Let's do a quick math problem together. A newborn needs to eat every 2 to 3 hours, and each feeding takes about 20 to 40 minutes. How many hours a day does a new mom spend hunched over?
The answer: somewhere between 2.7 and 8 hours a day! No wonder so many new moms deal with neck pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain and headaches.
What is nursing neck, and why do new moms get it?
There are many reasons. Your body, and the demands placed on it, are different postpartum. You have larger, heavier breasts, a changed ribcage, and muscles that are stretched, tired, and possibly weaker than you're used to. You're also caring for a baby all day now: feeding, carrying, bending over to change diapers, maneuvering the car seat, and more.
When it comes to feeding specifically, we tend to bring our bodies down to the baby instead of bringing the baby up to our body (even with bottle feeding). We also want to look at our babies, so we round our shoulders and look down at them (or our phones - no judgements) for the whole session.
"Nursing neck" isn't a medical diagnosis. It's the name for the aches that come from all those hours of feeding. Common symptoms include stiffness or aching at the base of your neck, pain between your shoulder blades, tight shoulders, and tension headaches. And if you're wondering whether upper back pain is normal postpartum: it's very common, but you don't have to just live with it.
6 ways to get rid of nursing neck
1. Bring the baby to you
Use props when you can. A breastfeeding pillow helps, but even a stack of regular pillows can raise your baby closer to you. If you're supporting the baby with your legs, put your feet on a stool. Sit back so the chair supports your back instead of perching on the edge.
2. Rotate positions
Don't use the same position every feed. If you're breastfeeding, alternate between cradle, cross-cradle, football hold, and side-lying. Side-lying is especially nice for night feeds, since your neck gets to rest on a pillow.
If you're bottle feeding the traditional way, with the baby in one arm and the bottle in the other, switch which arm holds the baby each time. Most of us have a favorite side, and that's the one that ends up sore.
If you're doing paced or side-lying bottle feeding, where the baby lies on their side in your lap, watch your setup. It's easy to end up on your toes with your heels lifted to raise your lap, crunched forward over the baby. Instead, put a pillow on your lap to raise the baby, sit back against your chair, and rest your feet flat on the floor or a footstool. And alternate which direction baby faces, so you're not always turning and reaching to the same side.
3. Look up and around, not just down
Of course you're going to look at your baby, and you should! Just make sure that's not the only place you look. Every few minutes, look up and around: out the window, across the room, at whoever's sitting with you. Changing where your head is gives your neck a break from holding the same position for the whole feed. If you scroll during feeds, prop your phone up at eye level or make some feeds phone-free.
4. Set up a feeding station
Pick one spot for most daytime feeds and set it up once: supportive chair, pillows, footstool, and water, burp cloths, and phone within reach. You'll stop twisting and reaching mid-feed, which is when a lot of neck and upper back strain happens.
5. Do a 30-second reset during each feed
Every time you switch sides or stop to burp, try one of these short resets:
Chin nods: gently nod your chin back, giving yourself a double chin (not looking down), lengthening the back of your neck. 5 slow reps.
Shoulder blade squeezes: draw your shoulder blades back and down toward your back pockets. Hold 3 seconds, 5 reps.
Diaphragmatic breaths: take 3 slow breaths, feeling your ribs expand into your sides and back.
6. Try a 2-minute after-feed routine
Once or twice a day, after a feed, undo the hunch:
Doorway chest stretch: forearms on either side of a doorframe, step one foot through until you feel a stretch across your chest. Hold 30 seconds.
Open book: lie on your side with knees bent and arms straight out in front. Open your top arm up and over to the other side, letting your chest and eyes follow. You can do it sitting in a chair too if getting on the ground is too much. 5-8 reps per side.
Upper back extension: lie on your back with a rolled towel across your back at your shoulder blades. Support your head with your hands and gently let your upper back drape over the towel. 5 slow reps.
Neck pain from pumping
Pumping can be just as hard on your neck, especially if you're exclusively pumping 8 or more times a day. Most of us tend to lean forward, hold the flanges in place, and stare down at the bottles for the whole session.
Go hands-free. A pumping bra lets your arms rest instead of holding flanges up for 15 to 20 minutes.
Sit back. Use a chair with back support and a pillow behind you, rather than perching on the edge of the bed or couch.
Support your arms. A pillow on your lap gives your forearms somewhere to rest so your shoulders can drop.
Look up. Read, watch something, or FaceTime at eye level instead of watching the bottles fill.
Use the time. With your hands free, pumping is a great time for the 30-second reset and chin tucks above.
When to get it checked
Most feeding-related aches improve within a couple of weeks of changing your setup. Reach out to your doctor or a physical therapist if you notice:
Numbness, tingling, or weakness down your arm or into your hand
Headaches that are getting worse
Pain that wakes you up no matter how you position yourself
No improvement after 2 to 3 weeks of trying these changes
If you're breastfeeding, also keep an eye out for signs of mastitis: a painful, swollen, or warm area on your breast (redness can be harder to see on darker skin), fever, chills, or flu-like body aches. If you notice these, call your provider right away.
Want a routine that does the thinking for you?
Amie's Posture Pathway gives you short daily exercises for your neck, shoulders, and upper back, designed by a pelvic floor and women's health PT for real life with a baby. Start the Posture Pathway
Related: Hip pain when sleeping while pregnant
Written by Dr. Anna McMaster, PT, DPT, PRPC, a women's health and pelvic floor PT.