5 Back-Breaking Mommy Mistakes
Darien Wilson, the mamapreneur of the baby carrier company, ZoloWear, has lent us some words of wisdom on mama posture. Thanks for the advice!
Moms often complain of back pain from all the carrying, bending, and stooping done during the day. Many times the pain is caused by improper weight distribution or bad posture while carrying baby. There is no reason you should feel pain while carrying your precious cargo. Here are 5 back-breaking examples of common baby wearing mistakes:
- Carrying the baby in the car seat carrier. We’ve all seen moms leaning to one side with their arms about to be pulled out of the sockets while lugging babies in a car seat. Car seats are for transporting babies in the car! There is a much easier way to carry baby. Baby slings or other carriers are much more comfortable, easy to use, and super convenient. Afraid to wake the baby? Watch how quickly they fall back to sleep against mommy’s warm chest!
- Wearing a carrier with narrow straps. If you’ve ever carried a heavy shopping bag with thin handles you’ve experienced the painful red marks left behind in your hands. Narrow straps on baby slings or other types of carriers can be just as painful. A narrow band of fabric puts all of the weight on your neck. Be sure that you choose a carrier with wide straps that won’t dig into your shoulders or back. The wider the fabric is spread across your shoulder and back, the more comfortable the sling is for mom.
- Wearing a sling against your neck instead of cupping your shoulder. Think back to the time you traveled on vacation before rolling luggage was invented. You probably carried a hanging bag or duffel bag with a strap around your shoulder and across your chest. If you let the strap slip too closely to your neck instead of the wide part of your shoulder you would soon regret it. Nothing a good neck massage and some pain reliever wouldn’t cure, right? Adjust your baby carrier so that any material or strap is pulled out to its fullest width. The strap or material should be cupping your shoulder comfortably. A narrow band of fabric puts all of the weight on your neck.
- Wearing the carrier too loosely. One day at the beach you were carrying your squirming nephew who was acting like a rabid monkey. He kept pulling away from you while keeping a tight grip around your neck, legs locked around your waist. He leaned back as far as possible while shouting monkey noises. It suddenly felt as if he weighed 100 extra pounds. This is exactly why your baby should be pulled in close to your body. A snug carrier is more comfortable for on your back and keeps your baby upright and secure. If your carrier is too loose then baby leans back creating a pulling sensation and added weight.
- Wearing baby too low in any carrier. Remember carrying heavy history books around campus in a backpack? If your backpack wasn’t adjusted properly you carried the weight too low causing pain in your shoulders. Oh, the relief when you let that backpack drop to the desk! Carrying your baby too low in a carrier can be just as excruciating – it causes your shoulders to carry the weight instead of your strong core muscles. Baby should be worn at or above your waist so that he hugs your chest.
Acid reflux is commonly being diagnosed now instead of colic. Both colic and acid reflux can respond well to chiropractic care. Over 90% of colic cases decrease with chiropractic care. I would suggest finding a chiropractor in your area that adjusts infants.
Posted by: Colleen | December 28, 2006 at 07:23 AM