Ergonomics for early parenthood

When Bubs was born I felt like I was blindsided by a lot of the simple tasks that added up to be a huge pain. Literally. My goal for this post is to reach the new parents who are feeling the aches and pains of repetitive tasks that come with caring for a new baby. Such as bending over a changing table all day and all night or carrying around a baby and infant carrier. (Infant carriers are AWKWARD to carry). Keep reading to find tips and exercises recommended by a professional for parents to promote wellness ergonomically in the early months of parenthood.

I have discovered instances of discomfort by the repetitive tasks that I am now faced with as a new parent. I don't know how many trips to the doctor's office and grocery store caused strain and pain because of the weight and awkwardness of toting around a baby in an infant carrier + diaper bag + purse + coat + anything else you can imagine. With all the advice everyone gave me while I was pregnant, no one ever mentioned the kind of regular tasks a new parent ought to prepare for.

For example:

I knew I would be changing a lot of diapers, but I never thought about the importance of how tall the changing table was. You know how painful it is to bend over a too-short of changing table 9 billion times per day? It's not pleasant. Ouch, my aching back!

Once I began exclusively pumping I discovered new muscles in my arms and hands that needed to be engaged to hold my pumping equipment in the right place for 15-20 minutes every 2-4 hours each day. Not to mention that I had to sit on the edge of my seat in order to hold the pumping gear in a position so as not to lose suction or leak and spill the precious milk. (I would have done anything for a comfortable way to pump. ANYTHING.)

Sitting in a comfortable position while feeding (or nursing) your baby every few hours around the clock has a big learning curve. The hunching over and holding the same position so as not to wake the baby at 3:00 am because the baby finally fell asleep and if you move to get comfortable it could wake him up and this moment of peace and quiet is worth the pain in my neck, right? At the time yes - but over the course of a couple of months my posture went from decent to awful.

These are just a couple of the numerous repetitive tasks that can cause strain to both moms and dads the moment life begins with a new baby.

As I was experiencing these aches and pains in the early months after my son was born, I tried to find information on ways to lessen the strain for some of these tasks. In finding little to no information I decided to reach out to a professional to find some answers and ideas for ways to promote wellness ergonomically. I am so excited to share them with you!

I'm a strong believer in ergonomics. If you can take measures to sit in the correct position at your desk that will improve your posture and promote wellness, why not? If you can find ways to lessen repetivitve strain by doing a few simple stretches or exercises, I believe it's completely worth it. Ergonomics are an amazing thing.

The problem I have found is that ergonomics is most commonly applied to workplace settings. Parenthood isn't a career that involves an office building with a human resources department implementing ergonomic standards. I believe there should be information available for parents who experience the same, if not more repetitive tasks than you might find in "official" workplace settings.

In my own personal search for finding answers/tips/exercises for myself, I found Jill L. Kelby, PT, CEA - President. It has been my sincere pleasure to not only receive wonderful information answering my questions, but to be in contact with someone who is incredibly knowledgeable about ergonomics and injury prevention.

Jill is the President of Ergo-PATH System, LLC in Eden Prairie, MN. She has over 17 years of experience in ergonomics and injury prevention. I would like to personally thank Jill for the information that I am now going to share with you!

There are three categories that I discussed with Jill for ergonomics for early parenthood:

Proper posture in seated positions
Proper posture in standing positions
Tips for transportation: Infant carriers/carseats and baby slings/carrier. (Products for carrying the baby him/herself, infant carries, the Moby wrap and the Bjorn Carrier).

Now for the good stuff! The tips/advice/exercises!

Answers to Proper posture in seated positions

• Sit in a comfortable position that best promotes proper posture, support-preferably seated in a chair with feet resting flat on the floor or a surface beneath you.
• Prop baby up on your lap to a comfortable height for nursing to minimize forward bent posture and reaching. Use of pillows, blankets, or something soft and bulky works-a Boppy pillow works great-it was designed specifically for proper positioning during nursing and is available at most department stores.
• Position baby as close as possible to breast using a preferred nursing technique. Alternate sides/breasts each nursing session to reduce risk for overuse issues.
• Avoid prolonged holding/gripping of breast-let hand rest once baby is latched on well to avoid overuse issues with wrist and hand.
• Perform chin tuck stretch periodically to minimize forward head/neck strain.

Answer to Proper posture in standing positions

Example: (when standing over changing table)

1. Assume a wide stance and a slight one foot forward position
2. If changing table or surface is low, bend knees slightly and assume a one foot forward position.
3. If changing child on low surfaces such as a bed, couch, or floor, kneel vs. stand to reduce forward bending
4. Perform a back extension stretch after each changing

Tips for transportation: Infant carriers/carseats and baby slings/carriers

• Always use two hands vs. one when carrying baby in infant carrier/car seat.
• When lifting/putting infant carrier into car, prop one foot up on the floor of the car (build a bridge) to reduce reaching distance and keep back in a safer/stronger position. If vehicle is a larger vehicle or SUV and baby seat attaches to the middle, prop a knee up into the vehicle to bridge your back. (If lifting infant seat into the middle of the vehicle is difficult or causes discomfort, consider attaching infant seat to the one of the outer seats to reduce reaching/bending distance.
• Perform a back extension stretch after lifting child into vehicle.

Here are a few general tips as well:

General Body Mechanics Principles

• Keep the object close to your body (avoid holding the load with arms extended)
• Use both arms to hold/carry the object
• Use a wide stance when lifting
• Keep your back straight
• Lower your body to get close to the object
• Bend from the hips and knees. DO NOT bend at the waist (legs are strong-use them!)
• If the object(s) is too heavy ask another person to help you

• When turning, move your feet and rotate your whole body, not just your back
• Pushing is better than pulling
• Place frequently used and/or heavy items between knee and shoulder levels

Hopefully these tips may help fellow newbie parents. I know I could have used this advice when I my world was being turned upside down as I embarked on the newness of parenthood.