Yoga poses to practise during breastfeeding

If you are someone who has started breastfeeding her baby, then the chances of you experiencing pain in the neck, shoulders and even back. Where there are some amazing things that come from feeding your child, there is also the one issue that does arise from constant feeding; back pain. The good thing however, is that by adding a few yoga poses in particular to your daily workout routine, you can actually counteract the effects of the breastfeeding on you back.

So, what all yoga poses are safe to practise during breastfeeding you ask? Well, let us have a look!

Chakravakasana:

Feeling like you might be stuck in sort of a hunched back position when you are breastfeeding is something most mothers face. This will happen even your baby is not feeding. This asana ensures that by simply doing a few chakravakasana, you can ensure that the mobility your spine might have lost during the process of breastfeeding, returns.

How to:

• Start with your hands and knees on the ground with the wrists aligned underneath your shoulder
• Keep your spine straight and keep the neck straight
• Inhale while arching your back as your belly softens and lift your head and tailbone with it too. This is the cow.
• Now exhale while letting your spine round up towards the ceiling. Pull your abs towards your spine while tucking your chin towards your chest. This is the cat.
• Breath deeply while you shift between both these positions and so slowly.

Setu Bandh Sarvangasana or the bridge pose

The bridge pose is a common one that will help you tremendously when it comes to that back pain of yours.

• Start by lying on your back and folding your knees in such a manner that your feet are at the same distance as your hips, while keeping the knees and ankles in a straight line.
• Place your arms at the side of your body with their palms down and then while inhaling slowly, start lifting your lower back, middle back and upper back from the floor.
• Now, without bringing the chin down, let your chest touch it while you support your weight from your core, your arms and your feet.
• You know you are doing it right when both the thighs become parallel to each other and to the floor.
• Keep breathing easily and after holding the pose for a minute, come down from it slowly and steadily.

Adho Mukho Svanasana i.e. downward facing dog

This asana helps bring balance back to your body beautifully whilst also helping ease the pain of the back quite effectively.

• Start the pose with both your hands and knees on the floor and remember to keep your knew parallel to the hips and the palms a tiny bit further than the shoulders
• Exhale and then lift your knees from the floor whilst lengthening the tailbone, and pelvis.
• Lift the sitting bones up, toward the ceiling, and then continue by drawing the inner legs up into the groin from your inner ankles,
• Now exhale push the top of your thighs back while stretching your feet on the floor. Remember to keep your knees straight.
• With the help of your index fingers which have been pressed to the floor, lift your inner arms from the wrist to the shoulders.
• Make sure your head stays between your arms so that it does not end up hanging.

Remember to always consult your doctor prior to including any sort of new workout to your routine.