Effective Post-Delivery Exercises to Ease Lower Back Pain

Delivering a baby is a miraculous experience- one which gives a new life to not only the baby but the mother too.  All the nerves, muscles and joints in a mother's body have to work in a coordinated effort to push the baby out into the outside world. Most often, women complain of severe back pain after delivery. This back pain might persist for few months and can be cured with proper medical treatment and exercises after delivery. If left uncared for, it might lead to chronic back pain issues which might even lead to back pain surgery.

Reasons for lower back pain after pregnancy

       1. The pelvic joints and ligaments are loosened and made flexible by hormones to ease the baby out of the womb. If these joints become very loose, this might cause back pain.

        2. The abdominal muscles supporting the spine also stretch and become loose, causing back pain.

      3. The weight of the baby and expanding uterus alter the mother's posture, triggering pain in the back.

      4. After delivery, the baby gains weight and all activities involving the baby like lifting, feeding, bathing etc. cause a strain on the back muscles which are already weakened by pregnancy.

          5. Pregnancy and breastfeeding deplete the calcium levels in a mother's body. This makes the bones brittle causing severe back pain and at times fractures leading to back pain surgery.

Lower back pain after pregnancy can be relieved by doing some exercises after delivery.

Essential exercises after delivery to relieve lower back pain

The lower abdominal muscles are the ones to concentrate on during exercises after delivery. These exercises are a must as they are the ones that support the spine and back and are responsible for posture. Exercising the lower abdominal muscles strengthens the back, corrects the posture and burns belly fat.

    1. Breathing

Soon after the delivery, start these abdominal breathing exercises. Breathe in, hold your breath for 5 seconds thereby stretching your abdomen. Exhale by pulling the muscles in and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat this procedure 5 times.

    2. Pelvic floor exercises

These floor exercises are for strengthening the pelvis and must be done immediately after delivery, even if it is a caesarean operation. Use an exercise ball for this with a carpet to ensure that the ball does not slide away from you.  

Sit on a ball. bending slightly forward. Squeeze and lift the pelvic and lower stomach muscles as if you are controlling your bladder from urinating. Hold this squeeze by lifting one foot up for 5-8 seconds. Relax and repeat this 5-10 times using both legs and keep breathing as you exercise.

    3. Pelvic Tilts

Lie on your back on a yoga mat and bend your knees, relaxing your abdomen. Now slowly flatten your back on to the floor towards the spine, hold for 5-8 seconds and release. You should feel your back lengthen as you press it down. Repeat this 5-10 times slowly.

    4. Knee Hugs

Lie on your back, fold up your knees and bring them forward to your chest. You should not lift your head or move your shoulders towards the knees. Only the knees should be brought towards the chest. Hold the knees together while stretching your back comfortably. Hold for 15 seconds and release. Repeat this at least 3-5 times.

Lower back pain after pregnancy is common but should not last beyond 2-3 weeks. It should be cared for instantly with exercises after delivery and proper medical treatment else this might lead to chronic spine problems later.

Down Syndrome: Ways to help your Child Communicate

Down's Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes physical and mental abnormalities in children. It is a result of irregular cell division after the fusion of the sperm and egg which results in extra genetic material being transferred from chromosome 21 to the new embryo. Also called Trisomy 21, Down's syndrome is characterized by physical and mental retardation and unusual facial variations. One in every 600 babies born worldwide is said to have Down's syndrome. 

Signs and Symptoms of Down's Syndrome 

Children with Down's syndrome have certain unusual facial characteristics like 

• Small undersized head 
• Flat face 
• Upward slanting eyes 
• Ears positioned lower than normal 
• Stunted neck 
• Small mouth with protruding tongue 
• Wide hands with short fingers 
• Overall retarded growth 
• Poor Mental IQ 
• Loose muscle tone with excess flexibility 

Apart from these, children with Down's syndrome also suffer from lung, heart, intestine and hearing problems. 

Causes of Down's Syndrome:

Late pregnancy in women:  Pregnant women over 45 are at greater risk as their eggs are older and may lead to improper chromosome division 

Delivering one baby with Down's syndrome: The chances are more for the next baby to have Down's syndrome if its elder sibling already is affected by it. 

Heredity: If the parents have Down's syndrome, there are great chances of this being passed on to their children. 

Down's Syndrome prevention

Doctors claim that taking adequate amounts of Folic Acid or Vitamin B9 before and during early pregnancy stages may help in Down's syndrome prevention. 

Folic Acid is crucial for the development of the brain in infants. It is also responsible for the production of red blood cells in babies and the vital key to their strong mental health. 

Down's Syndrome prevention is thus possible only with consumption of sufficient Folic acid through spinach, dairy products, seafood, eggs, fruits and nuts. 

Medical Treatment in India for Down's Syndrome 

Every year in India, there are incidences of  23 to 26,000 children with Down's syndrome. But hope is not lost as there are enough health centres and hospitals offering medical treatment in India for Down's syndrome. 

Down's Syndrome treatment starts with initial screening and diagnostic test during the first trimester, cell-free fetal DNA analysis, amniocentesis and cordocentesis and karyotyping at birth. 

A baby affected by Down's syndrome needs early intervention to improve the duration and quality of its life. Early intervention involves several therapies directed at helping children cope with their daily difficulties. 

Speech Therapy - to improve the speaking and hearing skills of the child 

 Behavioural and Emotional therapy- to help them cope up with their condition and the stress it involves, to interact with their peers normally and to tackle age-related issues like puberty etc. 

Multispecialty treatment - Children with Down's Syndrome are often affected with heart, lung, ear and digestive problems. So they require multispecialty treatment from cardiologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, audiologists etc. 

Helping children with Down's syndrome 

Treating children with Down's Syndrome as part of the society is the first step in helping them. 

Apart from this, the following activities can help children with Down's Syndrome 

• Using pictures to illustrate topics using books 
• Using assisted devices like touch screen tablets and laptops 
• Improving their writing ability by using  special pencils, pencil grips and sloping surface to write 
• Reading aloud and recitation to improve their speech, hearing and vocabulary 
• Improving motor skills using finger puppets, beads and pegs, lego and hand gym. 
• Games to improve hand-eye coordination like building bricks, jigsaw puzzles, mazes and tracing patterns 
• Inculcate independence by encouraging them to eat, bathe and dress on their own. 

Down's Syndrome is definitely a congenital genetic disorder but one whose medical treatment in India is done both efficiently and economically.