Did you have post partum back pain?

JuberP

OUCH!!  Starting recently - almost 3 months PP - my lower and middle back has gotten all jacked up.  It hurts to sit at work, sit in the car, stand for any length of time, and lay down.  Yep - that's pretty much all the time.  I almost feel nauseous, it is so bad.

I'm quiet certain it is the result of carrying and moving the infant seat containing my 18lb DS.  (I've recently stopped carrying him anywhere in it.)   That, combined with leaning back when I hold him, hunching over when I BF him and a general atrophy of any core muscles I may have had a one time.

Have any of you experienced this?  Do you have ANY suggestions for relief? 

TIA

MelBee12

love your new siggy pic!! (I haven't been on in a few weeks, so I apologize if it's not so "new"!)...I have a lot of upper back and neck pain.  Alan recently bought this back stretcher off Amazon and I really like it.  The company that makes it is North American Healthcare.  I would definitely try stretching (either with a device or on your own), ibuprofen and analyze the way you're carrying the infant seat.  They are very awkward to hold and walk around with...I find that wrapping my arm under the bar with it resting in the crook of my elbow (like a purse?!? lol) and supporting the front of it with the other hand, seems the most comfortable way for me to carry it.  Also, how is your mattress?  Have you flipped it recently?  My preggo body definitely did a number on our mattress and we have been flipping and rotating ours periodically and that seems to help with preventing the mattress from sinking.   Also, GET A MASSAGE!!  I did pre and post baby and they helped SOO much.  I go to Skin Sense in Brier Creek and they are great!

wow your DS is 18 pounds?!?!  D is only 15lbs 12oz!! lol.  good job!

MelBee12

also what kind of shoes are you wearing?  are they supportive?  That can also attribute to back pain (plus carrying around your baby!!)

moobug

I had this bad. It was so painful; I'd be in tears from driving more than 10 minutes. I never associated it with postpartum, but it was about 3 months after DD was born. I went to the doctor where I was given muscle relaxers and instruction to follow-up with physical therapy.

The physical therapy helped, and basically taught me how to slowly strengthen my core. Bending over or to the side even slightly was painful for me at first. 

The muscle relaxers are still in the medicine cabinet. I took them about 3 times and was so drugged feeling DH had to get up with DD because I was so out of it. I did NOT like that at all. 

Hope that helps. I wonder if my pain was from postpartum. I was really strong before DD, but after my core basically died. I am still working on this. If I miss more than a day of my exercises, that pain is back.

* I was not breastfeeding, so the muscle relaxers were okay in that regard.

JuberP

Thanks for sharing ladies! MelBee - good suggestions. I'm going to see if we can swap out our mattress for our guest bed. I do cling to the side so I don't get sucked into the mattress black hole every night. I've stopped lifting the baby carrier recently and now pull out Big Al and carry him. I plan trips to Target and similar with DH so he can so the heavy lifting. Looks like I need to make exercise & stretching a priority again (which is gooooood!!). Best of all, I now have a chiropractic appt tomorrow. I've never been and am very hopeful. ...and yes, I'm a big fan of wearing heels. Uh-oh... [:;]