You're Not Elastigirl: 3 Ways to Protect Your Body While Breastfeeding

Girlfriend! You are not Elastigirl, so why are you acting as if you are?!

What do I mean by that? In our third prenatal visit, I educate my birth doula clients on all things breastfeeding, including how to latch your baby. You may be thinking, “Ana, that's simple, just bring baby to boob and insert nipple.”

While you aren’t wrong, it’s very important to emphasize: You don’t bring boob to baby, you bring baby to boob!

The main reason is because you don’t want to put yourself in a position that hurts your body. Most people read that as: bringing boob to baby can injure your breast when you let go and the breast moves in your well suctioned baby’s mouth. (Read: ouch! Pulled nipple!).

However, worse than a few seconds of your nipple hurting is the head to toe aches and pains that begin to form over time. Think of it as compound pain. It begins as a few minutes of discomfort, that over time grows into pain that comes and goes and eventually consistent pain.

Usually, a person who brings their breast to baby is in an awkward position. Your shoulders are hunched, your arms are unsupported and folded in an awkward position as if you can elastic girl your boobs into your baby’s mouth as quickly as your baby opens up! You are chin to chest, looking down prepared to yank your breast in any direction so long as your nipple gets into your baby’s mouth. Your hips are at an angle because of course, if you are going to commit to awkward positions you are going to do it from head to toes, not just shoulders and chest.

You may be thinking I know this level of detail because of my 14 years as a licensed massage therapist. While you are correct to an extent, the truth is I know this level of detail because I have put my body in awkward positions while breastfeeding.

Picture me in my recliner couch, that is sinking in because my 5 year old has been using it as her personal trampoline, sitting at a slant, leg tucked in, knee on a pillow to support holding my chunky baby who somehow has doubled in weight in 2 months and is too heavy to carry. Hearing him cry for boobies as if he hasn't eaten in days (it's been an hour bro!), and ready to end it in any way even if it's at the cost of my body mechanics.

Here are the 3 things I focus on now to support my body mechanics while breastfeeding my roly poly baby:

1. Pillow support is life!

All the pillows you used in pregnancy to sleep comfortably are now used to support your body in breastfeeding. Pillows under the arms so that your torso stays straight and your arm is simply on the pillow holding your baby. A pillow or Boppy around your abdomen to stabilize your baby. Become creative and find all the ways you can use a pillow to support your body. Think of them like packing bubbles that keep the integrity of your fragile favorite coffee mug in a move. Fill in spaces with all the pillows so that your muscles don’t have to be activated 100% of the time. Share the responsibility with the pillows.

2. Body posture is key

Think of your spine like a straw. If it's nice and straight then sipping out of a straw will be easy. Check that your head is centered over your shoulders, your shoulders line up with your hips, your knees are evenly next to each other, and your feet flat and even next to each other.

Often I find my head bent looking down towards the side my baby is feeding on. That little movement makes my shoulders uneven, impacting my hips. If my hips aren’t even then my knees are bent to pick up the slack for my back no longer holding my proper posture and finally my feet are curled in also trying to maintain my balance.

This is comfortable every once in a while, but the problem is when this becomes my go to position. It will only take a few times before I begin to have a headache from looking down. Shoulder pain, lower back pain, knee pain and foot cramps are not that far behind.

Focus on your posture and your future self will thank you when you’re able to chase after your rambunctious toddler!

3. Relax the wrist

Carpal tunnel is so common in postpartum parents. This is because you put your arms in a weird position to hold your growing baby. This weird position goes down your arm and into your wrists and hands.  You are so focused on keeping your baby nice and safe in your arms that your body mechanics go out the window.

Check in with your wrists position and see if you can release your wrist and put them in a comfortable position. This will prevent carpal tunnel from forming and you’ll be able to carry and cuddle your baby pain free!

Breastfeeding is already a challenging experience, my wish for you friend is to experience a breastfeeding journey that is pain free.  This is why postpartum massage is such an underutilized tool in a postpartum parent's life. Don’t worry about adding stretching and self massage onto your ever growing To-Do list. Simply schedule your postpartum massage and show up ready for us to care for you. We know what you are experiencing, you focus on the 3 body postures we covered above and we’ll focus on the rest.  How you treat your body while you breastfeed has the potential to compound as time goes by, the question is are you compounding pain or feeling good in your body?

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Ana Munoz is a licensed massage therapist, hypnosis practitioner and birth doula serving the Central Florida birthing community. She has a passion for postpartum massage and helping postpartum parents experience pain relief so that they may enjoy every stage of the childbearing year. If you are in the Central Florida area, click here to schedule your massage today.