Body-Breaking Parent Moves & How To Fix Them Part 4: LIFTING BABY FROM CRIB
Do you bend from your back and not from your hips? Well check yourself before you wreck yourself and stop it already!
If you do not clearly understand what bending your low back under load does to your intervertebral discs and spine, read this right now.
You were given a beautiful set of hips for one major reason, Mobility!
Get your hip hinge and booty pop on.
Don’t:
Bend with your back, flexing/rounding your spine
Lift baby with arms extended from your body
Stand far away from the crib
Stand beside the crib with your back twisted
Think about it, how many times are you going to lift your baby out of and put your baby back into their crib or bed during their childhood? Yikes! These rules apply for bath time and lifting baby out of the car seat as well.
Do:
Bend with your hips (Your low back should be stable while your hips are mobile)
Lift baby as close to your chest and your centre of mass as possible
Stand close to the crib
Stand square to the crib to avoid twisting your back
Place your foot on a stool if you have one-sided leg pain to reduce tension on that leg
When straightening up, drive your hips forward and achieve full hip extension, squeeze your glutes, and maintain neutral spine
Lifting a baby is the same as lifting weights. If we had a dollar for every weight-lifting low back injury we see, we would have a ton of loonies! Repetitive lifting with poor posture and ergonomics will lead to repetitive strain injuries, joint irritation, nerve irritation, disc bulges, and even worse, disc herniations! Trust us, you do not want one of those bad boys.
