Lifting while PG - how much is too much?

[PinkMartini]

I am 17 wks pg with my first and know that you're meant to avoid straining/stretching.

I am not a furniture remover or anything, but just wondering how you know what you should ask for help with when you're lifting heavy things? (bump isn't really showing yet so I keep forgetting! )
TIA

Not sure but I'd be interested too. In my job I can't really avoid lifting the kids (childminder) but I can stop carrying 2 at a time. I've only just found out and already feel strained if pick up older kiddies out of the car funny.

I'd say if you can get someone else to lift things then you should!

just be very careful - it's that poor pelvic floor that cops it and the effects might not show up immediately, after 3 DC i now see where i went a bit wrong. I convinced my DH that hoovering and carrying shopping were all out of the question (crafty, eh?) but in pg 3 saw nothing wrong with shifting a few paving slabs . Now that was silly.
My mum came up with all sorts of tales of not stretching to put washing on the line but as i'm a compulsive launderer that one didn't get listened to - and did no harm.
In later pg your centre of gravity alters (considerably) and you are more likely to use muscles incorrectly, so that's the real time to look after yourself, esp your back.
Good luck!!

Sorry to hjack, can I ask another question? Just wondered at what stage we should start being careful? I only just found out so I'm early days but had a mc before so paranoid and not sure whether lifting is a risk? Mainly thinking about shifting tables and chairs etc etc when setting up the local toddler group. Involves lifting them up onto a stage.

I wish I had been more careful. At five months I was overcome with an urge to rearrange four bookcases of books (into alphabetical order- now that's a pregnant woman with a nesting instinct gone mad, I have no idea what came over me ). Gave myself a hernia. I feel like such a twit- now I can't lift a damn thing.

Probably I'm just unlucky but I really think that my advice would be: from the beginning, even if you feel absolutely fine, the hormones are relaxing your body already. Don't be completely paranoid about everything, otherwise you'll never have a life- but on the other hand, if you don't have to lift it, don't.

When I was about 10 weeks I was packing up to move house. Wasn't lifting anything heavy just repetative movement putting things into the boxes. I ended up doing my back in. As soon as you find out you need to be careful because your muscles are softer.

Know what u mean looney - i had mc's and you get pretty paranoid don't ya? The think that the advice that m EPU gave me, makes a lot of sense - if it feels right to take it easy, for the sake of your mind as well as your body, then do it - so you are not giving yourself a chance to blame yourself for anything that doesn't go to plan.
I had bleeding in all my pgs, they said it does you good to take things easy, not that it's proved to make a great difference to the course of the pg but it certainly helps the mum-to-be's sense of having looked after herself and "done the right thing" YKWIM....
You have the best reason ever to get lots of help

I'm a physio and lift heavy stroke patients. The advice I had was to take the same precautions you would to avoid hurting your back. So usual everyday stuff (bags of shopping, toddlers, heavy stroke patients) are fine.