To think it's OK to carry my toddler while pregnant

My doctor has specifically said it's okay to carry my 3.5 year old as long as it still feel comfortable for me. She's only just over 14 kg though and also disabled so I don't have a choice! At the very least I have to lift her in and out of her wheelchair, or into the swing at the park. Plus at one therapy appointment we have to leave her wheelchair downstairs and I'm not going to make her crawl up to the room! There is a lift but then still a short corridor and three steps after the lift. Once we're inside she does usually crawl from the waiting room into the actual therapy room. I'm 25 weeks now and can't carry her far - if we're out she has to stay in her wheelchair. Since you're presumably used to carrying your toddler you should be okay. 19 kg seems a lot though - was that a typo or is he also really tall for his age?

She's still over half a stone lighter than the OP's toddler.

My 5yo is the tallest in his class and 19kg. Either this is a giant toddler or they're overweight.

Yes, some kids are off the charts. Mine is. She’s super tall, due to having tall parents. She’s not fat in any way. Can people stop questioning the weight in the OP?!

The mean weight for a 5yo girl is 18kg, I just googled. This isn't us picking on it like being mean. It's just either a typo (as I said upthread I thought it must be) or, as I said upthread, op should be careful of her pelvis because it's like carrying a 5yo which most of us wouldn't do regularly when pregnant.

I had horrific pelvic problems in both pregnancies and that was partly because I swallowed the myth that I could keep lifting weights. What a mistake, it's taken me years to recover full strength in my pelvis (I still haven't quite recovered).

I still think it's a typo. Maybe op meant (say) 29lb which is slightly above average for 2yo.

Toddlers are different heights and weights. It’s perfectly possible for a tall 2 yo to be 18kg.

My almost-two year old is almost 2.5 stone. She’s very tall, pretty much off the centile charts for height. Not at all chubby.

Completely fine, I was carrying my 3 year old up to the day before I had his brother!

It’s totally fine, women have been doing it since time immemorial.

One difference between lifting in a gym and carrying a child.
You lift in a gym 🏋️‍♀️ the weight is spread evenly, your braced and ready to lift it.

Toddlers wriggle and often people carry on one hip because they need a hand free to open doors.
So the weight isn't evenly spread out and puts more pressure on one side of the body and spine into a weird twist.

I absolutely knew after carrying my 5yo 25m that I'd hurt myself. He's about 9th gentile so probably wasn't even 19kg.

I wouldn’t, not due to physical harm during pregnancy, but when baby comes it’s a bit challenging to carry around both a baby and toddler, and if you‘ve not broken the habit with them beforehand they will associate sudden lack of being carried with baby’s arrival. I stopped with all of mine as soon as I learnt I was pregnant to give a good period of time where they learnt it wasn’t a thing for them anymore. Also essential to get DH/partner on board so you are singing from the same sheet.

At that weight I’d be very careful anyway, though mine weren’t that heavy when they started school. I carried my dd around when I was pregnant with her sister but we are talking about 11kg not 19

I weight trained when I was pregnant so I hardly thinking lifting a toddler is going to push you over the edge. Obviously, I wasn't really pushing myself and was more a lighter weights, multiple reps type. Ligaments do soften when you are pregnant so you don't want to overdo it. My first baby grew into an enormous toddler and we had to add extra pages to his height weight record as he soared about the usual percentiles and picking him up wasn't that excessive. (As an adult he has a normal BMI and at worst could be described as solid.)

I lofted considerably more than that during my pregnancy in the gym.

Honestly, people are idiots. Carry on as you are.

I mentioned the weight because I genuinely thought it might be a typo. If we say she’s 2.5, then 18kg is the 99.6th centile. And she’s a kg over that.

If you’re used to carrying that weight then surely it shouldn’t be a problem?
Pregnant women with manual jobs or who already weight lifted before pregnancy tend to carry on lifting much the same as before with no issues. Don’t quote me but I’m sure nhs guidance says the same.
Also unsure why everyone is picking on a 2 year olds weight! Some kids are heavier than others…we can’t all be average?

I’m 16 weeks and carrying my 3yo a fair bit. I did get much stricter on him walking once I was pregnant to get him used to it, but still, he’s a toddler who needs mummy. Also, it’s a movement your body is used to. So as long as not overdoing it it’s fine.

Having said that, your 2yo is extremely high centiles for weight. My 3yo I think is only around 13/14kg (not weighed him for a little while), so keep that in mind and try not to overdo it.

It can definitely cause pelvic pain and back pain.
I was around that stage and carried my oldest the length of a swimming pool, 25m, burst nose, needed to get to first aid room.
My pelvis was sore the next day. I didn't feel it at the time.

I had pelvic pain from 22weeks in my first pregnancy and was super careful not to let it flair up after that the second time.
It's to do with your ligaments loosing off and the extra pressure on your body.

Is that a typo on the weight?

Research has shown that frequently lifting over 20kg does increase your risk of problems (specifically preterm birth). This research was looking at lifting heavy things at work, rather than as exercise, so probably applicable. It covered 62,000 women.

No wonder people are telling you not to carry 19kg!

It's fine within reason. But I'd start to discourage it as much as I can. Your DC is already very heavy, and unless you are 6ft2 and have press-ups for breakfast, will be a strain on your back and muscles which will only increase as she gets heavier and your body gets more injury prone in pregnancy.

Of course still pick them up for a hug/if needs must and for as long as you can (I briefly hoiked my teen off the floor for a hug yesterday just to prove to myself I still could!). I'd avoid standard carrying behaviour as much as possible for everyone's sake though.

My 5.5yo is 18kg and I wouldn't be carrying him at all, regardless of pregnancy 😂

My 5yo is 19kg and not sure I'd be OK carrying him when pregnant. Are you sure your toddler is 19kg?

My 4.5 year old just turned 18kg and I can carry her out the car or something but couldn’t carry her otherwise while pregnant! It’s heavy!

I would carry my two year old whilst pregnant but not my four year old. However, I just weighed them and my four year old weighs 17kg and my two year old weighs 12.5kg.

Maybe it's not a bad idea to get your toddler's weight checked out. And encouraging them to walk independently is really important.

My DD is same weight and I wouldn’t carry her if I was pregnant just to be on the safe side. A much lighter kid yes.