After pregnancy and holding your babies for the first time, you thought that the body issues that accompany pregnancy were over. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Many new mothers, especially twin moms, deal with postpartum back pain.
Alongside caring for your babies, getting enough rest, and living, postpartum back pain is an unwelcome guest in your parenting life. It robs you of the chance of being present in your babies’ lives and enjoying the uniqueness of motherhood.
Today’s post takes you through six simple methods of kicking postpartum back pain goodbye.
What causes back pains after giving birth to twins
While not every first-time mom has to deal with postpartum back pain, the majority of women who give birth do have an encounter with postpartum back pain. The pains are a result of various factors coming into play.
First, there’s all that stretching that your body goes through during pregnancy. From a stretching uterus to the tummy, and finally the shifting in your hip and pelvic muscles, backaches are almost a sure guarantee.
Then your babies are born, and suddenly, the muscles that shifted are left unsure of where to stay put. This shift messes up your posture, resulting in lower or upper back pain after you give birth.
Now let’s look at how much lifting you do when prancing your babies around.
For singleton moms, the lifting is minimal. For you, however, the weight doubles, and you end up straining your muscles more. The average 3-month-old weighs 12 pounds. That’s 24 pounds that you carry around daily. This back-and-forth carrying is sure to take a toll on your back.
Another major cause of postpartum back pain is improper posture when breastfeeding. Breastfeeding one baby is hard enough. Now you have to nurse two babies. While trying to nurse them all, you are prone to adopting the wrong posture, putting you at a higher risk of having back pain.
6 tips for managing postpartum back pains
Give your neighborhood chiropractor a visit
Being 100% natural and drug-free, chiropractic massage therapy mostly works wonders when experiencing back pain. The sweet spot for having a chiropractic adjustment is within 6 weeks after giving birth.
At 6 weeks postpartum, relaxant hormones make your body flexible and easier to adjust. Either way, you can visit a chiropractor at any time if the back pain persists.
Chiropractors will help realign your spine and muscles to their correct position. Although you are quite busy as a twin mom, the visits are worth it. The first one might take a tad bit too long, but the subsequent ones will be shorter, and you’ll see the results soon enough.
Find the right breastfeeding posture
Breastfeeding plays a huge role in back pains after giving birth. The key is finding a position that’s right for your baby and good for your spine.
The straighter and more comfortably you position yourself, the happier your spine. We have a handy guide to help you with tandem breastfeeding. It outlines all the essential tips and items that you require when breastfeeding twins.
Meanwhile, breastfeed in a position that doesn’t make you slouch. Use pillows, rolled towels, and a comfy chair that supports your back.
Work your way through light exercises
Maybe a visit to the chiropractor is a far-off dream at the moment. The bills may not be adding up and you may be short on a helping hand. This is where the good ol’ stretches and exercises come in.
Stretches and light exercises will help relieve back pain by a huge margin. I found this helpful but short video that you can use for stretches and exercises.
If possible, try and get a free back massage from your spouse to ease the pain alongside stretching.
Spice up your meals with antioxidant-rich foods
When dealing with postpartum back pains, it’s a good idea to include lots of green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and cereals.
Foods that are rich in antioxidants will reduce inflammation and help you better manage your back pain. Yes, it’s hectic but planning that healthy dish will go a long way in providing relief for your back.
As hard as it is, try to cut down on processed foods for some fresher meals.
Take a warm essential bath with essential oils
There’s magic in warm, bubbly baths. Okay, maybe not the exact kind of magic. I’m assuming that anything to relieve postpartum back pain is utter magic. A warm essential oil bath will not only relax your mind but also help relieve some of that dreaded pain.
Most essential oils will contain anti-inflammatory perks that help with lessening the pain. This Healthline article outlines some of the oils that you can add to your warm bath.
Give yourself enough resting time
Yes, the protests about not having enough time are loud in my ears. You are probably airing the same views too. Here is the thing, though: if you don’t get enough rest while your back is on fire, the back pains are only going to persist.
While it’s hard to find rest and be a mother, a few hours of rest when your baby is napping will prove crucial.
Take Away
Although right now it looks like it is hard and your back is on fire, these six techniques will help you get back in shape in no time. Try to keep off heavy things and perform some light stretches to speed up the healing.
