Strollerderby : back pain

Babywearing Moms New Pain in Motrin's Side

JeanneSager — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:33:00 GMT

An ad that debuted on Motrin's Website during International Babywearing Week (which ends tomorrow in case any of you want to make a sling cake and celebrate) has the mom-blogosphere a-buzzing. They're giving me a headache.

Babywearing moms around the nation say the pain reliever is picking on them for choosing perhaps the most "attachment-oriented" of all attachment parenting methods. The ad says wearing your baby seems to be in fashion and "in theory, it's a great idea." It even lists some of the reasons so many moms have run out to buy a carrier or sling, from "going hands-free" to the various places you can prop your papoose (back, side, front . . ).

But the focus of the ad? It's on moms who experience pain while babywearing. ("These things put a ton of strain on your back, your neck, your shoulders. Did I mention your back?!") I know, total shocker coming out of a company that sells . . . wait for it . . .pain relievers. Did you really think they were going to spend money an ad telling you their product isn't necessary?

The moms have been tweeting away on Twitter about the need to boycott Motrin's parent company, Johnson & Johnson. They're using words like "disgusts me," "insulting," and "absolutely infuriating."

I found one sentence of the whole thing a little condescending - "it totally makes me look like an official mom." Being an official mom takes more than a look or a baby sling. But the rest of it? Talking about putting up with the pain because it's a "good kind of pain," and looking "tired and crazy"? That's pretty darn realistic for some moms. Notice I said "some," not all. In fact, a lot of babywearing moms report trial and error before finding a position that worked for mom AND for baby. For some, it just never works - despite multiple attempts, they're not going to find a carrier that makes the baby weigh less or makes the baby less likely to move around and throw them off kilter. I tried two different carriers and never was able to get the hang of it - eventually ending up in physical therapy thanks to the enormous strain put on my back first by my pregnancy and later by carrying my daughter. When the therapist suggested I just "not carry my daughter," I laughed in her face.

What I find condescending are the moms out there who insist that this will scare of would-be babywearers. Motherhood isn't glamorous. And we do sacrifice plenty for our kids (so do dads, by the way, who carry their kids in their arms, in carriers, in slings . . . ). But considering how many of us know childbirth is going to hurt and sign up for the whole she-bang anyway, I think we deserve a little more credit.

Image: Motrin

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Equally Shouldering the Parenting Duties - Literally

JeanneSager — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:42:00 GMT

Warning to moms of kids who don't talk yet. Do NOT teach them the word "up." Seriously, it's over-rated.

Over the past three years, I've developed a killer case of "Mom back," the throbbing, aching out-of-whack back you wear like a badge of honor for carting kids around all day. (As opposed to the "Mom back flab," the pinch an inch section right above the new old lady support bras we are forced to wear after children).

This month's Parents Magazine offers up a series of stretches to soothe the Mom back, but I've got a better idea. Don't pick them up. Make Dad - or their other Mom - do it.

There's an unspoken agreement in our marriage that ranks right up on the importance level with the "no happy endings" understanding - if I've got to do it, you do too. That extends outside the doors of the house where the 3-year-old insists she needs to be carried because she caaaaaaan't do it herself. I'd like to remind her of that when you're 15 minutes late to work and she demands to be allowed to "do it myself" while you're trying to shove her little pink Vans on her feet.

When you're out by yourself, there isn't much choice. I've left my daughter lying in a puddle on the department store floor and walked 5 feet (yes, where I could still see her) while she got over her tantrum and realized "up" wasn't happening, but usually it's just easier to pick her up and get a move on. Hence Mom back.

But when I see a Mom lugging a kid on each hip, a purse over one shoulder and a clutch of shopping bags in hand while a guy walks along beside her without a care in the world, I'm tempted to walk over, remove one child from one hip and clamp his little hands around Daddy's shoulders, then turn and do the same to kid number two. See how you like it buddy.

Image: ForParentsByParents

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Why Don't Pregnant Women Tip Over?

Madeline Holler — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:18:00 GMT

I'll answer that: my huge ass served as a sturdy anchor. So the better question is, why don't skinny pregnant twigs like Nichole Richie tip over.

I can answer that too. Anthropologists who studied the spines of living and long-dead fossilized women found that the vertabrae evolved over time specifically to keep pregnant women balanced and capable of running away from predators (like the fetus-fetishizing paparazzi?)

The researcher studied the lower spine of 19 modern-day pregnant women and found the lower back extends across three vertabrae in women and just two in men. Moreover, the connecting points were larger and the bones themselves shaped in a way that allowed them to stack without shifting or breaking. All this gives the female lumbar greater range of motion, which allows them to lean back as the size of their bellies increases, keeping them from toppling over when they walk (but not helping them in the least when trying to put on boots at 37 weeks gestation).

But why the difference? Evolution, of course!

The women who had this genetic mutation survived to have babies who also survived who had babies who also survived ... all because they could forage and get away from predators despite an enormous mid-section.

It's imperfect, since pregnant women still often complain of back pain. But like many traits that evolved, it's good enough. Especially if you have a skilled masseuse.

Pregnant Women Wimps, According to Recent Study

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:05:00 GMT

That there is a "high incidence" of back pain during pregnancy doesn't come as news to most of us who have cooked a few wee babies in our time (especially parents of multiples --ouch!!). Nor would most of us be surprised to hear about a recent study, which found that despite 85% of pregnant women reportedly experiencing back pain, only 10% received care for the pain.

The study authors conclude that in addition to a need for increased care for back pain, women may be insufficiently educated about the risks of taking pain medication during pregnancy. And in my favorite study conclusion of all time, they also express concern that pregnant women may not have sufficient ability to cope with pain, which leads them to take the ill-advised pain medication in the first place.

Ahh yes. Pregnant women are wimpy, aren't they? Always complaining and griping about the weight and the hunger and the aches and the pains. If I had a NICKEL for every wimpy pregnant lady I met, I'd be a millionaire three-times over. Seriously. Especially during labor and delivery. Have you heard them screaming out? I mean COME ON. In all seriousness, though, this study points out yet another reason that high quality prenatal care is crucial. Because that's how you get all the good pain drug hook-ups, my sister.