Lifting in pregnancy

[Bazza2]

Hi! So I'm just wondering about how much lifting is ok in early pregnancy. We are trying for a baby but lost the last pregnancy as it was ectopic. I'm about to start a new job as a window dresser and those mannequins can be jolly heavy, and the hours can be very long. I realise I might be jumping the gun a bit but I am just a bit worried. I wouldn't want to tell work about it until I was safe to, especially after the last time.

I think most of the damage you can do during pregnancy when lifting is to yourself. Or at least this is what my consultant told me as I was anxious carrying a very tall heavy two year old for over a mile to transport some days while pregnant with DS2. I've lifted mannequins and they have nothing on a stubborn toddler!

As I understand it, the biggest side is that with so much relaxin hormone in your system, it's far easier to strain muscles. However, it would be extremely unlikely for anything like that to impact your baby.

Also, while obviously it is not good to be stressed and important to look after yourself while pregnant, I don't think long hours are much to worry about for most people.

I say this as with my two successful pregnancies, I worked 16+ hour days and carried on working till almost full term. I have also lost pregnancies while far less stressed and I'm not sure there was any real rhyme or reason for why those didn't work out and I'm not sure anything I did influenced it.

I suppose I am very clumsily trying to say that you had what sounds like a very difficult experience with your ectopic and are naturally anxious. But hopefully there is no reason you shouldn't be able to do your window dressing job and have a successful pregnancy.

All the best.

I asked my midwife about lifting my heavy 3 year old disabled child during pregnancy and she basically said the same thing as RubyrooUK. The lifting mainly damages you and not the baby.

Thank you both, that is very reassuring. And you are right, mannequins are definitely less wriggly than children!