Last month, I spent a lot of time lugging bags and boxes from one house to another as we moved back home having had some work done to our house.
I also shovelled muck and stones around from one end of the garden and wheelbarrowed them to another one sunny morning.
And then there was the hoovering and the mopping and oh sweet jesus, the wiping and re-wiping of dust from every surface that the builders left behind.
All of that was no problem, I was applauding myself and my little body for being a bad ass super-cleaner-upper.
But one week later, my two-year-old daughter put her hands out for me to lift her up and I collapsed to the floor, where I remained for the next two hours.
My back had completely given up on me.
I’ve had a few problems with my back over the years but none so bad as since I started making babies.
And here’s why;
1. The Pressure
The weight of that pregnancy bump is a lot for our bodies to manage. The pressure on our lower backs and knees should not be underestimated – this is why people tell pregnant women to get off their feet so much!
2. The Epidural
Let me be upfront by saying that I am a BIG fan of the epidural and had two fairly blissed-out births because of it. But I do feel as though the injection did have a lasting effect on my lower back which essentially weakened it further. Gah.
3. The Carrying
Yes, babies ARE tiny but when you’ve just birthed one, you are kind of under par for a time. And then we launch straight into carrying this little human everywhere, along with the paraphernalia that goes with them and.. your back doesn’t really have a chance to recover.
4. The Merchandise
My favourite thing after I had my daughter was people stopping to talk to me about how heavy carseats were – while I was standing there, carrying her in her carseat. Help a mother out, people, and offer to carry the carseat/put the buggy in the boot of the car/grab a shopping bag. It’s all too much for even the strongest of physiques to bear.
5. The Picking Up Of All The Shit
I reckon I put in about 200 squats a day, on average, and not on purpose. I pick up toys, food, the dog bowl that the baby is trying to put her face into; shoes, socks, half-drunk bottles of milk from under the couch that have been there for god knows how long. My back is SO not used to that kind of activity.
While I’m down on floor level next time, I’m gonna lie there – just for a few minutes. Just to give my back a well-deserved break.
Is YOUR back under pressure since becoming a mum? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.
