Posture While Breastfeeding Actually Matters. Heres Why

So it’s not surprising that breastfeeding posture falls to the bottom of the priority list — if you’re even aware of it at all.

Poor posture can cause back and neck pain, headaches, and even low energy levels.

But many new moms are unaware that they’ve developed breastfeeding posture habits to begin with, and aren’t sure how to fix them once they realize it.

Breastfeeding your baby introduces a new set of habitual movements that can throw your body into imbalance and cause aches and pains.

Many breastfeeding women experience neck pain, mid back pain, and tension headaches from incorrect breastfeeding posture, but don’t have the knowledge or resources necessary to correct it and restore balance to their bodies.

“Not fixing your breastfeeding posture can have a dramatic implication on your [postpartum] recovery,” says Krystle Howald, PT, DPT, founder and owner of Empower Movement and Expecting and Empowered.

Howald says improper breastfeeding posture often negatively impacts rib positioning, which can not only delay pelvic floor recovery postpartum, but also worsen diastasis recti and make it harder to lessen the appearance of that postpartum belly.

“Where our ribs are [positioned] has a lot to do with how our diaphragm functions, which has a lot to do with healing your pelvic floor. If your diaphragm isn’t lined up well because of poor rib positioning, you won’t be able to automate your system [and strengthen your pelvic floor],” she says.

With the amount of feedings needed for your baby (or babies!), you might spend hundreds of hours in a position that puts unnecessary stress on your body.

Too much neck flexion puts a lot of stress on your neck and back. Instead, try to keep your head neutral or even incorporate a simple neck extension exercise.

“[Your muscles] shouldn’t be so tense. It’s all about the setup — where the pillow is, having a rolled up towel that you can stick underneath one side so that your posture is mainly done through the setup. Taking the time to set this up correctly can put your body so much more at ease,” she says.

“During pregnancy, we’re already pulled forward because of the weight of the baby in the front. So when you go to breastfeed postpartum, the shoulders are still rounded forward,” she says. “Muscles are all about a length-tension relationship. If a muscle is too stretched out, it will spasm and burn, which is what a lot of breastfeeding moms feel.”

So while many new moms feel the urge to stretch out the burning and spasming muscles in their back and neck, the actual problem likely comes from a lack of strength.

“I could go to a chiropractor, I could have a massage therapist massage my back, and my back will still hurt because the muscles still have a poor length-tension relationship. They’ve been overstretched and overworked,” she says.

If you’re expecting or already a breastfeeding mom, here are some example exercises Howald recommends for strengthening your neck and back and safeguarding your body from pain associated with breastfeeding.

For a more in-depth look at exercises you can do to strengthen your body for breastfeeding (and basically all of motherhood), check out Howald’s pregnancy and postpartum workout guides.

Before starting any new exercise or training program — particularly if you’ve recently given birth, are currently pregnant, or have underlying conditions — you should speak with your OB or a doctor.

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