By Monica Mikolajczyk
Hey Mamas, what is one thing we all have in common (besides that we have littlies)? We all spend hours a day carrying our children! Something as simple as how we lift a child and carry them around can really wreak havoc on our bodies if not done correctly.
As we become tired, we tend to move into an anterior pelvic tilt, shifting forward, creating a “pelvic shelf” for our littlie to sit upon. When we do this, we end up tucking our bottom under, clenching our glutes for support, and hinging at our backs. This is terrible for our pelvic floor, because over time it will eventually lead to pelvic floor dysfunction (which can cause leaking, or worse, prolapse).
All of that glute clenching will most certainly lead to tight, and sometimes painful, hip flexors. Shifting forward in this manner is also placing unnecessary stress on our backs that will inevitably travel all the way up to our necks, creating pain in both areas! Our bodies operate on a kinetic chain, and if one part of this “chain” isn’t functioning properly, it will affect all others.
As our littlies grow, we have a tendency to carry them on our hip (because we can’t possibly get anything done otherwise!). When we do this, we usually favour one side, and “hang out” in that hip. This creates imbalances in our body, and carrying your littlie this way will lead to shoulder and neck pain. Remember that kinetic chain? And Mama, “hanging out” in your hip is also terrible for the integrity of your pelvic floor.
