Eating and Living

 

Your Posture

Due to the fact we carry our babies for nine months then frequently after the birth, our posture obviously can weaken, even causing discomfort and pain through our spinal area.

During pregnancy the hormone ‘relaxin’ is produced within the body in order to relax and soften joints and tissue, preparing your body for the birth ahead. This hormone can be present within your body for 3-5 months postally, therefore it is important, to avoid any unnecessary strain on the back area and around your joints. In order to do this, lets concentrate on our posture.

Points to remember:

Stand tall with your weight evenly distributed on both feet

Keep your knees soft and not locked straight

Pull in your tummy and tuck your bottom under

Keep shoulders down and back

Lengthen the back of your neck by tucking your chin in

Breathe easy!

Weakened tummy muscles are not able to carry out their normal role of supporting the spine, especially if you have had a caesarean. Correct lifting, carrying and standing techniques explained below will aid in protecting your spine.

Sitting

Sit well back in your chair with a small cushion in the small of your back to maintain good position for the lower back. When baby is little, place her on a pillow on your lap to avoid tenseness in your shoulder region.

Standing

If standing for long periods of time, resting one foot higher than the other, allows some release of tension on your lower back.

Try to evenly distribute weight of baby when carrying. Letting your baby rest on your hip may cause strain and injury within your pelvis

Lifting

If you have a toddler it may be helpful to lift him to your own level, for example when tying shoelaces or kneel down on a soft surface to your protect knees, comming down to his level rather than stooping.

To pick up your child bend knees with one foot placed in front of the other, brace your pelvic floor and tummy muscles, bring baby in close to you, breathe out as you lift. Kneel down on soft surface when bathing baby.

Carrying

It is much better to carry baby in a sling than perched on one hip which puts more strain on your back.

When shopping, try to carry your goods in two evenly weighted bags.

Choose a pram or buggy the right height for you. Your hands resting on the handles about 2-3 inches below your waist.

Changing Nappies

Try to choose a surface the same height as the buggy handles.

Use this time to gently contact your tummy muscles, thus strengthening and your abdominal area, and again giving your back support.

Correct lying to standing technique

The correct rising technique should be followed to avoid strain on abdominals (tummy muscles), and to help avoid backache:

Whilst laying on your back, bend knees together and drop to one side

Gently roll whole body onto side and use hands to push yourself up

In all fours position place hand on bent knee and push up slowly and gently to standing

Always give yourself plenty of time to come into the standing position, in order to avoid that 'dizzy' feeling associated with uneven blood distributation.