Do your best to avoid carrying any heavy objects, to prevent unnecessary strain to your back and hips. As it is, your body is adjusting to the weight of your ever-growing foetus, and hormonal changes loosen your joint ligaments in preparation for labor, which makes them extra vulnerable to stress.
If you have no choice but to lift something heavy, try to hold it close to your body and bend your knees when carrying, to reduce the likelihood of sprain. Keep your back straight as your lift. When carrying heavy groceries, try to split the load into both hands, or get someone else to help you.
It’s tricky when you have an older toddler who demands or needs you to carry him at times. In general, it’s fine to carry a young child during pregnancy, as long as he or she is not too heavy, and provided you have no pregnancy complications like a weak cervix or slip disc. However, please do not straddle your toddler n your hip, as this puts more strain on your back.
Experts generally recommend that you should not pick up anything (or anyone) heavier than 10-11kg while you are pregnant. When you feel any pain or exhaustion from carrying, sit on a hard surface with your back straight against a wall to help your muscles relax.
By Dorothea Chow
