Breastfeeding and Your Pelvic Floor - Part Two

Breastfeeding and Your Pelvic Floor - Part Two

Ok friends, let’s get into it. How can you improve all those crazy things we talked about last week?

Here are few easy tips:

1. Pillows are your “breastfriend”. 

When you’re nursing your little babe or pumping, be sure you have appropriate low back support and arm support. 

• Use a pillow or towel roll to support your low back if you’re in a sitting position. 

• Use a pillow or few pillows under your arms to support your baby’s head and buttock.

•  Bring your baby up to you; don’t bring your breast down to your baby. 

There are a lot of products out there designed for breastfeeding support, but find what works for you. 

I have a few of the pillows designed specifically for breastfeeding, but because my torso is so long they aren’t enough support. So, don’t believe just because you have a pillow designed for this purpose it will be enough. Really look at your posture and how you’re holding your baby. 

1. LUBRICATION

Lubrication may not be the answer to all of your pelvic pain during intercourse, but it sure can help. 

When you're lactating, your estrogen levels are lower and this lends itself to vaginal dryness. So sister, use some lubrication!

The lube you use matters. What you put in your vagina is absorbed into your body. Read that again. The lube is absorbed. 

Pick a clean product. Here are some of the products I recommend to patients:

• Good Clean Love

• Coconu

• Slippery Stuff

1. Create some mobility.

You can do this with your breathing, and some specific mobility stretches. You often experience rounded shoulders, an aching back or neck, and an abdomen that’s confused from the recent stretching then sudden deflation it went through. You have to teach your body how to move again!

Here are some examples of exercises to get started:

• 360 Breathing:

  • Begin working on this laying on your back or your side

  • Breathe into your lower belly (let your belly expand), back, and tailbone

  • Exhale and relax

• Arm Angels: Laying on your back begin with you elbows in by your side, and your head, back, elbows, and backs of your hands in contact with the ground

  • As you exhale raise your arms up over head, keeping everything mentioned above in contact with the ground

  • Inhale and bring your arms back toward your side

4. Create some stability 

After being all loosey goosey during pregnancy, relaxin hormone hanging around, and the muscle imbalances you’ve likely developed during pregnancy and recovery, you need to provide some stability for your back, core, and pelvic floor muscles.

Try out this stability exercise: 

• Zip It Up:

  • Start laying down with your knees bent (same as 360 breathing position)

  • Inhale into your belly, as you did with 360 breathing

  • As you exhale, engage your lower abdominal muscles to “zip them up” starting at your pubic bone moving up to your breastbone

  • Your belly button should move up toward your breastbone  - you should not have lower belly pooching or doming in the middle of your abdomen

Hopefully this is good kick start to your recovery and healing!

Good luck out there ladies! Please reach out to us here at Empower Your Pelvis if you’re having persistent aches, pains, or pelvic floor dysfunction!

XOXO

Dr. Erica Magruder, PT, DPT