MOTHERHOOD: Easing Back Pain in Pregnancy & whilst Breastfeeding with Deep Freeze

It's only been 3 months, but already I miss being pregnant; lovingly stroking my bump, wandering what she'll look like and how our family will adapt to life as a four. There are a few things I certainly don't miss though, heartburn being one and back pain being the other. Throughout both my pregnancies I've struggled with back pain, trapped nerves and muscular pain, probably due to my rather large baby bumps! Isabella weighed 8lb 3ozs and Poppy weighed 8lb 13ozs, so both of my girls were on the larger size, not to mention the incredible size of my placenta both times (who knew a placenta was that big?!). All of this contributed to me struggling with back pain, especially in my lower back, as I was carrying around all that extra weight. According to Deep Freeze I'm not alone, they conducted a poll back in March 2013 and found that as many as 98% of pregnant ladies suffered muscular back pain at some stage in their pregnancy.

Personally, I struggled the most during the third trimester, as I'm sure was the case for a lot of the women asked. Carrying a baby is hard work, especially if it's not your first child as you're probably having to run around, carry and play with your other child/ren too. I know that my recent pregnancy with Poppy really tested my body's strength and at times I was left in quite a lot of pain, which is when I turned to Deep Freeze for relief. The Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel and Pain Relief Cold Patches are both drug-free, so are the perfect option for relieving back pain during pregnancy and/or while your breastfeeding. When my back pain with Poppy was at its worst I used the Cold Patches because it offered fast acting cooling relief, was quick to put on (ideal as having Isabella meant there was no 'me time' for a spot of r&r) and lasted up to 3 hours. I'd pop a patch on whenever the pain was really bad and go about my day as I normally would.

Since giving birth to Poppy I can't say I've been completely free of back pain unfortunately, in fact in some ways I'm struggling more now than I did during pregnancy. This is because I'm breastfeeding, babywearing and almost constantly carrying either Poppy or Isabella. Breastfeeding is probably the biggest contributor to my back pain now, as I spend hours each day leaning over to feed Poppy. Although using a breastfeeding pillow really helps I'm not always in a position where I can use one, for instance when we're out or if there isn't one where I'm feeding at home. That paired with carrying Poppy everywhere we go, as we don't have a double pushchair and a lack of strength due to the pregnancy I am still finding myself suffering from back ache on a weekly basis.

So, I've recently started using the Deep Freeze Cold Patches again in an attempt to relieve the muscular pain. I'm also starting to do gentle exercise now that I've past the six week post-partum mark, as I really need to start building up my strength again. But in the meantime I'm relying on the drug-free option of Deep Freeze to offer fast acting pain relief. As I am breastfeeding it is the perfect option for me because I like to keep the amount of drugs I'm putting into my body at an absolute minimum or ideally none at all.

Did/do you suffer from back pain in pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding?

Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x

*Always discuss new pregnancy symptoms with a doctor.

Disclaimer - I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. [I have received a voucher as a token of thanks for this post].