5 Tips for Improving Breastfeeding Back Pain
When it comes to breastfeeding, I think many of us have heard about milk coming in, engorged breasts, sore nipples, or even a baby who wants to be attached 24/7 at times! But something I think we often DON’T hear or know about is the back pain that can come with it…and it can be intense! This blog post is going to be quick and dirty by cutting right to the chase and giving you practical tips for combating and improving this back pain that often happens throughout your breastfeeding journey.
To stretch or not to stretch?
Sometimes our natural instinct when we feel a painful spot pop up is to try to stretch it, but when it comes to breastfeeding back pain, this isn’t always the best or most productive approach!
If you think about the position you tend to get into while breastfeeding, the dominant position is more of a slouched position - shoulders forward, rounded back and head forward, tilted to whichever side you’re nursing from. So now when you consider the back muscles, you can see that most of those muscles are in a stretched position when placed into that typical nursing position. This is exactly why trying to stretch those muscles may not make anything better as they are already overly stretched out from the repetitive and prolonged position they tend to be in for many hours throughout the day!
So, what can we do instead?
If stretching isn’t necessarily the answer, then what is? Making a few postural adjustments and combining that with gentle mobility and targeted strengthening exercises can actually do wonders! Let’s get into what exactly those things are.
5 Tips for Combating and Improving Breastfeeding Back Pain
Use Support - Whether it be a Boppy, My Breastfriend Pillow, a normal pillow, or anything that will safely and comfortably prop your baby up, make sure to use support so that you can allow your upper body to relax while holding the weight of your baby.
Optimal Nursing Position - I’m all about the freedom to be able to nurse anywhere when we need to and at any time, but when you can and you have the option, make sure to choose a chair or sitting place that allows you to sit upright.
Mixing Up the Positions - Oftentimes, pain can pop up from repetitive motions or positions. If you are always nursing in the exact same position, try different breastfeeding positions. A few options to consider: sidelying, football hold or reclined.
Relax and Breathe - Once your baby has latched and you’ve settled into a nursing position, take a moment to take a deep breath and allow your shoulders to relax and move down away from your ears.
Mobility and Exercises - Here are 5 movements and exercises you can try:
Thoracic rotation - The upper back often is the most pulled forward, the lower back can also have an excessive amount of either flexion or extension depending on your preference, but the mid-back (thoracic spine) often just gets caught in this “stuck” position. Which is why we need to emphasize mobility through this part of the spine in particular.
Scap squeezes - Remember that rounded back I talked about up above? This exercise helps to draw those shoulder blades back together by strengthening the muscles that often get stretched out with nursing.
Thoracic cat cow - Regaining flexion/extension mobility through the middle of your spine (thoracic) is crucial for reducing pain. And again, this is the part of the spine that gets in that “stuck” position, so working on flexion, extension and rotation are all going to be beneficial.
Rows - Whether you’re doing single arm or bilateral rows, make sure to breathe, engage your core and focus on keeping your shoulders down and away from your ears while pulling your shoulder blades together! This is going to strengthen those muscles that often get so stretched out with that slouched nursing position.
3-way child’s pose - Aside from child’s pose just feeling really good, performing it in all three directions is a great mobility exercise to reduce stiffness and pain caused from breastfeeding.
All of this and MORE can be found in Mind Body Core!
Inside the Mind Body Core App you have access to programs that will allow you to get relief AND full postpartum support! Back pain doesn’t have to be part of your breastfeeding journey—and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
With the MBC App membership, you’ll have access to everything you need in one place, including:
The Upper Back Pain Program to target tension and strengthen the muscles most affected by nursing posture.
The Low Back + SI Program with mobility flows, strengthening, and education to ease discomfort and improve alignment.
The full Postpartum Program, a 12-week progressive plan that walks you step-by-step through recovery and beyond.
Plus, bonus resources like advanced core work, nutrition, breastfeeding support, scar care, and pain-relief tools for common postpartum issues.
No more piecing things together. With one subscription, you get it all—movement, education, and the reassurance that you’re healing the right way.
Join the MBC App today and get the back pain relief, postpartum recovery, and total women’s health support you deserve.