When you breastfeed, bottle feed, or hold your baby for extended periods of time in a cradle hold, you may experience tension and pain in your neck and shoulders. This has been coined “nursing neck”, but we know that it isn’t simply caused from “nursing”. After experiencing this pain and a limited range of motion in my neck when my twins were about 11 months old, I started to get serious about combating the rounding of my shoulders and neck that were causing this strain. As a certified yoga instructor, I had the added bonus of being able to access certain yoga postures and stretches to help mobilize and open these areas, and today I am sharing them with you! Watch the video below for a full description with alignment and breath cues for each of the stretches I find most helpful in relieving this neck and shoulder pain. This is a simple, no equipment required yoga sequence made for parents who have limited time so, feel free to enjoy these stretches at any point in your day, for as long as you are able to.

I’d love to hear if these stretches were helpful for you, so be sure to leave me a comment if you enjoyed this video or if you have any questions.

If you need Yoga blocks, I like these ones from Amazon (links to Amazon Canada)

(Here is the link for Amazon US.)

If you need a yoga mat, this is the same one I use around my house (links to Amazon Canada) but you may also want to check out the blog I posted on my favorite yoga mats here.

Here is the yoga mat link for my US friends (links to Amazon US)

As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission on qualifying sales.

Note: As always, nothing in this video is intended as medical advice. If you are unsure if yoga is safe for you, always consult with your medical professional before starting. Always listen to your body and respect any limits you experience, ensuring to work within them.