As a new mum we are constantly lifting our babies in and out of pushchairs, car seats and cots to name a few. After a while this can take a real toll on our backs. It doesn’t help that we are usually chasing our tales, trying to get to places just on time!!

We also forget that our bodies can take up to year to recover from giving birth. Relaxin a hormone is built up whilst we are pregnant to make your ligaments stretchy and elastic in preparation for childbirth. Relaxin affects every joint in the body and it can take up to five months for your ligaments to get back into their original positions and stabilise. So we need to be aware of this as we lift our babies and carry them around.

As always the last thing we think about is ourselves and how we our picking up our baby or toddler!

But we should and it’s just a case of know what we should be doing. So here are a 3 quick wins on how to pick your baby or toddler up and not put so much strain on your back, reducing long term back problems.

Table of Contents

1. Taking your baby out a pushchair

It’s easy to just bend over and pick our baby out of the push chair. But would you normally pick up a heavy box by bending over it and lifting it up? I hope not! I hope that you would bend your knees and squat down keeping the box close as you straighten your legs and lift. So why not with a baby it’s the same.

2. Holding your baby

It’s so easy when you are holding your baby to just pop them on your hip, it’s a built in seat and quite comfortable for both! But this can be major cause of pelvis problems, causing it to be not in line which can cause problems further up the back. I have known clients struggle with minor back pain for years, it’s not until their children are grown up and they go and get it sorted that a lot of times the problem originates from when they had their children!

So when holding your baby hold them in front of you and stand tall. Baby can still see things and you are reducing your risk of back pain!

3. Pushing the Push Chair!

Yes you can even do this wrong!!

Pushing your pushchair up a hill is another time when you could be doing yourself more harm than good. If it’s a steep hill then we bend over straighten our arms and push through your shoulders. This causing weakness in our lower back and it’s not great for the shoulders either.

To reduce injuries, stand close to the pushchair engage your core and then push. Harder but just think how fit and strong you will become!

With all the quick wins the main thing is it is really important to strengthen your core as this is the part of your body that holds everything together!

Never done Pilates before then come and visit our YouTube Channel were we have a Beginners course and all the video’s are only 10 minutes long, so even with a baby/ toddler you should have time to fit Pilates into your day.