ALL parents know how years of lifting and carrying your baby in their car seat can wreak havoc with your back, shoulders and hips.
But mums and dads have been carrying the seats all wrong, according to chiropractor Dr Emily Puente.
Mum-of-two Dr Puente shared an online demonstration, claiming that by making one simple change when lifting your car seat, you will never feel pain again.
Taking to her Facebook page, Dr Puente, from Texas, posted the clip, which showed her standing next to a small tot in a car seat.
She explained how, after giving birth to her older children, she was often left with an aching back and hips and had to use her knee like a swing.
The mum said: “Someone taught me this before, and it’s been the greatest thing.”
She explained that if you loop your right arm in and underneath the handle, you can then turn your hand to lift up the base of the seat and sweep it off the ground.
And after lifting up the baby in the seat, she said: “As soon as we switch to this, it’s a completely different change in how I’m using my body, to be able to use and distribute this weight from this carrier to be able to carry it around.
“It’s not going to hurt your shoulder, it’s not going to hurt your hip, and you’re not going to have to use your knee to swing like I had to do with my two.”
Since the video was posted on the Bridge Family Chiropractic page, the demonstration has gone viral – racking up millions of views.
However, Dr Puente did add that the trick did depend on what kind of car seat your baby has.
She also encouraged people to check that they are fit to carry out lifting with their doctor first.
Her clip has racked up thousands of views, as mums praised her for her tip.
One mum wrote: “How awesome!!! going to try it immediately!”
Another commented: “Wish I knew this when my son was a newborn. He is 8 months now.”
A third wrote: “This is so much easier!”
Car seats in the UK can weigh as much as 36kg according to Which?, which can add to back pain some mums suffer during pregnancy.
The NHS says that during pregnancy the ligaments in the body become softer, preparing for labour, which can lead to pain.
They said: “This can put a strain on the joints of your lower back and pelvis, which can cause back pain.
“It is very common to get backache or back pain during pregnancy, especially in the early stages.”
The NHS advises women not to lift heavy objects while they’re pregnant, but after they’ve given birth often mums grapple with back pain, and lifting heavy car seats doesn’t help.
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