Many parents, mostly moms, will end up in pain at some point because of the way they carry their kids. The pain may be a mild form of back strain or a more severe joint inflammation. It’s a topic that’s now drawing more attention from physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons.
Do you often carry your 20-pound youngster on your hip? Is it usually on the same hip? If so, imagine the accumulated physical stress of frequently having twenty pounds pressing down on one side of your pelvis—twenty SQUIRMING pounds!
Moms have even been known to go to the ER because of child-carrying pain.
How about lugging your baby in one of those portable car seats, holding the handle at your side like an oversized purse? Hip holds, carriers and other ways of toting a child around are only good for your body if the weight is distributed evenly.
That means constantly changing the hip on which you hold your infant or toddler. If you’ve become accustomed to using only one side, it may be harder to carry your child on the other side. However, that will only be temporary. The other hip will soon develop the strength and resilience needed to carry a child easily.
The same is true of carrier seats. Switch arms every time you carry one.
There is also a growing popularity of baby carriers that are worn on the body. But simple slings may not always be a good idea. As the child shifts weight, it can weigh on one side of the mother’s body more than the other, causing a stutter-step to regain balance. Under this physical force, the back can twist, causing a mild sprain with a nagging pain that can last for weeks.
If that hip is overused, your leg bones and muscles have to adjust to the extra weight with each step. It causes extra pressure on both the knee and ankle – two major joints that you never want to overload.
The best on-body carrier is one where the child is carried securely on the back, like in a backpack. While the child may not have a very good view, his or her weight is balanced against the strong spinal area. Even if the child shifts around, a carrier that is adjusted to fit the baby will not affect the balance of mom or dad. The parental spine will help support the baby, while a front carrier worn across the chest may cause a subtle shoulder hunch or push against internal organs.
Remember the three best tips of carrying your kid: distribute the weight evenly, redistribute the weight often from one side to the other and never allow the carrying of your child to cause discomfort.