Lifting up children when you have pelvic pain 

Lifting up kids when you have pelvic pain is being done by doing a good squat and a straight back. You shouldn’t be making turning movements during the lifting of your kid or have your child lean on your hip. The pelvis will become overloaded this way. Make sure that you limit the amount of lifting, and if you’re still going to lift, lift your child from a higher point. There are also some exercises you can do so you are steadier on your feet when you pick up your child. Always pick up your children with two hands and keep them close to your body. 

 

If you’re looking for pelvic floor exercises or go to the exercises page. If you’re looking for products for your pelvis and go to the Pelvic Store. 

 

What is pelvic pain? 

The words themselves say enough. Pelvic pain is pain in the pelvis. Pelvic pain is often labeled as pain in the reproductive organs of a women, but a men can have it too. You often feel pain in your abdomen underneath the belly button, in your lower back, or close to your genitalia. One of the most common causes of pelvic pain with women is pregnancy. But pelvic pain can also be a symptom of an infection, that’s why men can also get pelvic pain. With women it sometimes means that they’re about to get an infection in their reproductive organs in the pelvic area, like the uterus or the vagina (or pelvic floor). 

 

How do you lift up kids when you have pelvic pain? 

Picking up your kids while you have pelvic pain is being done properly by bending your knees. You’re able to make a squat by turning your feet slightly outwards and placing them properly underneath your hips. Make sure that you bend over with a straight back and that your child is standing between your legs. Tense up your pelvic floor muscles and lift up your child when you breathe out, not when you breathe in. Don’t make a twisting or turning movement when you lift up your child. It isn’t a good thing for your pelvic girdle to overload them. The same counts for carrying your child on your hip. When you carry your child on your hip, you overload your pelvis and pelvic ligament on the side you’re carrying your child. 

 

7 tips for lifting up your child when you have pelvic pain 

Below I’ve summed up some tips for lifting up your child with pelvic pain: 

 

Tip 1: Stand straight in front of your child 

Stand straight in front of your child. If you were to pick them up in a tilted manner, you’re making turning or twisting movements and those movements aren’t healthy for your pelvis or your back. 

 

Tip 2: Use a squat-movement during lifting 

You make a squat by bending with a straight back and bent knees. Make sure that your feet are placed directly underneath your hips and have your child stand between your legs when you want to lift them up. 

 

Tip 3: Lift up your child closely to your body 

By carrying your child close to your body (your torso), you have more stability and that way you can lift your child more carefully. This prevents getting more pain in the pelvis. 

 

Tip 4: Lift up your child from a higher point 

If you want to pick up your child while having pelvic pain, lift them up from a higher point. By lifting up your child from e.g. a chair or the stairs, you’re making less movements with the pelvis and that way they won’t be overloaded. 

 

Tip 5: Do the robot while lifting your child 

What does ‘doing the robot’ mean? I’m sure you’re acquainted with what a robot does, and what does he do? Do things in steps. By lifting up your child in steps, you experience less pelvic pain. Start with lifting up your child when you’re standing up straight, then turn with your whole body. Don’t make any turning or twisting movements during the lifting, but only turn when you’ve lifted up your child and turn with your entire body. Or, better said, do the robot. 

 

Tip 6: Lift up your child with both of your hands 

When you’re lifting up a child while experiencing pelvic pain, always lift them up with two hands. Two hands provides more stability and divides the heavy weight between the both sides of your body. When you’re lifting up a child with just one hand, you’re naturally going to let them lean on your hips, which in turn overloads the pelvic girdle. So always lift them with two steady hands. 

 

Tip 7: Limit lifting up your child 

It may sound unhandy, or even mean, but try to lift up your child as little as possible when you have pelvic pain. Your pelvis needs to recover, even when you’re following our tips to decrease your pelvic pain and overload the next day. When you lift your child as little as possible, your pelvis can peacefully recover. 

 

Lifting up a baby when you have pelvic pain 

You’re putting less pressure on your pelvis when you carry your baby closely to your body, but your baby prefers to be in your arms all day. Then how do you do that? A smart way (and a helpful tool) is to carry your baby in a sling. That way you can hold your baby against your chest without overloading your pelvis, because your baby isn’t leaning this way. It can become heavy at a certain point, so take a small break and have a proper seat on the couch. Your body will rest that way, but your baby is still close enough to feel your warmth so it won’t cry, unless it’s hungry. 

 

What do you need to watch out for with lifting up children when you have pelvic pain? 

You especially need to watch out for subconsciously making turning movements while you’re lifting up your child. Turning movements are dangerous for your pelvis because they can become overloaded. Apart from that, it’s not healthy to lift up your child and have them lean on your hip the whole time. You have to watch out for when you breathe in and out when you’re lifting up your child. And don’t try to push yourself. Listen to your body. Maybe your child is sad and it wants to be lifted up so you can console it. But if your body really hurts, take a seat on a chair or on a couch so you can put your child in your lap.

 

This is what you shouldn’t do when you lift up your child when you have pelvic pain 

Below I’ve summed up movements that you shouldn’t do when you’re lifting up your child when you have pelvic pain. You could overload the pelvis or develop other pelvic issues. 

 

1. 1. Lifting up children while you’re breathing in 
      When you lift up your child while you’re breathing in, you can become short breathed or stuffy. That’s because you put pressure on your lungs when you breathe in, and if you lift up something heavy or you lift your child, that pressure on your lungs can cause you to become stuffy. So always lift up your child (or heavy objects) when you breathe out. 
   2. Carrying your children all day 
      You’re overloading your pelvis when you’re carrying your children for a prolonged period of time when you have pelvic pain. Apart from that, it can also be very unpleasant for your other muscles. You are quick to get fatigued which will have you shift the position of your child from arm to arm, which will subconsciously have you lean them on your hips. 
   3. Making turning movements while lifting up your child 
      I’ve already mentioned it a few times in this article, but don’t make any turning movements when you’re lifting up your child. This is one of the most important things that you should remember when you lift them, because you shouldn’t want to have even more pelvic pain tomorrow. 

1. Push yourself 
   Sometimes your toddler can be stubborn, but if you don’t have to lift them, don’t do it. Listen to your body. Does it hurt? Then stop the lifting. By continuing to go through the pain you’re hurting your body even more, and then you can only sit on the couch the next few days so your body can rest. Don’t lift up your children when you have pelvic pain, unless it’s really necessary. 

Exercises for lifting up your children when you have pelvic pain 

It’s always smart to carry your children as little as possible when you have pelvic pain, but it’s logical that you want to carry your cute little baby or toddler in your arms. There are a few exercises to help heal your pelvic girdle. You can find more information about those different exercises in the article pelvic floor muscles for women. There are also pelvic floor exercises for men, you can find them in the article pelvic floor exercises for men. 

 

Lifting up your children when you have pelvic instability 

Maybe you don’t have pelvic pain, but pelvic instability instead, and you’re asking yourself how you can lift up your children with pelvic instability, or what pelvic instability actually is. Lifting up your child when you have pelvic instability is almost the same as with pelvic pain. With both you need to bend properly through your knees with a straight back, and you shouldn’t be making turning movements. Just like with pelvic pain, lifting up your child from a higher level is advised so you don’t overload your pelvis as much. Do you have pelvic instability instead of pelvic pain? You can find more information in the article lifting up children when you have pelvic instability. 

 

And lastly, are you looking for more information? 

Hopefully this information was useful to you! If you’re still looking for some more information, feel free to take another look around on the website. It’s filled with in-depth information, tips a webshop and also exercises. I still have a lot of articles with lots of information about other symptoms and issues. Feel free to click on the blue words to take you straight to the right page.