Carry an infant car seat properly—or not at all

If you opt to use your infant car seat as a carrier, realize that it can be a killer on your wrists, elbows, lower back, and neck if you tote it by the handle or if you put it on your forearm like a handbag.

“The greater the horizontal distance from the weight you’re carrying to your torso, the more stress on your joints, discs, ligaments, and muscles,” says Mary Ellen Modica, a physical therapist from the STEPS program at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital in Chicago, Ill. It’s equivalent to walking around with three or four full paint cans in one hand—something most people wouldn’t do, but yet, they’ll carry a car seat that way.”

Instead, “Carry the car seat in front of you so you have both hands on the handle,” advises Diane Dalton, orthopedic clinical specialist at Boston University’s Sargent College of health and Rehabilitation Sciences, in Boston, Mass. With the weight of the seat and your baby centered and close to your trunk, the force on your body will be reduced, Dalton says.

Another option: Leave the infant seat in your car and transfer your baby to a soft infant carrier, backpack carrier, or stroller, or use a travel system. Or simply carry your baby in your arms.

How do you carry your young baby around? Let us know in comments!

Comments

[Liane]

I realized very quickly that carrying an infant seat with a heavy boy would cost me many chiropractor bills. Therefore, everytime I went out with my baby, I brought my stroller and used the travel system. I did not want to wake my baby everytime we left the car as he always fell asleep in his seat. When I did carry the infant seat, I had to carry the handle on my forarm and hold the base in front of me...it was the only way I could lift it. Once my child reached 20 lbs (as our infant seat was rated to 22lbs), I just couldn't do it, and had to convert to a convertible car seat and leave the infant seat behind.

[Cindy]

I think this article gave some great suggestions as to how to properly carry a car seat. As a soon-to-be mother, I'm having problems even picking out a carseat...let alone being able to carry one. haha I don’t want to strap my daughter in and have her come out upside down! Can anyone recommend something? I was doing some snooping around online and found a site that’s offering a convertible car seat for free. I know you need to fill out a few other things to get it, but who cares? Free is free. Anyway, I’d love all the suggestions I can get. If anyone else is interested in a good car seat, here’s the place.

http://www.healthbeautyncs.com/rd_p?p=192109&t=9530&a=12263-5t554&gift=12263

Thanks for your help!

Cindy

[Giselle B.]

As a mother of three small kids, I need my hands free! I've carried each of my babies in soft baby carriers from newborn stage through toddlerhood. My little one's favorite place is close to me, so soft baby carriers allow me to give my little one that closeness while providing me the opportunity of still being able to go about my day (or in my case...care for my other children). I love carrying my children in soft baby carriers so much that I just had to share that love with others through volunteering as a co-leader in our local babywearing group here in the Chicago area and participating in the largest babywearing (wearing your child in baby carriers) online community (thebabywearer.com - the best resource for soft baby carriers information). I highly recommend soft baby carriers to parents!