2023-01-06
Su Ziyin, Director of Aineng Occupational Therapy Center
Many postpartum mothers often send me private messages: "Therapist, I often feel soreness in my back because I hold my baby for a long time, which seriously affects my life." "Back pain" should not be equated with postpartum mothers, but why are postpartum often accompanied by various physical pains? How can we carry out effective prevention and improvement through the choice of stroller?
"Backache" is the most unbearable issue for postpartum mothers
Let’s first understand why pregnancy is always accompanied by discomfort and soreness in the spine or lower limb muscles:
During pregnancy, in order to allow the pelvic cavity to accommodate the fetus, hormones will change, causing the ligaments in the pelvic area to relax, creating space for the fetus to grow rapidly and facilitating delivery. However, ligament relaxation will affect the stability of the pelvis and lumbar spine. Sex makes pregnant women feel obvious pain and muscle soreness when changing positions or maintaining fixed positions for a long time. In addition to hormonal changes, the weight of the fetus will also put great pressure on the lumbar spine of pregnant women. In order to maintain an upright posture and balance, many pregnant mothers will be accustomed to pushing the belly forward, which means the pelvis is excessively tilted backward, which increases the load on the intervertebral discs. The pressure can even cause the intervertebral disc to herniate backward irreversibly.
The above two reasons have caused various injuries to the lumbar spine and pelvis of pregnant mothers, resulting in continued low back pain from the middle to late pregnancy to postpartum. In addition, the incorrect posture habits developed during the first ten months of pregnancy may continue to have an impact on the spine and pelvis, causing more irreversible damage if not adjusted after delivery.
Therefore, choosing a stroller designed in line with ergonomics after pregnancy can effectively improve incorrect posture habits during pregnancy and reduce the chance of back pain. So how do you choose a stroller that is safe and ergonomically designed so that your child can explore safely? In addition, when the user uses it, can it minimize the impact on the spine?
✅Appropriate weight: If the weight of the stroller is too light, it may easily cause the stroller to tip over, causing danger. If the weight of the stroller is too heavy, it may easily cause the user to suffer from muscle fatigue and acute or chronic strains during the process of carrying the stroller. For ordinary adults, For women's upper limb muscle strength and endurance, the most appropriate weight of the stroller is between 6-8 kg, which can reduce the risk of muscle strain when carrying the stroller for a long time.
✅Easy storage: When changing environments, getting on and off the vehicle, the stroller needs to be stored more frequently. During the folding and unfolding process, if it can be done in a less labor-saving way, it can effectively reduce the muscle damage caused by excessive or repetitive force exertion. Fatigue and soreness. At the same time, during the storage process, you should try to avoid bending over for a long time. Therefore, if you can store it quickly and reduce the time required to continue bending, it can also effectively relieve or avoid the pressure and discomfort caused to the spine.
Dear caregivers, while taking care of your children, you should also listen to your own body's messages. Using appropriate infant and child assistive devices can not only reduce the burden of care, but also reduce the damage to the body caused by long-term incorrect or repetitive movements. Irreversible damage, accompany your children to grow up healthily and happily!
※If you want to know more about baby’s growth, please refer to further reading:
※For professional childcare, education, parent-child and other occupational therapy needs, please contact: Aineng Occupational Therapy Clinic
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