lifting a baby while pregnant?

[TryinFor1]

Posted in toddler section too but wanted opinions here as well.

My almost 15 month old weighs about thirty pounds, which I know is the guideline of heavy lifting while pregnant. Realistically, I can't not pick him up and carry him. I am only five weeks but I have been bending, lifting, and carrying him like I normally would.

I will start to do better about it but when he is upset and wants me, I am not going to just let him sit there and cry. I also have to carry him like to bed, or if we are going to the doctor and I carry him from the parking lot, up the stairs, to his doctors office... I actually bend, pick up, and carry him a lot.

I will ask my doctor about it but what did you guys do in situations like this? He is too young to understand that I shouldn't pick him up all the time. I looked it up on Google and all I really got were a bunch of stories about women saying they miscarried because of picking up their toddlers. Now whether that is true or not, I don't know. But it still frightens me as I don't want to experience another miscarriage.

What would you guys do?

 

[dragonfly26]

I carried my toddler as I normally would through my whole pregnancy. Unless you have other issues I don't see it bring a problem.

 

[supertabby]

My DD was a few weeks shy of 3 years old when DS was born and I picked her up right until the end. I did it less often in the 3rd trimester - partly because I was tired so preferred not to but mainly because I was having a section and wanted her to get used to it because I definitely wasn't lifting her during my recovery.

I think unless you have a specific medical issue - like stitches put in because of incompetent cervix - then lifting your toddler in pregnancy is fine. People tend to think pregnant women shouldn't lift because it csuses miscarriage but that's not the reason (unless there's other medical issues), you produce a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy to make your muscles more supple for all that stretching as your bump goes. However it makes you much more susceptible to pulling a muscle. So basically you might hurt yourself but you won't hurt the baby.

 

[CaptainMummy]

It hasn't stopped me. Dd1 is about 33lbs and I still lift her (albeit very rarely as she doesn't need carried)

I agree that unless you have been told otherwise, it's totally fine and as long as you are comfortable then why shouldn't you?

 

[Clo]

My lo was just over 37lbs when I was pregnant and I still carried him some times. I had to stop towards the end but that was only because my bump was so big I physically couldn't lift him lol x

 

[Snow Owl]

To be honest I haven't got a choice!
Although he's a walker now, there are still times he needs carrying

 

[catty]

Lucas is 24lbs so not as heavy but I regularaly have him,shopping,my changing bag and sometimes the buggy. I think its impossible to stop lifting because your pregnant, if so wed be confined to our flat ,very day,my son wouldnt be able to come out his cot and hed never manage to get in the car etc.

 

[Ashla]

The doctor and physio both told me not to lift my toddler, but what are you going to do? There is no way I could get him to bed, change his nappy, give him a bath, take him on the swings at the park, etc, etc without lifting him. In the last weeks of the third tri, I could feel it was doing me damage. But again, there was no way not to lift him.
I did refrain from lifting him for the first week and a half postpartum. But I was able to do that because DH was on leave and could help me with our toddler.

My back and pelvic floor seem ok now- and I am only 4 weeks postpartum so they'll probably be even better in a few more weeks.

 

[Kay_Baby]

I lifted and carried my older one all the time during my second pregnancy. My MW just advised me to be more careful particularly when lifting and twisting, like putting him into the car, as you are more likely to pull a muscle.

I did use it as a good reason to encourage my eldest to be a little more independent by not needing to be lifted or carried so much.

I don't believe lifting another child would cause a miscarriage otherwise no one would have children reasonably close in age.

 

[lov3hat3]

I carried/picked up my 30 something lb toddler right until the end. He'd even launch himself off furniture at me so I had to catch him

 

[Ashla]

By the way, I don't think it is going to cause a miscarriage. I think the reason we are told not to lift during pregnancy is because of the risk of damaging our joints/back due to the extra relaxin and the fact that our posture and balance are different.

 

[Mummy Bean]

I was advised the heavy lifting guideline is for those who are not used to lifting - so suddenly moving a washing machine or something. But your used to picking up your toddler so all ok - just be a bit more aware of how your doing it - the whole bend with the knees and such.

I did find putting little steps everywhere so he could climb on the sofa, bed or sink without me having to pick him up was deff handy - esp later on when I was HUGE.

 

[liz1985]

I lifted ds the whole way through pregnancy and he is a big boy, top centile for weight. Never had an issue. I was always told if youve always done it its fine, its if you suddenly start doing new things it can cause problems.

 

[TryinFor1]

Thanks ladies! You all made me feel tons better! I will definitely be more encouraging of him walking. He is just at the stage where he would rather run off than go where I tell him to. Lol but he does like to take my hand and I lead him so will definitely be doing more of that. I won't worry about it too much! Thank you all!

 

[KatieB]

As others have said, I had to lift DS1 all through my last pregnancy with no issues, although I did used to worry sometimes when he was having a tantrum and I had to pick him up. Didn't have much choice though!

 

[Pearls18]

I carried my 3 year old 75th centile toddler across half of Brixham when I was 6 months pregnant lol (he was upset, I wouldn't normally indulge him at that age!) I have to carry heavy boxes in my work. I carry what still feels comfortable and apply the sentiment I was pregnant, not ill, my body would tell me when I was doing too much.

 

[lanaross]

I wouldn't. I had IC, lifted her at 35 weeks, she was about 36 pounds and my water broke right there. The problem with medical conditions is that you have to know you have it, sometimes you just don't know right? I'd be a bit more careful at the end of your pregnancy.

 

[TryinFor1]

I wouldn't. I had IC, lifted her at 35 weeks, she was about 36 pounds and my water broke right there. The problem with medical conditions is that you have to know you have it, sometimes you just don't know right? I'd be a bit more careful at the end of your pregnancy.

Did you know that you had an ic? Had you been lifting your daughter your entire pregnancy? At least you were pretty much at the end of your pregnancy so that's good

 

[jd83]

Unless your doctor has advised you not to due to a medical reason, I'd say its perfectly fine. You can't NOT pick up your child ever. You can reduce how often you pick your lo up, but obviously there are times when you are just going to have to pick them up.

with my pregnancy with DS2, I was advised to only pick up my son when necessary during the 1st trimester, because I was bleeding for a good portion of the 1st trimester and had just had a m/c with the previous pregnancy. Once I stopped bleeding and the pregnancy seemed to be going well, they told me I was fine to go about picking him up normally. When I had to reduce the amount of pick ups with him, I often just had him climb on my lap rather than picking him up. I would get down on the floor to change him rather than picking him up onto changing table. He had to walk more rather than being carried.

 

[sun]

I carried my older kiddos during my pregnancies. Unless you have specifically been advised against doing it for medical reasons, it should be fine!