Gab here! Hours after giving birth, I started learning how to feed my baby (typically this is done within minutes of baby being born but my daughter was sent straight to the NICU).
As a first-time mom, I had no idea what I was doing, and I developed persistent upper-back pain from not holding the baby properly and hunching my back to get baby to latch. Something I always assumed would be second nature was actually SO hard!
I reached out to an old friend and co-owner of Movement Therapy, Laura Di Vito, for some advice on what exercises can help with that neck and back pain many first-time moms may experience when they learn how to breastfeed. Laura and I played soccer together for Carleton University.
Important: Any pain or discomfort should be assessed by your medical practitioner.
Why did you decide to open Movement Therapy Clinic? How was the process?
Mike and I started sharing a fair number of patients (him working as a physiotherapist and me as a personal trainer) and we found that with our powers combined, patients were getting better faster. We realized there is a gap between the treatment world and the exercise world, and we wanted to close that gap to help patients get better more efficiently. We then expanded that idea to having an entire team with us to help patients feel better, move better & live better!
I would be lying if I said the process of running a business is easy, but the reward of happy and healthier patients is worth it.
What is the Movement Therapy clinic?
It is a multi-disciplinary clinic located in Burlington Ontario. We offer: Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, Chiropractic, Naturopathy, Acupuncture, Personal Training & Fascial Stretch Therapy
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Do you see many postpartum women? If so — What are some common aches or pains that you treat in your clinic for them?
We definitely treat a fair number of women postpartum especially because we all know that labour and motherhood takes its toll on our bodies. A very common ailment we see is upper back/neck pain from nursing or holding the baby/awkward contact naps etc. We also see a lot of women throughout pregnancy who suffer from lower back/ hip pain/ sciatica which is very common because throughout pregnancy your body produces excess relaxin (a hormone that helps to relax your body to prepare for childbirth) which can have adverse effects on our joints.
When I started breastfeeding Kaia, I had constant pain in my back and shoulder. Can you recommend any stretches or exercises that would be able to help with that pain?
Yes absolutely. Everyone’s body is so different and even if we share similar aches and pains, it is important to seek professional help for persistent issues, but I am happy to share some general exercises/stretches that I found helpful.
To name a few to begin…
1. Segmental cat camel
2. Neck Controller Articular Rotations
3. Upper back strengthening - seated row, prone scapular retractions
4. Chin tucks
(Psst – Laura graciously sent us videos of these exercises so you can make sure you’re doing them correctly. Check them out on our Instagram!)
You are a mother of a beautiful girl Zoe — did you have any issues with teaching her how to sleep? What benefits did you see when you started sleeping more regularly? Did it have an impact on your work?
Absolutely I had my fair share of troubles with sleep, especially naps!! Sleep is life. With it, I feel like I can accomplish the world — be the best mom, wife and business partner. Without it, I feel like I’m failing at all the above. It is so crucial to our health, energy and productivity!!
Other than those exercises do you have any other of your services you would like to recommend to postpartum women?
I think one of the most difficult times for women to take care of themselves is when they are postpartum, and it also parallels as one of the most crucial times to make sure we are taking care of ourselves because we now have this little bean that relies on you to keep them alive! My advice is to seek professional help if you are experiencing pain or persistent issues. I also highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor therapist postpartum!
Carleton Ravens 2008
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