Mum's guide to good health

Carrying your child on one hip can strain your back and ligaments. Photo / Katikati Advertiser

When I became a parent, nobody told me how hard it would be - especially on my wrists, elbows, back and neck.

In a word: Ow! All the lifting, bending and twisting I do without thinking countless times a day to get my 8-month-old and my 3-year-old in and out of strollers, cots, car seats and on and off change tables is taking a physical toll on my in the form of creaky knees, aching elbows and a rebellious back.

I'm far from alone, says Peggy Brill, a New York City physiotherapist and author of The Core Program.

"I'm constantly treating mums who are suffering from repetitive-stress injuries (RSIs( that result from the wear and tear of being a parent," says Brill.

RSIs are degenerative disorders caused by poor posture while performing everyday tasks, such as carrying your baby in an infant car seat on your forearm like a handbag. Such poor body mechanics place too much stress on ligaments, muscles, joints, tendons and spinal discs and can be harmful if you do them too often. Women are especially prone to RSIs because, unlike men, they naturally lack upper-body strength.

Luckily, good posture and learning how to lift and carry your child properly can reduce the risk of injury. With that in mind, here are five body-breaking moves and how to fix them.

Lugging an infant car seat

Don't: Lean to the side and carry it on your forearm like a purse. "This position stresses your back, shoulder, and especially that arm," says Mary Ellen Modica, a physical therapist at Schwab STEPS Rehabilitation Clinics in Chicago. Says Sandy Cummings, a mother of three: "After my youngest child was born, I developed pain in my shoulders that wouldn't go away. The doctor diagnosed it as bursitis." The culprit: lugging around a 7kg car seat.

"Carrying an infant car seat on your arm is equivalent to walking around with three or four full paint cans in one hand, something most people wouldn't do, but yet they'll carry a car seat that way," says Modica.

Do: Put both hands on the handle, bend your elbows and carry the car seat in front of you. The less distance between your torso and what you're carrying, the better for your back. Using both hands also helps distribute the weight.

Lifting your baby from the cot

Don't: Lock your knees or hold your baby at arms' length as you pick him up. "This puts extreme pressure on your spinal discs," says Nicholas Warren, Sc.D., ergonomics coordinator at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.

Do: Plant your feet shoulder-width apart, lower the cot railing and bend your knees. Then bring your baby as close to your body as possible before actually lifting him up.

Carrying a toddler

Don't: Balance your child on one hip. This can strain your back and the ligaments on that side of the body. In addition, as your arm presses against your child, your muscles continually contract, reducing blood flow. Over time, this can lead to trauma of the tissues in your arm and shoulder.

Do: Hold her in front of you with her legs wrapped around your waist. Keeping your child centred will help you stand upright, your spine's natural position. Another option is to use a stroller (or encourage your child to walk) as often as possible.

Putting your child on your lap

Don't: Lean forward while you remain seated. Why? "As you lift, the pressure on your spinal discs multiples to three to 10 times the weight of your child," Modica says. "If you're tall, lifting a 9kg toddler from the floor could put as much as 90kg of pressure on your back."

Do: Get down on one knee with the other foot planted in front of you, and hold her as you move back into your seat. Or have your child climb into your lap.

Lifting your toddler from a car seat

Don't: Do the twisted car seat lift. Worst-case scenario: with both your feet on the ground, you twist and lean into the car seat with your arms extended, your toddler at the end of them. Lifting your toddler that way can damage your knees, lower back, neck, shoulder, elbows and wrists.

Do: "Put one leg into the car and face the car seat as you're putting your child in it," says Traci O'Hara, a physical therapist at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Bergen County, New Jersey. You'll take pressure off your back.

If your car seat is in the middle of the back seat, climb in and face the car seat as you lift your child into it. Of course, positioning yourself properly can take a few extra seconds you don't always have with a feisty toddler in tow. Still, "it doesn't have to be perfect all the time", says Dalton. "But the more often you lift correctly, the better you're able to tolerate it when you don't."

Get strong

Did you know that strengthening your abdominal, back, pelvic and hip muscles can reduce your risk of developing a repetitive-stress injury? Physical therapist Peggy Brill recommends practising this simple exercise at least three times a week.

A: Lie on your back with your arms straight up toward the ceiling. Keeping your back flat against the floor, lift your legs over your pelvis and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle.

B: In one slow, smooth motion, bring your left knee toward your chest as you extend your right leg. Keep alternating legs as you incorporate your arms. When your left leg moves toward your chest, extend your left arm over your head, and vice versa. Repeat up to a count of 60.