get rid of it. Read on to the end to know how you can control and treat your postpartum back pain.
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Causes of back pain after pregnancy
Pregnancy is a unique time in every moms’ life, and it is followed by many changes. But after childbirth, new moms face with new symptoms, and back pain after pregnancy is one of them.
Usually, ladies experience this pain, whether they have vaginal delivery or C-section.
There is not a single cause for postpartum back pain and the cause of the pain may be different among ladies.
For example, hormonal changes can be the top reason for this pain. During pregnancy, relaxin hormone is released to prepare your body for delivery. This pregnancy hormone works by loosing ligaments and joints. Therefore, the slightest activity after childbirth can lead to back pain.
Another reason can be weight gain during pregnancy, which puts extra pressure on your back muscle, leading to pain. In addition, lifting and carrying a new baby all the time after pregnancy, epidural complications, breastfeeding position, diastasis recti, gallstones, and pregnancy and lactation-associated osteoporosis can the other potential causes of neck/back pain after delivery.
Also Read: How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks After Pregnancy?
How long does back pain after pregnancy last?
In order to answer this question, we should say that, there are some ladies who get better soon after delivery. Alongside, there are someone that have health issues, such as backache. Therefore, there is no specific time duration for postpartum back pain among new moms.
It may last for a few days or even several months based on your circumstance. The most important factor that impact on the duration of pain is the history of having back pain before or during pregnancy.
Usually, women who have experience of severe back pain before getting pregnant, or during pregnancy, suffer from postpartum back pain for longer time. In addition, obesity and being overweight before or during pregnancy, increase the risk of getting severe and long-lasting back pain after childbirth.
According to studies on ladies who experience back pain after delivery, most cases last for about six months, but as we mentioned before, the duration may change to one year or even more. The important point is that how you can treat this pain and make its duration shorter. The following part helps you to relieve back pain after giving birth as soon as possible.
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8 ways to get relief from back pain after delivery
Most of the time, back pain goes away on its own after six months, but there are some ways that help you get relief from pain sooner. These ways are easy, but really effective in managing your pain. Take a look at the following ways and use them after pregnancy to get rid of pain;
- Walking should be your priority.
You may think walking can make your pain worse, but it is not true. Walking is a kind of gentle exercise that can be started immediately after C-section or normal delivery and can improve blood circulation. This can lead to ease spasms and inflammation in your back, which are the main causes of your back pain after pregnancy.
In addition, other easy exercises such as, yoga or Pilates are good options to strengthen your strained muscles, as well as release your back muscle tension.
- Hold your baby properly while breastfeeding.
Carrying the baby on one hip or bend while breastfeeding can cause severe back pain. So, you should keep your back straight and avoid carrying your cute baby on one hip to decrease the pressure on your neck, spine, and back muscles as well.
- Do pelvic tilts.
You need to consult your doctor or health care provider, whether you can start with pelvic tilts or not. Because this exercise may be forbidden for you, as it is forbidden for those ladies who have C-section, until six weeks after delivery.
If your doctor recommends you to do that, use the following steps to ease your postpartum back pain;
- Lie on the floor, bend your knees, and keep feet flat on the floor.
- Then tighten abdominal muscles, and bend your pelvis up, for about 10 seconds
- Repeat the upper steps 10 times, but stop it right away, whenever you fell any discomfort.
- Take a warm water bath.
Taking warm water baths can help in relaxing strained muscles, relieving muscle tension and spasms, increasing blood circulation, and reducing inflammation as well. Therefore, avoid cold water bath and take a hot bath to deuce your pain and feel better.
- Do not put on high heel shoes.
Be a little patient to wear high heel shoes, if you are high-heels lover. Stop putting on this type of shoes for e few months after pregnancy and choose flat ones like sneakers to reduce your back pain and reduce pressure on your back muscles.
- Stop lifting.
You should not lift objects, especially heavy ones after delivery. Because lifting heavy objects can put pressure on your back, which is followed by awful and unbearable back pain after pregnancy.
- Sleep properly.
It is better to sleep with a knee pillow to put the body in a right position. The best way to sleep properly is to take a pillow between your knees to align your hips, whenever you want to sleep, even for taking a nap. If you do this, not only you can ease your pain, but also can have a good sleep.
- Return to your normal weight.
You need to lose weight after pregnancy, not only for being in shape, but also for reducing postpartum pack pain. A healthy, balanced-diet containing nutrient-dense foods help you get back to your normal and ideal weight.
4 Foods for back pain after delivery
You should know that including certain types of food and fruit in your diet can reduce your back pain after pregnancy. Read on the following part to learn what you can eat to ease your postpartum back pain;
- Potassium rich foods
These foods are good choices for healing your back pain after pregnancy, and should be included in your diet to prevent muscle cramps and spasms. Beans, lentils, spinach, sweet potatoes, avocado, and bananas are good sources of potassium for nursing mothers.
- Foods high in protein
Protein rich foods are needed to reduce back pain, as proteins are the building blocks of your body and they are responsible for improving the health of your bones and muscles. There are several types of food which are rich in protein and can be consumed after pregnancy, such as meat, chicken, turkey, dairy products, and eggs.
- Calcium rich foods
Consuming foods high in calcium can be a good dietary choice for those ladies suffering from postpartum back pain. Natural sources should be your priority to get an adequate amount of calcium like leafy green vegetables, milk, cheese, and yogurt. But, sometimes you need to take calcium supplements to meet your body’s calcium requirements, due to low levels of calcium in your diet. Your doctor will help you know when you need to take supplements.
- Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids
Anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids makes them a good choice for reducing back pain after pregnancy. There are options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, like flax seeds, spinach, walnuts, canola oil, or fishes like salmon and tuna. Both groups can enjoy consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids to relieve their back pain.
Garlic, tart cherries, and turmeric are other options which have anti-inflammatory properties and provide a relief from back pain after pregnancy.
Consuming the mentioned food and fruit option is a better choice than taking medicines, as these are natural sources and don’t have any side effects in comparison with medicines. As a result, first use home remedies like consuming foods with anti-inflammatory properties. For severe pain, switch to taking medicines.
When to see a doctor for back pain after pregnancy?
Although back pain is a common complaint after pregnancy, but you should visit a doctor if the following you experience following symptoms;
- Severe back pain which prevents sleeping at night or making it difficult to hold the baby
- Back pain caused by trauma or fever
- Lose feeling in one or even both legs suddenly
- Lose sensation in buttocks, genital area, or groin
- Have problem with bowel movement or peeing
- Back pain get progressively worse
Conclusion
Giving birth to a cute baby is a sweet feeling that most women love to experience it. As pregnancy is followed by many changes and need extra attention to what should be eaten or done during this period, after pregnancy is followed by several new things as well.
Back pain after pregnancy is one of these changes that ladies are worried about it. The good news is that this pain can be treated by some easy and quick ways. Only in severe cases, you need to visit a doctor for your postpartum back pain.
Do you have any experiences about back pain after pregnancy? If yes, what did you do to treat your pain? Comment on your experiences to help other new moms to get relief from this pain as soon as possible.
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