Seven good habits to avoid back pain. Habit 4

​4 - Babies/children on hips – While babies and children are a joy (most of the time), they are both awkward and heavy to carry around.  Often they don’t like being put down when you would like and you are left with the conundrum of carrying around your baby while simultaneously having to do other chores.  Most mothers get in the habit of placing their child or toddler on their hip, usually on their non-dominant side, in order to free up their dominant hand for use to do all of the many other tasks expected of her at the time.  If you have read my other posts you are probably starting to see a pattern here and can guess what I am going to say.  Placing your child constantly on your hip – the same hip – will inadvertently cause you over time to stick your hip out on that same side.  It will become built into your normal posture and over time this can cause hip pain, knee pain, lower back pain and even pain in the ribs where your body will straighten up.  It is surprising how many older women come in who have not actually carried their children around for many years and you can still tell which hip they carried their kids on because the pattern is still there – if you don’t believe me mums – then look in a full length mirror and you will see.  An easy way to avoid this is… guess… try and swap sides with your baby when you don’t need your dominant hand free.  If you swap sides you don’t create a pattern and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.  Tip no.4  When carrying your baby on your hip, try and swap sides regularly so end up with one hip sticking out on one side and a lean in your lower back.