How to Pick up a Baby Without Hurting Your Back
This is the sixth and final issue of the Postpartum Pain Clinic, and consists of several parts devoted to the treatment of pain and pain that occurs with the care of newborns and babies.
New parenthood comes with a certain pain: there is, of course, childbirth and the rather painful experience of learning how to breastfeed a newborn. But beyond these labor-related pains, a new parent or caregiver can treat back, shoulder, neck, and wrist pain — all from lugging around a tiny new bundle of joy. But it doesn’t have to be that way! To understand how to protect your musculoskeletal system from overuse, I spoke to Stephanie Leaf, a postpartum physical therapist and director of New Leaf Physical Therapy , for her best advice on preventing and treating care-related pain. for a newborn.
So far, we’ve covered how to hold a baby , how to change a diaper , how to carry a diaper bag , how to breastfeed a baby , and how to push a stroller without causing or aggravating excessive neck and back pain. This week Stephanie is thinking about how to pick up a baby without straining her back.
Make:
“Bend your hips and knees so you don’t strain your lower back,” says Leaf. “Scoop the baby underneath with your entire arm to engage your core and arm muscles without straining your upper back, wrists and lower back.” Do not keep your palms and thumbs in an L shape, with your thumb at the bottom of the L – use your entire hand with your thumbs together. The athlete must exhale while returning to a standing position to help engage the major muscles and support the joints.
Do not do this:
“Don’t bend over straight legs or round your back,” says Leaf. Do not stretch or bend your elbows too much, and do not stick your head out. Don’t try to grab the baby with just your fingers – use your entire hand. When I lifted the babies, I tried to bring them up to my torso as quickly as possible to minimize this awful upper back and shoulder resistance. The same is with carriers – the more tightly they hold the baby to the breast, the more comfortable it is.
Thanks for setting up the Postpartum Pain Clinic and for all of Leaf’s awesome tips on parenting without pain. Now, of course, it’s time to think about what holiday gifts to give your new parent. My recommendation? Massage.