Safe Way To Lift And Carry Baby Car Seat | Forget Back Pain

When my elder sister was pregnant with my niece Emma, she had to undergo a C-section because of some complexity. 

She took an anesthesia shot in my back before the surgery, and everything went the way it had to be. But something was not right.

Afterward, whenever she tried to take Emma in her lap in a standing position, she had to face a lot of pain that was getting worse over time. Later, the doctor analyzed her and told us that she had a bad injury in her back, and the injection just made it worse. 

So, she got a lifetime ban from carrying any kind of weight-lifting along with other instructions. So, I started searching for any safe way to lift and carry a baby car seat without any pain. Now, I’ll share with you my research and life-earned experience on it.

Safe Way To Lift And Carry Baby Car Seat| The Pro way

Study shows that about 50% of pregnant women will suffer LBP, while 1/3 of them will suffer severe pain. 80% of women suffer from back pain affecting their daily lives, whereas 10% of them are about to stop working. 

Watching my sister suffer and myself expecting another baby (Max) I got a little worried, and this pushed me to research and learn the safest way to lift and carry the car seat. 

I was looking for the safest way to lift and carry more weight with less impact on the body. And after a lot of research, consultation, and practice I adopted the method stated below. I believe this method can boost your carrying and lifting capabilities.

You may see some promotional activity in various communication channels that claim particular therapy, yoga, exercise, medicine, etc. to cure back pain permanently. The truth is, you can only control the severity of the pain, you can’t demise it. 

Let’s follow the safe way below.

First

Put the car seat down and get down on one knee; now, place it in a way that you’re looking at the baby. Keep it on your hand side (dominating side). 

Now slide your dominating hand in through the handle and cradle it while keeping the elbow against the handle.  

Second

Now, extend your arm while holding the handle and reach the bottom of the car seat. Once you reach there, try to grab anything attached to the bottom. Here, the bottom parts may vary depending on the models. 

If you don’t find anything, just cup the bottom side with your fingers. In this position, your forearm will be on your kid’s head, and your bicep should be nearer to the feet. This way, the weight of the car seat, along with your baby, disburses weight evenly between your elbow and handle. 

Third

Now you have to raise with the car seat tucked at your side. Maintain the natural curve of your spine; don’t rush. 

Once you have raised it completely, re-adjust your grip. Here, you can hold it with one hand, even two hands, if it becomes difficult for you.

If you’re carrying it on one side, then use your hip to stabilize the portability of the car seat. If you feel a little pain after carrying for several minutes, keep the seat aside and take a rest.   

Optional

If you find it difficult to hold the car seat on one side of yours, you can bring it forward and hold it with both hands. 

Wrap your arms around the bottom of the car seat and gradually stand up. Remember, you’re holding a car seat. Probably, your child is in there, so there’s no rush.   

What Else Can I Do?

It’s not mandatory to carry the baby car seat just like others. If you fail to lift and carry the baby car seat repeatedly, you should try a different approach. 

Surely, you’re not a Shaolin monk or Barmiz Martial artist who can heal your body through deep meditation. So stop forcing yourself, or else it may backfire, and you assume the rest. So my advice is to give the methods below a try and then decide. 

Method 01: Use A Car Seat With Wheels

There’s no need to be shocked. Baby car seats also have a wheel variant (you haven’t used it yet). Wheels make transportation quite easy. As you are suffering from back pain, a car seat with wheels can be a blessing for you. All you need is to grab and go.

You don’t need to worry about where to put it or what the policies are. Moreover, you can also use the stroller, just it has to contain a carrying strap. 

You’ve to wrap it around your shoulder for an easy passage to the outdoors when there’s no floor left. When you’re shopping, you can put the car seat on the shopping cart and do shopping easily.

Method 02: Wrap Your Child Around You

No need to panic; I know what you are thinking. But it’s a bit different than it seems. It’s less painful for people with back pain and zero pain for healthy ones because of its compact architecture. The wrapper only holds minimal space for ventilation.

This allows the wrapper to spread the weight throughout the area, and your back feels no or less pain. At the same time, your kid also stays convenient, which allows you to concentrate more.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When can you lift a baby by the armpit?

Babies tend to hold their heads and can almost sit on their support around 4-7 months of age. And this is when you can start gently swinging along with carrying by the armpit. 

2. Can you carry a baby on your back?

Carrying the baby on the back is not an ideal approach. Using a baby wrap or slinging, you can easily carry your baby in the back. However, it hampers the monitoring process.   

3. When can I lift a baby carrier after a C-section?

If you’ve gone through a C-section, it means you must wait 12 weeks to lift a baby carrier. If you try to rush, then it can make you suffer in the long run. 

4. How do you move a car seat?

To move the car seat from the vehicle, just hold the seat firmly, undo all the seatbelt LATCH, and unhook the teether. If your model comes with a separate base, then you can keep that along or remove it.

Final Words

Back pain is one of the major issues around the globe nowadays, and it’s increasing. As a new mother, you’re probably a back pain victim searching for a safe way to lift and carry a baby car seat. Whether you’re a sufferer or a probable sufferer, you must stay alert.

First, put the car seat below just before you and slide your dominating hand through the handle. Next, reach the bottom of the seat and try to grab something ball-type or else. Now, raise your car seat tucked at your side, maintaining the natural curve of your spine, and adjust your grip. Use both hands if you need to.

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