At seven months old, my daughter decided to stop napping unless I strolled her around Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for hours on end. My iPhone health app has me clocking nine miles a day during this period. At the end of every day I’d collapse on the floor, crying from exhaustion and searing pain in my lower back and hips.
Whether you are eight months pregnant or carrying a sleep-regressing infant around all day (an aside: sleep regressions are said to happen at 4, 9 and 18 months most commonly--my child has been in a 6 year regression, I’ll let you know if she ever starts sleeping on her own)--there is no denying that low back pain is a real mother. As a mom, doula and yoga teacher back pain is something I experience personally and deal with professionally, on a day to day.
When we are pregnant, our bodies produce relaxin: a hormone that allows the ligaments in the pelvis to become softer and pliable to make space for our growing babies and for them to come out. While relaxin softens the ligaments, the muscular structure of the pelvis struggles to keep everything together against the weight of the literal whole extra human we are carrying, causing structural issues and pain.
After birth, a weak core and pelvic floor combined with the repetitive movements of parenthood, (bending forward, squatting, leaning, one hip carrying, contorting yourself to breastfeed over a car seat to calm your screaming baby three hours in to what should only be an hour drive to Connecticut… I digress) can cause this pain to worsen. I know, everyone told you it’d get better after baby arrived--they lied.
When you have lower back pain it may feel really good to fold forward at the waist, getting that juicy stretch in the lower back. Stretching this way is problematic because it puts the entire weight of your torso on your already overworked muscles, causing more imbalance and pain. I have found that stretching these muscles while lying flat on the floor is the best, most effective way to get relief without resulting in further damage.
In five simple stretches you can get immediate relief from low back pain. All you need is about 10 minutes and a yoga strap, belt, or long scarf and I guarantee you’ll stand back up feeling human again.
Vertical Leg Extension -- Lie on the floor with both knees bent and feet firmly planted on the ground about eight inches from your seat and hips-width distance apart. Begin by extending the right leg to the sky (you can keep the knee softly bent) and place the yoga strap around the ball of your foot. Breathe deeply in and out as you slowly straighten your leg to 90 degrees and flex your foot so your toes point toward your nose. You can deepen this pose by extending the left leg straight on the ground. Hold for one minute.
Horizontal Leg Extension -- Place both ends of the strap into the right hand. Use your left hand to help keep the opposite hip grounded. Begin to gently open the right leg away from the body till you get to a point that feels like a stretch but is not uncomfortable. Extend through the heel, flexing the toes toward your nose, and breathe deeply into the inner thigh area. Hold for one minute. Return to the vertical leg extension for three full breaths before moving on to the next step. Your left leg can be bent with the foot on the floor or extended straight on the floor while you do this move.
Diagonal Leg Extension -- Move the both ends of the strap into the left hand. Place your right hand onto your right hip crease to keep the hip grounded. Slowly cross the right leg over to the left side of your body, about to the point that your right heel would line up with your left hip point, but not enough that your right hip lifts off the floor or you come into a twist. Flex the toes toward the nose and breath deeply--this one can be very intense! Hold for one minute. Return to the vertical leg extension for three breaths.
Ankle to Knee -- If you have the left leg extended, bend the knee and plant the foot back on the floor. Bend at the right knee and place your right ankle on the left knee. Flex your right foot and energetically move the right knee away from you. Add gentle pressure by placing your right hand on the right knee. You can take this pose deeper by drawing both knees toward the chest and interlacing your fingers around the back of your left thigh. Breath into your right hip and buttock and hold for one minute.
Reclined Supine Twist -- From ankle to knee pose, begin to drop both legs over to the left. Open your right arm out at a diagonal from your body and place your left hand gently on your right thigh to help ground the legs. Hold for one minute. Repeat all steps for the left leg.