Carrying Heavy Things During Pregnancy

You have been doing all the house chores efficiently, lifting chairs and carrying heavy loads on your back until recently.

It has been two months since the pregnancy test turned positive, and you feel confused about the dos and don’ts during this delicate period.

This confusion warrants the question, “is carrying heavy things during pregnancy safe?”

In my article, you’ll discover all about lifting, bending, and carrying weights while pregnant, with helpful tips to help you stay safe.

Carrying Heavy Things During Pregnancy: Is It Harmful?

Carrying Heavy Things & Strenuous physical activities may cause pelvic pain, preterm births, miscarriage, internal injuries, and occasionally abdominal pain, if not done correctly. Further, carrying heavy things may put you at risk of prolapse and serious urine leakage (urinary incontinence).

Standing for long hours and bending frequently pose similar risks to heavy lifting during pregnancy. While people describe weightiness differently, straining could deeply hurt your back, pelvis, and abdomen.

During pregnancy, the major shift in hormones makes the muscles and ligaments around your pelvic floor weaker and more vulnerable. If you are in a physically demanding job, take caution not to harm your growing baby.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t lift or carry anything. It’s about doing it safely and within the recommended limits. Ask your doctor for advice on the heavy lifting too.

How Much Weight Should A Pregnant Woman Carry?

There is a recommended weight limit that pregnant women shouldn’t exceed when carrying or lifting. According to experts, pregnant women should not carry or lift objects weighing over 20 pounds.

Women with a history of preterm labor are more vulnerable. They are advised to stop carrying heavy objects within the first trimester.

If you’re not sure about carrying your three-year-old toddler while pregnant, relax. It’s okay. Be careful when lifting them, and ensure they are positioned slightly below your hip, away from your belly. Mind your back to avoid straining.

How Does Carrying Heavy Things Affect Pregnancy?

Yes! You should avoid carrying heavy things in the three trimesters during pregnancy. With hormonal and physical changes, a pregnant woman’s body is delicate. The pelvis, back, and abdomen need a lot of care to support your growing baby effectively.

Carrying/lifting weights, standing for long continuous hours, and bending are risky physical activities if you overdo them. Interestingly, what’s bulky for one woman may feel featherweight for another. Always consult your doctor to know the extent you should go with these activities. Let’s find out some risks of carrying heavy things below:

1. Premature Births

During pregnancy, hormonal changes weaken your joints and ligaments. They wear out gradually with the growing baby.

Carrying heavy objects towards the third trimester may cause the uterine muscles to contract, leading to preterm labor and births.

A study by PubMed found that lifting or carrying weights greater than or equal to 12kg more than 50 times per week increased the risk of preterm births.

2. Low Birth Weight

Low birth weight is a leading cause of death and disability in babies worldwide. Heavy lifting is indirectly linked to low birth weights.

When babies are born prematurely due to strenuous physical activities, they are often denied a chance to utilize the nutrients crucial for full growth and development while in the mother’s womb. This explains why most preterm babies have low birth weights.

3. Miscarriage

To answer the question, “can lifting heavy objects cause miscarriage,” the experts recommend against heavy lifting, especially during the first trimester, as it may put you at risk of miscarriage.

The CDC cites heavy lifting, bending, and standing for long hours (physical demands) as possible factors that may put you at risk of having a miscarriage. Such activities strain your back and pelvic muscles, making it hard for them to support the baby.

4. Internal Injuries

Most internal injuries in pregnancy happen due to trauma. In pregnancy, the placenta produces a hormone called RelaxinRelaxin, which loosens ligaments in preparation for delivery.

Since the uterine, back, and abdominal muscles are vulnerable during this stage, carrying heavy weights may cause serious internal injuries. Take caution to protect yourself and your munchkin from harm.

5. Pelvic Pain

Joints and muscles are delicate during pregnancy. Any lifting, carrying, or bending outside the recommended limit may strain your pelvis, leading to excruciating pain. While some pelvic discomfort is normal, talk to your doctor if you experience pelvic pain within the three trimesters.

6. Abdominal Pain

Your back, pelvis, and abdomen play a noble role in supporting any pregnancy. However, they can easily hurt if you perform strenuous physical activities. It’s okay to feel pain in your abdomen as a munchkin grows, but if you experience it after lifting heavy things at work, it means you strained your abdominal muscles.

7. Uterine Prolapses

Though rare, uterine prolapses are among the serious complications that may result from heavy lifting/carrying. This condition may happen even among non-pregnant women who love weight training and muscle-building exercises.

When a uterine prolapse occurs, your pelvic muscles weaken, making it descend into your vagina. Prolapses in pregnancy are dangerous. Call for immediate medical attention.

Women with the following factors are at risk of experiencing a uterine prolapse:

Body weight– Obese pregnant women are more likely to have prolapses than their less-weighty counterparts.
History of prolapses in the past- If you’ve had a prolapse previously, avoid carrying heavy objects, as your muscles are weaker and prone to uterine prolapse.
Multiple births – Taking care of multiple developing babies during pregnancy takes a lot of hard work and caution. Your uterus, back, and abdomen are already straining, so overdoing physical activities may easily cause prolapses.

8. Severe Urinary Incontinence (Urine Leakage)

Most women often report leaking urine at some point while pregnant. Occasional incontinence is normal as your bladder adjusts to the pressure from your growing baby’s weight.

However, carrying heavy weights in early pregnancy and late stages may weaken the already-overwhelmed bladder resulting in severe urinary incontinence.

Weak/damaged pelvic muscles also make it hard for you to control your bladder hence the urine leakage.

9. Placental Abruption

Avoid straining your back or pelvic muscles by over-lifting. Research confirms that lifting heavy things during pregnancy may cause placenta rupture.

Lifting weights or carrying chairs and weighty packages at work/home is alright. What matters is how much weight you carry. Minimize the frequency of carrying and lifting while consulting your healthcare provider about what works for your body.

Have You Lifted Something Heavy During Pregnancy

Unlike before, more women work in jobs with physical demands like heavy lifting, bending, and prolonged standing hours. If you are part of such professions, you may not notice when going overboard.

When is a weight too much during pregnancy?

If you feel pain/discomfort when lifting.
If you can’t lift the object off the ground despite squatting or bending your knees.
When you experience strained pelvic muscles and back with shortness of breath on carrying the object.
If you develop chest pains after lifting.
When you feel dizziness when carrying or lifting an object.
Severe headaches or general body weakness after undertaking any physical activity.

In pregnancy and parenting forums, I usually find women asking, “can I carry heavy things during pregnancy? Or, “can lifting heavy things cause miscarriage?” learning how heavy weights can impact you and your unborn baby is wise.

If carrying heavy things is part of your daily life, watch for signs of overdoing them to avoid complications. While exercises are healthy during pregnancy, go slow on lifting heavy weights. You’ll happily resume your fitness routine after delivery.

Tips For Lifting Or Carrying Heavy Weights Safely In Pregnancy

1. Slightly Bend Your Knees

Bending knees help reduce strains and pressure on your back muscles. The position is also comfortable for your growing belly and can’t cause internal injuries. Bending at the waist is dangerous for pregnant women.

2. Use Your Legs Instead of Your Back

Using legs makes it easier for you to lift. The legs redirect pressure away from your back and abdomen to ensure you lift safely.

3. Avoid Bending Your Back

I know you were used to bending and swiftly lifting objects before pregnancy happened. In this phase, your back has a lot of work, including supporting the growing belly/body. Do not bend your back as it’s weaker, overwhelmed, and prone to injuries. Wearing a maternity belt is one way of supporting your back while promoting proper posture.

4. Exhale Naturally While Keeping the Tummy Muscles Tight

When lifting/ carrying objects, exhaling relaxes muscles. Additionally, try to tighten your tummy muscles but be cautious not to overdo it.

5. Ensure You Don’t Twist Your Back, Knees, or Pelvis

Listen to your body. Avoid twisting your back or knees as you lift things. Let your body face forward at all times. Twisting/turning can cause excruciating pain and massive pressure around your pelvic and abdominal area leading to health complications.

6. Keep the Load Closer to Your Body

It is less strenuous to carry a load closer to your body. I know it’s easier said than done due to the belly in front of you. However, this proximity enhances comfort while easing the lifting.

That said, don’t put the load on your bump. Hold it closer to your chest with both arms as if giving it a bear hug. Further, you don’t have to bend forward when an object is close, protecting your back.

7. Don’t Lift Any Load Overhead

Avoid carrying things overhead as the posture could hurt your shoulder muscles.

8. Avoid Lifting Objects Directly From the Floor

Bending to lift an object instantly from the floor isn’t advisable when pregnant. It’s best to semi-squat or slightly kneel before lifting anything to avoid complications such as preterm births or miscarriages.

9. Keep Offloads That Require Repeated Stooping, Squatting, and Bending

Frequent stooping, bending, or squatting is dangerous. The activities may hurt the weakened ligaments around your back, pelvic floor, and abdomen.

10. Break Down the Weight Into Smaller Sizes

If a load is too heavy, break it into smaller manageable sizes to enhance comfort and safety. Understandably, not all loads can be divided into small bagfuls/packages. However, split the weight if possible for you to carry with ease.

11. Know Your Limits

Every trimester has a weight limit that you shouldn’t exceed for safety purposes. Depending on your gestation age, let your doctor advise you about limits. Ensure you carry overwhelming loads.

12. Don’t Ignore Your Body

The body knows best how, and when you’re overdoing things, listen to it. Pay attention to any signs of possible complications. Your body can easily show when you go off-limit. Any pain or discomfort tells you what to avoid.

13. If You Find It Too Heavy, Don’t Carry It

It’s safe practice to avoid carrying any heavy objects during pregnancy. Ask for help from friends, family, or colleagues. If there’s no one in sight to assist, leave it for later.

In instances where heavy lifting is part of your profession, don’t worry. No one should discriminate against you for not carrying loads. The pregnancy discrimination act often protects you against unfair treatment at work based on your status.

Wrapping Up

Once you’re pregnant, previously everyday things become hard to do. You’d do everything easily at work and home, but now you can’t. Let’s summarize the issue of carrying heavy things during pregnancy using a few points.

Your placenta produces a hormone- Relaxin- which weakens pelvic floor ligaments, making it vulnerable to strains from strenuous activities such as carrying or lifting weighty objects.

It’s okay to carry things that have manageable weight, comfortable for your body. Any object that strains or causes pain in your back or pelvis is dangerous.

Carrying heavy things may cause miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, abdominal pain, pelvic discomfort, and internal injuries.

Safe lifting practices include keeping the back straight, slightly bending knees, using legs when lifting and carrying loads closer to the body. Since every woman is unique, talk to your doctor about handling heavy weights best during pregnancy.

Carrying Heavy Things During Pregnancy – The Risks & Safe Ways