While carrying your bundle of joy for nine months, your abdominal muscles have stretched

to make room for delivery. This is a common cause of back pain in new moms because your

back muscles now have to work overtime to support your spine and keep you upright.

Here are 4 core exercises you can do with your little

one to help decrease the ache.

PELVIC BRIDGES

Lie on your back, bend your knees and put your feet

flat on the ground. Place your baby on your pelvis

with their back against your thighs. While holding your

baby in place, slowly push your hips up towards the

ceiling. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds. Keep

your abdominals tight to avoid sagging your lower

back. Inhale as you slowly lower your body back to the

starting position. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

PLANK

Lay your baby on the ground, face up, while

kneeling in front of them. Place your forearms

on either side of your baby and lift your body

off the ground. Keep your back in neutral spine

position and engage your core by contracting your

abdominal muscles. Avoid letting your hips fall or

stick up in the air. Hold for 10 seconds, working

your way up to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

STABILIZER

Laying on your back, bend your knees at a 90

degree angle with your feet in the air. Stabilize your

baby so they are resting on your shins and hold

onto their hands. Engage your core and hold this

position for 10 seconds, working your way up to 30

seconds. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

ARM & LEG EXTENSIONS

Get down on all fours with your baby lying on their

back and parallel to your chest. Engage your core and

slowly lift and extend your left arm and right leg at the

same time while maintaining a neutral spine position.

Hold this position for 3 seconds, then lower your limbs

and give your baby’s belly a tickle as you return to

starting position. Repeat on the opposite side, lifting

right arm and left leg. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Before getting back to business, consult your postnatal practitioner and get cleared to

return to exercise. You’ll also want to make sure that your newborn can hold their head up

on their own if you’re going to include them in these exercises. If your back pain prevents

you from performing these exercises or persists after trying them,

visit your chiropractor to develop a treatment plan for your recovery.