How to Pick Up Your Toddler–Without Injuring Your Back

Toddler life means constantly being on the go and trying to keep up with your little one as they learn and explore. But once they get tired and cranky—or just need a boost into the stroller or car seat—it also means picking them up. Unfortunately, that can do a number on your back if you’re not careful.

As a mom of four, including a toddler, I’ve been there. Of course, my little one doesn’t care that I have a history of back pain—she just wants to be carried. I try to focus on lifting basics, like bending my knees, but I still worry that I’ll mess up my future back health somehow. Rose Sprinkle, a mom of two in Silverdale, Washington, is in the same boat: “I’m in my late 30s with two kids under 2, so if I’m not careful with how I’m lifting, I can begin to feel my back ache,” she says.

Picking up and carrying a toddler repeatedly can be hard on your spine, explains Peter G. Whang, MD, a professor in the department of orthopaedics and rehabilitation at the Yale School of Medicine. “Picking up a toddler, particularly one who’s squirmy, subjects your spine to significant repetitive forces which only increase over time, so it’s important to be mindful of the way in which you lift and hold your child,” he says. If you don’t follow proper lifting and carrying techniques, you could end up with anything from a minor injury to something more serious that requires formal treatment, Whang adds.

To help you pick up your little one without hurting your back, experts offer the following recommendations.

Bring Your Toddler Close to Your Body First

This is the top piece of advice experts share. “Always pick up a child closer to your body. Don’t reach out,” says Neel Anand, MD, orthopedic spine surgeon and director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. “That probably is the worst thing you can do.” It’s all about the force that’s put on your body, Whang says. “Like a seesaw, keeping your arms close to your body effectively decreases the amount of force needed to lift up your child and reduces the magnitude of stresses on the spine during this maneuver,” he explains.

Pulling your little one close to your body before lifting not only gives you slightly more snuggle time, it can feel like your tot weighs less, says Rachelle Thomas, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Michigan State University Health Care. “The further out you go, the higher the load,” she says.

Bend at the Knees, Not at the Waist

This is common advice for lifting anything heavy, and it applies to hoisting up your toddler, too, says Tracy Espiritu McKay, DO, sports medicine physician at NYU Langone. “You put less pressure and force on your lower back if you bend at the knees,” she says.

Bending at the waist puts a lot of pressure on your spine, and puts your spine in a vulnerable position, Whang says. “Bending at the knees allows you to use your much-stronger leg muscles to raise your child up into your arms,” he adds.

Try to Keep Your Back Straight

Keeping your back straight allows your core muscles to go to work to help support your spine, Thomas says. “It keeps it in neutral posture so your back extensors and abdominal flexors can provide a stable surface,” she says.

Lift with Your Legs

Using your legs to lift your little one helps take the strain off your back, McKay says. Instead, it puts more force on your hips and knees, which she says are “better equipped to handle pressure.” Lifting with your legs is usually the best way to go in general, according to Whang. “These muscles are much stronger than the ones in your back and are therefore less prone to injury,” he says.

Consider Using a Baby or Hip Carrier

Every baby carrier’s weight capacity is different, but some can hold kids as heavy as 45 pounds. Specialized hip carriers, like the Tushbaby, have also exploded in popularity over the past few years. “These types of assistive devices can be beneficial because they help to unload the spine and distribute the weight of your child more evenly across your back,” Whang says. Anand says that using a carrier is a “fantastic” thing for your spine. “Your child is close to you and it’s less force on your back,” he says.

Try Not to Twist While You Lift

It’s easy to accidentally twist your torso as you lift if you’re grabbing your toddler as they run by, but experts recommend trying to avoid this as much as possible. “Like bending, a twisting motion also creates additional forces and puts the spine in a position where it’s more susceptible to injury,” Whang says. Mara Vucich, DO, a spine specialist at the Maryland Spine Center at Mercy, agrees. “You want to avoid bending and twisting. That puts a lot of pressure and strain on your back,” she says.

Be Aware of How You’re Standing

It’s important to think about how you’re standing. “Once you have your child in your arms, you really want to focus on good ergonomics where your spine is straight and your knees are slightly bent, so that your head is located directly in line with your pelvis,” Whang says. Thomas also recommends aiming for a neutral posture. “Make sure that your pelvis is directly under your ribcage,” she says.

Don’t Carry Your Toddler on Your Hip for Long Periods of Time

It’s natural to shift your child to one side or the other after you lift them, but keeping them there without some kind of support can be tough on your back. “Propping up your child on your hip for prolonged periods disrupts the normal alignment of the spine and puts the back in an unbalanced position,” Whang says. “Over time, [that] can lead to muscle fatigue and possibly increase the risk of injury.” Vucich recommends carrying your little one as close to your belly button as you can. “This is in the center area, so that there’ll be less strain on your back,” she explains.

Odds are high that you won’t pick up your toddler with perfect form every single time, and that’s okay. Just do your best—and see a physical therapist if you start feeling consistent aches and pains.

“While it may be easier said than done, it’s always best to try to avoid picking up your toddler in a haphazard fashion,” Whang says. “Multiply that over days, months and even years as your child grows older, [and it] makes it easy to understand why it’s important to always be smart when it comes to your back.”

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.