I know a lot of money can be spent on really fancy feeding chairs by new mums or mums to be. You’re going to spend a lot of time in it, it might as well be a good one, right? Except…most new mums I see DON’T spend a lot of time in them… Despite best intentions, the most common places I see people breastfeed are:
- Sitting on the couch
- Lying / sitting in bed
- Walking around the house (!)
I know me talking about breastfeeding posture might be met with an almighty eye roll (how boring!) but honestly, a few easy fixes can make a HUGE difference! This isn’t about making more of an effort to ‘sit up straight’, or spending more money on a better chair. My top 3 tips for a better breastfeeding position can be applied to most chairs and will greatly reduce the strain on your back, neck and shoulders – something new mums could definitely do with!
Check out this video describing my 3 tips:
[vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXe518n8M5s” ratio=”4-3″]
To summarise:
1. Bring your back forward
If when you sit right back i a chair, your feet are not flat on the ground, you need to either bring your back forward by placing 2-3 cushions behind you, or use a foot stool
2. Use a lumbar support
This can be as simple as a rolled up towel with a couple of rubber bands holding it in place. Move your bottom right to the back of the chair / couch and place the lumbar support in the small of your back. This will help maintain your spine’s neutral curves and will naturally reduce the strain in the muscles and joints in your back, neck and shoulders.
3. Use a feeding pillow
Again, this doesn’t have to be fance (although there are a lot of great feeding pillows on the market). Even just a firm pillow can do the job of supporting your bub so that your neck and shoulder muscles are not working to hold bub up through an entire feed.
If you’re feeling the effects of your new bub in the form of back / neck / shoulder discomfort, request our ‘3 simple stretches for new Mums’ by clicking here
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