How to Carry Your Grandchild Without Hurting Your Back.

One of the biggest surprises of being a grandparent is the toll it takes on your body. The joy of picking up your grandchild and holding them close can lead to aches and pains, especially in your back. A few adjustments to how you lift and carry can make a real difference.

Bring Your Grandchild Close Before You Lift

The number one rule our physical therapists teach is to bring your infant or grandchild close to your center of gravity before you stand up. If you’re picking a baby up off the floor, kneel down to get closer to them first, pick them up and snuggle them into your chest, then stand.

Use Your Core and Elbows, Not Your Wrists

Engage your core, specifically your transverse abdominals, to help support your grandchild’s weight. When you first pick them up, try to put more of the force into your elbows and core rather than your hands or wrists. Those muscles and joints are stronger, and the further the baby is from your body, the more stress it puts on your back. Holding a 40 pound child firmly against your body, with your elbows supporting them, places less force on your lower spine than holding something as light as a glass of water straight out in front of you.

Car Seats, Strollers, and Everyday Lifting

Lifting a car seat with a baby inside is roughly like lifting three to four paint cans, so carry it with both hands and bend your elbows to help support the weight, keeping it as close to your body as possible. When you’re loading your grandchild into the car, bring them as close to the seat as you can before extending your arms. If the car seat sits in the center of the back seat, sit down next to it before lifting the child into the harness, and try to face the seat directly rather than twisting your body. Keeping the child’s weight close to your center of gravity for as long as possible reduces stress on your lower back.

For toddlers, avoid balancing them on one hip. It might feel like it takes the strain off, but resting a child’s weight on your hip bone shifts your posture, shortening the muscles on one side of your back while stiffening the other. It’s better to carry a toddler in front with even posture, or switch to a stroller once they get too heavy to carry that way.

Watch your posture when pushing a stroller too. Keep your back straight and your shoulders back rather than hunched forward, and push using your whole body rather than just your arms. Try not to push the stroller too far out ahead of you, since that tends to pull your back and shoulders forward.