When should I stop??

S

Sazzy

Registered User
So, I am currently 21 weeks pregnant and I have a 25 month old. I take my daughter to the park and gyms and I am constantly picking her up, supporting her whilst she climbs, helping her on ladders etc etc.

When should I stop doing this? I was so careful when I was pregnant the first time around but this time its difficult to say "mummy cant help you".

Just wondered what everyone else did.
Thanks
 
I'm 27 weeks pregnant and this week I carried my 18 months old from the library in Causeway Bay through Victoria Park, then past Sogo because she was refusing to walk and I forgot the stroller (silly me!!). I think the only time it really matters is if you're having preterm contractions or have some other need to be on bedrest. I know I should be more careful and I should have remembered the stroller that day, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do - and women for centuries have been doing much more than that while pregnant, the only thing you're gonna hurt is your own back. So I think - yes don't be dumb about it... but ultimately we're pregnant, not invalids. And carrying around an extra 12kg or 15kg or whatever for a while isn't going to hurt.
 
Agree on the above. I carried my under-2-year-old whenever she needed it and whenever I was physically able to while I was pregnant for my second. I remember giving her a bath, then lifting her out of the tub, etc. the night before I gave birth :wink: My body would tell me when I should stop certain activities: I used to get a hard tummy, which meant I needed to rest.
 
I continue to carry my boys and I'm 33 weeks. I remember reaching about 35 weeks last time and getting severe pelvic pain. That's when the lifting and horsing around had to stop
 
I am happy to continue to carry her - im worried about the times when i lift her and support her when she is on the monkey bars or climbing ladders on playgrounds.
This will sound silly but my mum says that I shouldnt stretch and put my arms over my head as this will make the umbilical cord go around the baby's neck!!

But just to reconfirm - i can not harm the baby, the only problem may be back pain for me?
 
I had the same question as Sazzy! I'm only almost 17 weeks along and my son is only 13 months old, so I don't have any problems with lifting him - but my husband always tells me to carry him less.

What about using carriers like the Ergo? Would that be ok?
 
There is something about not lifting above your head. My pilates teacher mentioned it..... Can't recall the details tho!
 
Not lifting above your head....interesting...what about hanging clothes in your closet? that's lifting something (very light though) above your head....
 
I have been wondering about this too. I, in fact, thought that I have to stop holding and playing with my son once I am pregnant.

Well, I read that it's true that you should not lift heavy thing ( over 25 pounds) when you are pregnant. I am not pregnany yet. But we are thinking to try for our second at the end of the year. By then, my toddler will be heavier than 25 pounds.

But after reading this thread, I learn that so many mothers are lifting their little one and it should be fine then.
 
As long as you're fit and healthy, I wouldn't worry.

I recall running to catch a plane, carrying my 2.5 year old whilst 35 weeks pregnant. My husband was carrying the bags, which were probably lighter, ha ha. The domestic Qantas flight from Canberra was late and we almost missed the SYD-HK flight. Thank you Cathay for letting us on !
 
just came back from the gynae today, who from the very first visit told me i CANNOT carry my toddler anymore, at 5.5weeks pregnancy. today's our 7th week into pregnancy, and i was spotting. he did a check and said my uterus was bleeding abit, but the baby is developing and seems fine. and casted a look at my toddler, saying i should stop running after him and carrying him.

seriously. who will then? im here without any helper, in the process of finding one, and until then what? life stops for my toddler and me? how can that be?

sorry to rant. im just upset and i dunno what to think.
 
Sazzy said:
IThis will sound silly but my mum says that I shouldnt stretch and put my arms over my head as this will make the umbilical cord go around the baby's neck!!

Yes, Sazzy, my mother-in-law told me exactly the same thing when I was pregnant. Having umbilical cord go around the baby's neck sounds too horrid. So you know what, my husband blew dry my hair all through my pregnancy :lovedface Not to mention those clothes hanging work, which I was completely forbidden to touch! :missingto
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I think you just have to listen to your body. If you can manage it, then just keep doing it. If you feel that you cannot handle it, then stop.

I agree with Nicolejoy that we are just pregnant, not invalids. I really get tired of people telling me that I should rest, and shouldn't do this or that, when I am feeling completely fine to do so (I am currently 29 week pregnant).

Pregnant women need proper amount of exercise. When you play and carry your child, or do other kind of physical activities, you strengthen your muscle and your heart. That make it easier for you to carry on the remaining of your pregnancy.
 
pixelelf said:
just came back from the gynae today, who from the very first visit told me i CANNOT carry my toddler anymore, at 5.5weeks pregnancy. today's our 7th week into pregnancy, and i was spotting. he did a check and said my uterus was bleeding abit, but the baby is developing and seems fine. and casted a look at my toddler, saying i should stop running after him and carrying him.

seriously. who will then? im here without any helper, in the process of finding one, and until then what? life stops for my toddler and me? how can that be?

sorry to rant. im just upset and i dunno what to think.
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Sorry to hear that, Pixelelf. On my first pregnancy, I was also bleeding at around week 7. Went to the doctor, and he saw the heartbeat and everything. I thought everything was fine... I continued my normal routine, the bleeding got worse, and had a miscarriage few days later.

I would really advise you to have absolute bed rest, at least until the bleeding stop. Do you have anybody who could help you for few days? Telling the truth, early miscarriage is very common, specially before week 8. If anything bad happen, you would not want to blame yourself for not having followed the doctor advice.

Of course, I do wish you the best, and hope that your little one will be fine. I know how stressful it could be.
 
I'm 30 weeks pregnant, and since the beginning I've been playing with my son, carrying him, and my grocery shopping, and my bag, and the stroller when I need to take the bus, and blow dry my hair and never heard about the arms over the head... my baby is fine, no umbilical cord around the neck, and I'm fine too ! I'm just careful when I need to carry something to balance my body properly, to push on my legs and not on my back, and to have enough rest. Sincerely this second pregnancy is even easier than the first one, even though I had plenty of time to rest and not toddler to keep busy. Seems more exercice is the solution, at least for me :)
Pixelelf, if you need a hand to keep your son busy so you can get some rest, please just ask !!
 
thanks Gataloca. i totally understand where he's coming from. yea my dad is flying in on monday morning and husband has taken leave tomorrow. i should be fine. im just upset but know that i should rest.

the bleeding has stopped. actually i wanna ask you ladies, do you feel your body tingling or having small spasms? i do have that especially when im lying down. is that normal?
 
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I am having a bit more hip pain this time, the joint between my pelvis and the bottom of my spine, whatever that joint is called. I think it's because I carry my daughter soooo much on that one hip. I think that an Ergo would be uncomfy with the tummy though - unless you wore it on your back. I also lift stuff over my head all the time too - I always thought that was just an old wives tale kind of thing. I personally don't believe there's any truth in it...

I was going to get an amniocentesis earlier in the pregnancy (I ended up not getting one though) and I did get my Mum to come out so that she could watch my daughter for those few days afterwards. I do know that there are some situations in pregnancy when you SHOULDN'T be lifting a toddler - after an amnio for example, or if you're having preterm contractions or bleeding, etc... but I think we do what we can do. I don't have a helper yet either (although we're getting one in the next few weeks) so I've just gotta make do :)

Pixelelf - I don't know exactly what you mean about body tingling/spasms, but I did have a bit of cramping/stretching pains in the first trimester. A bit of that kind of thing is normal as your uterus is stretching a LOT and it's not used to that...
 
i suffered terrible hip pain and was wheelchair bound. in many ways it was awful, but one of the good things was that i just said, "sorry, hunny, mummy is 'tong tong' (in pain)" and left it at that. my son was exactly 2 when my daughter was born and he was fine with mummy not carrying him. as it turns out, he was fully capable of keeping up with us 99% of hte time and we rarely used a stroller after that.
 
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