Picking up toddler in early pregnancy

[Seablueeyes]

Hi all,

I’m currently 4 weeks + 6. So excited to be adding to our family!
I’m getting worried about lifting my toddler though- he weighs around 33lbs. He obviously walks himself but needs to be lifted into car seat, pram and in and out of his cot. He’s also a bit of a Mummy’s boy and loves being picked up for a cuddle. I’m trying to minimise carrying him though as worried about causing damage in this pregnancy.
Do I need to get a grip?!
I think it’s made worse as I took things easy in my first pregnancy and didn’t lift anything slightly heavy.
Thanks.

It's absolutely fine! I lift my toddler and my 5 year old when needs be, women have been doing much tougher things for millenia while pregnant

Women have been picking up toddlers throughout pregnancy since time began. I wouldn’t worry. Speak to your midwife if your worried.

You won’t cause any issues with the baby, the problem with lifting during pregnancy is that your joints get looser so there’s a risk of injury to yourself. Just pick up your toddler with your knees and keep your back straight

I'm still picking up my 4yo and I'm due in a couple of weeks.
You're slightly more likely to pull a muscle or hurt yourself but it won't hurt the baby.

No harm will be done at all, I assure you.

In the nicest way, yes you need to get a grip. If it were dangerous, the human race would have died long ago. The baby will be fine.

Second pregnancy is always a bit of a shock to the system. Where you may have previously been able to rest, not carry things etc, not so much in your second. Your toddler will still need carrying, will still play roughly with you etc. I'm not sure there's a mum second time around (with a toddler firstborn) that hasn't been whacked/kicked in their bump at some stage, but as far as I'm aware the mortality rate for second borns isn't any worse.

Best of luck and congratulations with your pregnancy.

Ha! When you're pregnant with your second/third/fourth, you have to laugh at how precious you were during your first pregnancy. My DH barely let me carry a Tesco carrier of food back then! The second pregnancy I'd have a toddler in one arm and a couple of bags in the other hand!

The baby is well protected, but please be careful!! I totally wrecked my back carrying a hefty toddler whilst pregnant. I'm still in pain after an operation that hasn't worked. Because of softened ligaments it's so easy to damage something. I wish someone had warned me at the time. Obviously you do still need to carry them but try to do it only when necessary and carefully, knees bent etc!

It's fine unless you experience any complications and your HCP's advise otherwise.

I was regularly lifting a hefty DSD (not overweight just a few years older than your first child) around well into 8 months until the bump made it hard to do so, not because it was unsafe.

I've been picking my big toddler up the while way through - just getting awkward now my bump is huge. I've found one of good things about being pregnant is that it's a real incentive to get them more independent - she now climbs in and out of her car seat herself, we moved to a bed rather than a cot.

My DH was away with the army the majority of my second pregnancy. I was carrying around my toddler until the day i have birth. A fee days after, it was one in each arm. I had a bit of a scare when i fell carrying her (as I landed to protect her, but Lan on my bump) but DD2 eas well protected... But I was more careful in the dark after that.

It will be fine. Although I did manage to get my 2 year old to climb in her own car seat as I felt so sick! It helped later on when I had a huge bump too. We do have a small car though.

I struggled with my back in my first pregnancy but now I'm carrying around my 20 month old who is like a lump of lead I'm 32 weeks with twins and I feel like I have completely screwed my back for having picked him up too much, be it for cuddles cause he too is a bit of a mummy's boy, in and out of the bath/cot/high chair/car etc. My hot water bottle is my go to item daily by this point! Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy x

Thank you everyone, you’ve eased my fears!! Think it’s just because it’s so different to my first pregnancy. We’ve told our parents- early but wanted to do it face to face before lockdown- and doesn’t help that they all keep saying take it easy. I obviously can’t with an active toddler who only naps an hour a day!!!

I 'took it easy' in my first pregnancy. Gained 3 stone and really struggled towards the end. Baby was in a bad position and the birth wasn't nice.

This time round I've worked from home with no childcare for months, continued long walks with my ds, played with him at the park, cleaned our house a lot (no cleaner due to covid and more mess due to us being at home), lifted ds up regularly, have been swimming 3 times a week since they reopened. I've only gained 1st5lbs at 37 weeks, feel fantastic and the baby is in a good position.

Obviously if you feel unwell you should rest but I wouldn't listen to the 'take it easy' crowd.

My 2-year-old is a 35llber and I've been lifting him without a thought. I'm sure it's fine. And at the end of the day, I haven't really got much choice, since I can't NOT e.g. lift him out of the bath or into the car seat when my husband's not around. I'm just getting on with it as I'm sure many, many mums have done in the past x

You do need to get a bit of a grip. How do you think women have had second, third, tenth babies for all of human history?