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Baby Your Back
By Laura Lane
While spoon-feeding his baby
daughter strained peas, Scott
Thom, a stay-at-home dad in
Madison, did a move he calls the “whirling
dervish.” He jumped up, did a complete turn
in midair and landed in front of his baby saying, “Boo!” While Emily loved her Daddy’s
antics, Thom threw his back out and reaggravated
a 10-year-old injury.
“I was trying to be super dad and that
threw it out,” he says.
Even if new moms and dads aren’t performing
the whirling dervish, daily parenting
duties such as diapering squirmy babies on
the floor, lugging infant carriers and struggling
with strollers can wreak havoc on a new
parent’s back. Fortunately, learning how to
lift properly, taking time to relax and seeking
treatment if needed can go a long way toward
keeping parents’ backs in good shape.
Learn to lift
It’s important for new moms and dads to
follow proper lifting techniques when taking
care of baby, says Anne Marie Nahn Bell, a
physical therapist at Dean Health System.
These principles include:
• Using your legs to lift. If your knees
are in good shape, bend into a squat to
avoid bending at the waist.
• Doing a “hip hinge.” If you can’t squat
and must bend at the waist, bring the
top of your hip bone closer to your leg
bone with your bottom sticking out. That’s a safe way to bend at the waist
because it keeps your spine straight,
Bell says.
• Doing a “golfer’s lift” when picking up
lighter objects. Bend down as if you
were placing a golf ball on a tee and
lift one leg up behind you.
• Keeping the object you’re lifting as
close to your body as possible.
• Avoiding what Bell calls the “scoop
and drop” where you scoop up your
baby from a distance and twist at the
waist to set him or her down. Instead of
twisting at the waist, pivot your feet
to turn.
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When diapering a squirmy baby on the
floor, Bell suggests sitting in a “V” shape
with your baby between your legs. If your
child is still small enough, you can then pull
your baby into your arms and use your legs
to push up off the ground after diapering.
Changing tables are helpful, but they’re not
usually adjustable, so using a stool might be
necessary.
When carrying the infant car seat, Bell
recommends carrying it as close to your side
as possible, switching sides frequently and
minimizing the time you spend carrying it.
She is a big fan of front or back carriers.
Infant seats and strollers have to be used, but
it’s a good idea to alternate with a carrier,
too, if your pocketbook allows it, she says.
Make sure the carrier is adjusted properly,
and if you decide to use a backpack, have
someone help you put it on, she adds.
Take it slowly
The key to lifting properly is to slow
down and think about what you’re doing.
Since slowing down is easier said than done,
Bell stresses the importance of establishing
good habits so you instinctively use proper
lifting techniques when under stress.
Giving yourself a break from the rigors
of taking care of a baby is also important,
whether it means hiring a sitter, taking turns
with your spouse or asking a grandparent to
pitch in for a few hours. “Taking a nap will
benefit your back too,” Bell says.
Heidi Ropa started taking yoga classes to
relax and take some time for herself. “My
yoga practice calms and centers me across
the board,” says the Cross Plains mom. “If
we don’t take a moment to be mindful of how
we’re moving, we can injure ourselves.”
If you’re experiencing back pain, don’t
be shy about speaking up. “If it’s a pain
you’ve never had before, you should get in
touch with your doctor. Even if it’s just a
phone call to go over the problem with the
nurse, it’s a good idea to check in and make
sure it’s not serious,” says Laurence
Williams, M.D., clinical assistant professor
of internal medicine at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
Laura Lane is a Madison-area freelance
writer.
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