# Does Heavy Lifting Cause Miscarriage?



## medicine

Does Heavy Lifting Cause Miscarriage?

My doctor said that heavy lifting does not cause miscarriage, because the embryo is supposedly protected behind the strong pelvis. 

But I think that heavy lifting can cause miscarriage, otherwise why are some women put on bed rest, and in some companies, pregnant women are placed on "light-duty" in jobs where workers do lots of physical work and/or heavy lifting. Light-duty is when a worker does not have to do regular-duty jobs that are very physical because of the recommendations from the worker's doctor(s).

I read about this online, and most sites say that heavy lifting should not cause miscarriage, but some sites are not sure. I don't think there were any sites that said that heavy lifting does cause miscarriage.

Of course, I made a poll for those who want to give their opinion without posting a comment.


----------



## groovyjem

personally i dont think heavy lifting causes mc as my mum didnt know she was pregnant with me until 5 months and was doing heavy lifting and i think companies will put employees on light duties to cover themselves then if anything does happen it cannot be blamed on the company ... however saying that after suffering mc's myself i wont be doing any lifting on the just incase side :)


----------



## Sooz

I'm not pregnant yet but I do heavy lifting as part of my duties and I would expect not to have to do that once work know I am pregnant, as the risk of injuring myself is always there, even if it may not directly cause miscarriage.


----------



## Jolinar

I thought heavy lifting could cause hernia not miscarriage. The muscles relax a lot and the danger of a strain becomes greater. I worked in a chemical plant with a physical job throughout my pregnancy. The only thing I was forbidden to do was work with one specific chemical and from working at height. Everything else in my risk assessment said "work within own limitations" ie if I felt I couldn't do it then I asked someone else.


----------



## rainysunshine

I think people are put on bed rest and light work load to prevent early labor, not prevent miscarriage. I could be completely wrong, but that is how I understand it from watching TONS of baby shows on tv.


----------



## Noodles

When bed rest is advised in early pregnancy, it is usually a blood pressure issue and light duties is usually linked to possible injury as when you're pregnant your muscles relax which means that you are more prown to strains. It's not linked to miscarriage as your doctor explained that until 12 weeks your uterus is below your pelvis that is why your fundal height can't be measured prior to 12 weeks.


----------



## Samemka

Personally I don't think it can be, or else I'm presuming there would be a higher MC rate to those people, such as myself, with babies/toddlers when they fall/are pregnant. As much as I try not to carry Emma that much, there are times when it's impossible, and she's heavy!!


----------



## inkdchick

well in 1989 when i lost my baby at 5 and half months gestation i was told lifting had done it so i am baised against what you have been told sorry and im not lifting anything heavy again while trying and hopefully pregnant at sometime soon anyting soon really soon we hope x


----------



## medicine

inkdchick said:


> well in 1989 when i lost my baby at 5 and half months gestation i was told lifting had done it so i am baised against what you have been told sorry and im not lifting anything heavy again while trying and hopefully pregnant at sometime soon anyting soon really soon we hope x

Who told you that lifting is what caused it? Was it doctors or friends or family?

How much lifting were you doing at that time, and how long were you lifting?


----------



## sequeena

I'm not sure. I have a friend who was lifting 15kg dry dog food sacks before she found out and she's preogressing nicely in her pregnancy (she's over 20 weeks).


----------



## inkdchick

medicine it was the hospital and i was working in bought ledge for a building contractor and the ledgers were extremely heavy and the guys in the office thought it rather funny to leave me to it but that was over 20 years ago and i dont believe that they knew then what they know now


----------



## mushypea

I dunno - I kind of believe if a bean is sticky, it is sticky. My mum was told not to lift me when she was pregnant with my brother (I was 4 at the time) as she had had a miscarriage and they thought that lifting was possibly a cause, but that was nearly 30 years ago now. I actually moved house whilst 8 weeks pregnant and lifted the fridge freezer, oven etc etc! My boy is 3 and a half now, so it clearly did no harm!


----------

