Am I wrecking my stomach muscles?

[Jacksmybaby]

Doing stuff like carrying the hoover upstairs, carrying (18kg) DS in from the car when asleep, heavy shopping etc, at 35 weeks?

Some of it is unavoidable but I could be more careful with some of it, if I'm going to knacker my stomach muscles for good!

As you can see this is a purely vanity-based concern; I want my tummy to return to flat post-birth and I have a feeling one is not meant to over-strain one's stomach muscles once they've separated!

Wow superwoman!!! I'm not a Dr so it wouldn't be right to give 'advice' but I think you should take it easy abit now!! I know your arm muscles etc will be taking some strain but your core muscles will be compromised at this late stage in pregnancy so I would personally quit lifting anything heavy but then again if you haven't got the luxury of someone else doing it for you then it can't really be avoided!!
Good luck!

If you like, you can borrow my MIL who will forcibly stop you lifting anything heavier than a teacup! Having just moved house and with 5 weeks to go before due date she won't even let me vax our carpets! (I am a complete Monica-from-Friends clean freak....) Please take her off my hands!

More usefully, I don't think you're doing anything TOO strenuous. Heavy shopping - well, as long as it's not 5 bags of potatoes and 2 crates of wine (in the same bag) - child, vacuum cleaner etc don't sound too bad. As long as you're not moving pianos / trying to lift TVs with one hand / dangerously leaning over upturned sharp knives while hanging kitchen curtains (speaking from experience?? Moi??), I should think you'll be fine. My boss at work told me a great story about when she moved house at 8 months pregnant and ignored all the advice about heavy lifting. Worst thing that happened to her was some pretty awful piles. Which obviously can be painful and nasty, but not long term dangerous. Having said that, I'm not any kind of doctor, and am a bit over the top independent at times, so do take it easy and if it starts to hurt or pull in strange places, STOP!!

OMG, piles, I hadn't even thought of that!!

Thanks.

If you are overdoing it you will soon find out - if you cant get out of bed the next day thats usually a fairly good sign!

Just be careful on stairs etc as your balance will be completely off. No climbing up ladders to paint ceilings or spring clean....

Anything that you do now is probably not going to have any effect on how quickly the stomach muscles go back. Your postnatal exercises will help with that - obviously we all do those religiously