There’s one body part that I’ve just realized to be extremely important when caring for my toddler, a strong back.  My back decided it was through working for me today and resigned immediately.  Without back muscles, I’m about 2 inches shorter.  And even worse, I’m walking like a 90-year-old man.

I guess you’re wondering how I’ve been managing the Worm with a bad back.  I can’t lift Worm, I can’t carry Worm, I can’t wrestle with the Worm.  He’s starving because I can’t even feed him.  Ok, I can feed him…but just barely.  (Which is probably NOT going to be a valid excuse when we go back to the pediatrician for his weigh-in next week.  But, that’s a different story.)

I don’t know why my back has deserted me.  Maybe it’s telling me that I need to give it less A-B-U-S-E and more T-L-C.  It’s amazing how much I use my back when caring for a kid.  I lift the Worm about 30 times a day.  He always wants to be picked up and carried from here to there.  The amount of gear that comes with kids is equally back-breaking (pardon my pun).  So, on top of carrying around the Worm, I’m lugging around twice his weight in gear.  (Maybe I should reconsider helping Worm gain weight.  It doesn’t look to be  a win-win situation for all of us.)

What I need is a horse.  Or a dog that is willing to carry our kid stuff.  Wait a minute!  What about Frodo?  Aren’t Siberian Huskies bred to carry stuff?  Maybe what I need is a sled and a whip?  (Once again, the wheels are turning and my brain cells are firing.)  If sledders can get a Husky to mush across Alaska, I can surely get our Husky to mush out to the car in the driveway.  Now, I just need to build a sled…

For now, I’m using heat, massage, and acupuncture (thanks Dayna) to fix my muscles.  Until I’m better, Steph’s going to have to take care of both Worm and I!  (I look at this as a good family bonding opportunity…Steph, I will ‘let’ you rub my back tonight in the name of quality family time!)

Tips to Keeping Your Back Healthy For Your Baby:

  • Always lift with your legs
  • Try to keep your back as upright as possible when lifting
  • Keep arms in close towards body when lifting
  • Try not to lift and rotate the torso at the same time.  This is a good way to herniate a disc in the back.  Lift first.  Then rotate.
  • Exercise abdominal muscles to strengthen core  (Strong abdominals provide support to the back muscles.)
  • Stretch daily.  Stretching keeps the muscles loose and working to full strength.  Cobra pose, pigeon pose, camel pose, etc…try yoga!

Follow these steps and carry your baby until he or she turns 18!

Mush! Mush!