Everyday Ergonomics for Working Moms | Stop pain, fix biomechanics, improve function
Hey momma, are you exhausted from putting your daily aches and pins aside to care for everyone else? Do you struggle to make time for regular physical therapy, chiropractic or massage appointments for yourself? I’ve been there. Hi. I’m Amanda, a mom of three littles and a working physical therapist. I had my first baby during the last year of graduate school. I was new to motherhood and overwhelmed with my career journey. I remember being on the bed with my laptop while nursing a baby, juggling it all at once. I remember crying from mental exhaustion heightened by physical neck, shoulder and back pain. But I endlessly rocked my velcro baby anyway. It was lonely. It was uncomfortable. I needed to manage my pain but had no time to spare for MY OWN NEEDS. When my second child came, I had a toddler and a career to juggle. Still just as busy but a little bit wiser. This time I focused on MY body mechanics in all the things. The physical aches decreased with simple shifts to my positioning during nursing, cleaning, work and play. I can’t be the only one with aches and pains in motherhood. So here I am, live in your earbuds with all my recommendations and none of the timely appointments. In this podcast, I use my professional education, real patient experiences and personal mom journey to help you take care of yourself. I focus on body mechanics, ergonomics and easy do-anywhere exercises to fix common pain points for working moms. Grab all the pillows, let’s get comfy and love those babies with more joy and less pain.
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Big holiday meals shouldn’t mean a sore back, stiff shoulders, or aching wrists. In this episode, Amanda shares her go-to ergonomic strategies to help you cook smarter, not harder — so you can actually enjoy the holidays you’re working so hard to create.
Learn how to:
🍽️ Plan and prep large meals in stages to avoid fatigue
🪑 Set up your workstation for maximum comfort (yes, you can sit!)
🧑🍳 Use anti-fatigue mats and surface height hacks for neutral posture
💪 Safely lift heavy dishes and avoid back strain
🎄 Keep your cooking space efficient and body-friendly
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving or baking cookies with your kids, these small tweaks will make a big difference in how your body feels at the end of the day.
🤍 Because you deserve to feel good in the body you mother—and cook—in.
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Free Download for Breastfeeding Support: Feeding Foundations EBook
Monday Oct 13, 2025
Monday Oct 13, 2025
Ever wake up feeling like you slept wrong? In this episode, we’re talking about the power of pillow placement for better sleep and pain relief. Whether you’re a back, side, or stomach sleeper, small tweaks in alignment can make a big difference in how your body feels in the morning.
Learn how to:
Choose the right head pillow height for your neck
Use towel rolls and support pillows for back and shoulder comfort
Keep your hips and spine aligned as a side sleeper
Modify stomach sleeping to reduce strain on your back
You’ll leave this episode with simple, practical strategies you can try tonight — no fancy products needed.
Episode 27: Pregnancy Pillow Talk: Smart Support for Your Belly, Back & Body
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Free Download for Breastfeeding Support: Feeding Foundations EBook
Monday Oct 06, 2025
Monday Oct 06, 2025
Not all baby gear supports healthy development — even the ones that promise to! In this episode, I’m sharing the baby and toddler items I personally avoid as both a mom and a physical therapist.
We’ll dive into why popular gear like baby walkers, jumpers, and upright seats (like the Bumbo) can actually put stress on developing hip joints, encourage toe walking, and delay milestones like crawling, sitting, and walking. You’ll learn what’s really happening in your baby’s body, plus simple swaps and alternatives that promote strength, stability, and confidence as your little one grows.
If you’ve ever wondered whether those stand-in activity centers or “sit-me-up” seats are helping or hurting — this episode is for you.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
💡 The truth about baby walkers and jumpers and how they affect hip and posture development
💡 What makes the “walk-around” activity center one of the worst offenders
💡 How to set up safe play spaces that encourage proper grounding and body alignment
💡 Why sitting positioners can actually delay trunk control and sitting balance
💡 My favorite alternatives: push walkers, play pens, and floor-based play
💡 How open-ended toys and imaginative floor time support strong, healthy movement patterns
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Free Download for Breastfeeding Support: Feeding Foundations EBook
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Motherhood is beautiful—and exhausting. Between work, kids, and everything in between, it’s easy to feel like your brain and body are stretched to the max. In this episode of Everyday Ergonomics for Working Moms, I’m sharing the real-life hacks that are saving my mental, physical, and emotional health as a mom of three.
These aren’t Pinterest-perfect systems or complicated planners. They’re simple, doable tweaks that help me move through my days with less stress and more ease.
Here’s what you’ll hear in today’s episode:
How I use AI tools like ChatGPT to meal plan and lighten my decision-making load
Why buying all the same socks, water bottles, and bento boxes makes family life easier
The power of routine stacks and weekly planning to cut down on mental clutter
How kid-specific laundry days and sports go bags streamline our household flow
The small systems that free up time, energy, and headspace so I can show up as a thriving mom
✨ The best part? These hacks aren’t about perfection. They’re about finding little ways to support your body, your mind, and your joy in the middle of everyday life.
If you’ve been craving practical ideas you can actually use, this episode will give you a handful to try right away.
👉 After you listen, I’d love to hear: What’s one hack that makes your motherhood easier? Share it with me on Instagram or inside our Facebook community so we can keep learning from each other.
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Free Download for Breastfeeding Support: Feeding Foundations EBook
Monday Sep 22, 2025
Monday Sep 22, 2025
Why does wrist pain so often travel with trap tension, or why does neck stiffness show up after weeks of baby holding? It’s not random—it’s your body compensating.
In this episode, we’ll explore the Mom Pain Connection: the most common compensation patterns and pain clusters I see in moms. From weak postural muscles to poor lifting mechanics, our bodies are brilliant at making things happen—even if it means overusing the wrong muscles.
You’ll learn:
The top mom pain clusters: wrist + thumb, elbow, shoulder blade, traps, and neck
How weak core and postural muscles set moms up for compensations
Why nursing, lifting kids, carrying bags, cooking, and laundry often flare multiple areas at once
Two easy tweaks you can use daily to break the cycle
Strengthening tips to fix the underlying weak links
🤍 Let’s move past just surviving the pain and start building strength and strategies that support your body—for your day job and your mom job.
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Free Download for Breastfeeding Support: Feeding Foundations EBook
Monday Sep 15, 2025
Monday Sep 15, 2025
Back pain is one of the most common struggles—affecting 60–80% of adults—and moms are no exception. In fact, up to 70% of women experience back pain during pregnancy, and many still feel it months after giving birth. But here’s the truth: your back is not fragile.
In this episode of Everyday Ergonomics for Working Moms, Amanda breaks down the myths about low back pain, why painkillers and rest aren’t the long-term answer, and how the best care combines hands-on therapy, smart ergonomics, and progressive strengthening.
You’ll learn:
Why most back pain is nonspecific and not caused by structural damage
How sedentary habits make pain worse (and what to do instead)
Simple ergonomic tips for moms—like choosing the right chair for feeding and using lumbar support
The role of exercise in building a resilient back that can handle daily “mom jobs”
What real “core strength” means (hint: it’s more than just abs)
Whether you’re carrying a car seat, hunched over breastfeeding, or just trying to keep up with family life, this episode will help you reframe back pain, find relief, and keep moving.
Because your back isn’t broken, fragile, or weak—it’s strong, adaptable, and capable of healing with the right approach.
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Free Download for Breastfeeding Support: Feeding Foundations EBook
Monday Sep 08, 2025
Monday Sep 08, 2025
Does driving leave your hips and low back feeling tight, stiff, or achy? You’re not alone. Car seats aren’t built with moms in mind — they’re built to fit “average” bodies, and most of us end up slouching, straining, or overreaching just to get from point A to point B.
In this episode, I’m sharing a quick and easy system you can use every single time you get in the car to set yourself up for a more comfortable ride. I call it the SEAT Check, and it only takes 30 seconds before you hit the road.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Position your hips so they don’t ache after long drives
✅ Support your low back without expensive gadgets
✅ Find the right distance from the steering wheel to avoid strain
✅ Build a habit you’ll actually remember every ride
If you’ve been following along since last week’s client spotlight on car posture for neck and shoulder pain, this episode gives you the next piece of the puzzle for full-body driving comfort.
🎧 Press play, and let’s make your next drive a whole lot easier on your body.
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Monday Sep 01, 2025
Monday Sep 01, 2025
✨ Show Notes:
Long drives and road trips don’t have to leave you stiff, achy, and miserable. In today’s episode, I’m joined by my client Carolyn, who shares her journey of turning hours on the road from a painful necessity into a comfortable routine.
Carolyn was driving 1–4 hours at a time and constantly battling neck and back pain—until we worked together to adjust her car ergonomics. With a few simple tweaks and posture strategies, she went from dreading drives to enjoying them pain-free.
We talk through:
The aches and challenges Carolyn was facing on the road
How small ergonomic adjustments made a big difference
Practical takeaways you can use today for your own car setup
The surprising ripple effects of feeling better behind the wheel
If you’ve ever finished a drive with sore shoulders, a stiff neck, or an aching back, Carolyn’s story will give you both hope and helpful tools to change that.
🤍 Tune in and learn how to drive with more ease, less pain, and a lot more comfort
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach
Monday Aug 25, 2025
Monday Aug 25, 2025
Motherhood is demanding, and our bodies feel it—especially our shoulders, neck, and back from nursing, carrying, or even hours at a computer. In this final episode of our National Breastfeeding Month series, I’m sharing a quick, practical stretch break you can do anytime, anywhere to ease tension and bring a little relief.
This episode is designed with moms of infants in mind, but it works beautifully for toddler moms, working moms, and anyone who needs a reset from daily physical strain. Take a few minutes for yourself today—you deserve it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Simple stretches to release common “mom tension” spots
How to reset your body in just a few minutes
Why even short breaks can improve posture, energy, and comfort
📣 CTA: Don’t forget—join the Motherhood in Gratitude and Grace Facebook community so you don’t miss the upcoming LIVE Q&A with Krista Cassell of Gratitude and Grace Lactation. We’ll be answering all your questions about ergonomics for moms, from feeding to working to everyday life. Details are coming soon on socials and in the next podcast episode!
Until next time catch up with us in
The Everyday Ergonomics For Working Moms facebook Community!
Motherhood with Gratitude and Grace Facebook Group
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Looking for Lactation Courses, Consultations or Support Packages? Check out the website
Follow on Instagram
@dr.amada_ergocoach
@gratitude_and_grace_lactation
Here
Monday Aug 18, 2025
Monday Aug 18, 2025
This week, I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing something close to my heart—my own breastfeeding journey with each of my three kids. From the challenges to the unexpected lessons, every experience was different, and each one shaped the way I support other moms today.
I want to normalize these conversations, because whether you nursed for three days, three months, or three years, your story matters. No two journeys look the same, and that’s okay. You’ll hear my takeaways from each season of feeding and how they’ve taught me to meet moms exactly where they are—with compassion, honesty, and encouragement.
So grab your coffee, your pump, or your baby snuggles, and let’s talk like real moms do. Because I see you, mama—I am you.
🤍 Resources & Links:
Join the Everyday Ergonomics for Working Moms Facebook Community for support and resources
Download Feeding Foundations
Here
Share this episode with a friend who needs a little reminder that she’s not alone in her journey
Hope this episode is enlightening and helps you find joy and reduce pain.
Until next time catch up with me in our free facebook community!
Interested in one-on-one ergonomic coaching? Book a call here
Follow on Instagram @dr.amada_ergocoach