Say Goodbye to Nursing Neck Pain with 5 Simple Exercises
Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, every new mother knows the annoyance of nursing neck pain. The aching/soreness of our necks, shoulders, and upper backs from the hours spent cradling our babies while we feed them. What mother doesn't love to look lovingly into their little ones eye while they feed? Feeding is one of the most bonding aspects of parenting during those first few months, but it can take a major toll on our bodies.
Even as someone who understands the importance of good posture and muscle engagement, I have fallen victim to slumping forward and nursing in whatever position possible, especially during those middle of the night feeds.
While there are plenty of suggestions out there for treating nursing neck pain, I was not able to find any resources for preventing it. These 5 exercises are designed to help stretch the muscles that become tightened, strengthen your small stabalizing muscles and improve your postural awareness. These will help alleviate the pain that comes along with "nursing neck" and improve your body awareness so you can better position yourself and baby during feedings.
Seated Neck Stretch for Nursing Neck Pain Relief
Most women tend to carry their stress/tension in their necks and shoulders. Pair this with the added weight of carrying a newborn around and you have the perfect equation for trigger points (muscle knots) in your neck, upper back, and shoulders! I developed tension headaches from such tight neck and shoulder muscles while I was nursing my son and this stretch is one of my all-time favorites. I could feel the relief almost instantly and I still have a reminder set for every day on my phone to “stop and do your stretches”.
To do this stretch:
Find a comfortable place to sit with good back support. I prefer to use a kitchen chair
Sit in the chair with your back straight
With your arm by your side flip your hand so that your palm is facing the sky and place your hand gently under your thigh
Gently lean your head AWAY from the arm/hand that is under your leg, trying to put your opposite ear on the opposite shoulder
Once you begin to feel a stretch hold this position for 30 seconds before relaxing; repeat 3 x
For an added stretch once you’re in the above position rotate your chin towards the opposite shoulder.
Hold for an additional 15 seconds
Chin Tucks for Nursing Neck Pain Relief
If you were to have perfect posture your ears would be in line with your shoulders, but if you look in a mirror I would be willing to bet that your ears are in front of your shoulders (don’t worry you’re not alone). Looking down at our little ones, scrolling on our phones, working on a computer, reading a book, watching TV, and even driving. All of these activities have a tendency to cause us to crane our necks forward to increase our focus on what’s in front of us. Women also have the added weight of breasts which provide a natural pulling force forward causing us to curl our shoulders and neck forward.
That’s the reason chin tucks are so important! They strengthen the muscles in the back of the neck which are over-stretched and underused and improve overall posture.
To do this exercise:
Find a comfortable place to sit with good back support
Retract your head and neck (think a turtle pulling it’s head into it’s shell) without moving your chin up or down
If this is difficult, stand with your back to a wall and use your neck muscles to retract your head and press gently against the wall
Once in this position hold for 3 seconds, perform 10 x
Shoulder Circles for Nursing Neck Pain Relief
Like I said before, 90% of our time we spend hunched forward. So much so that I have a sticky note on my computer that says “sit up straight!” as a gentle reminder. The longer we spend in these positions, the weaker the muscles become that help us maintain an upright posture. This exercise is a great way to reset, improve your posture and increase blood flow to your neck, arms, and upper body.
To do this exercise:
Find a comfortable place to sit with good back support
Sit up tall
With your arms at your sides slowly roll your shoulders backward in a half circle
hold for 3 seconds, perform 10 x
When I coach people through this I say “imagine putting your shoulder blades into your back pockets”. It is a silly visual but it helps
Scapula AKA Shoulder Blade Squeezes for Nursing Neck Pain Relief
Another great exercise to strengthen your upper back and shoulder muscles - those muscles that help you lift up your baby from the floor or their crib or lift their heavy a** car seat - are shoulder blade squeezes!
To do this exercise:
Find a comfortable place to sit with good back support
Sit up tall
With your arms at your sides slowly pinch your shoulder blades together
hold for 3 seconds, perform 10 x
“Imagine trying to unhook your bra with just your shoulder blades”. Another silly visual, but Hey! Whatever works
Upright Rows for Nursing Neck Pain Relief
This one is an extension of the shoulder blade squeeze above. This exercise is great because it strengthens your postural muscles and can be scaled up or down based on your preference and the equipment you have at home.
To do this exercise:
Stand with your arms extended at a 90 degree angle in front of you, palms facing toward each other
Bend your elbows and pull your arms backward, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do this
Once your elbows have moved slightly past your rib cage, pause
hold for 3 seconds, perform 10 x
To increase the difficulty of this exercise:
Add light weight hand weights Don’t have any?! Try using a can of soup in each hand
If you have theraband/exercise bands tie them to a door knob and use them for increased resistance
At this point, between my two children I have nursed for 17 months. I was fortunate enough to be able to nurse my son until he was 12 months old and I hope to be able to nurse my daughter until she’s 12 months as well, but I know that having a stiff neck can lead to pain, which can lead to increased stress, which can lead to decreased milk production. These exercises can help decrease your neck stiffness and discomfort that is causing nursing neck pain and will hopefully prolong your nursing journey and make it one that is comfortable and enjoyable!
Give them a try and let us know if they work for you!
