Too heavy to lift?

Going along with the theme of my stomach muscles not stretching happily, I now am having issues lifting my daughter. Tonight she asked me to hold her while DH lit the candles for the last night of Hanukkah and I couldn't. I had to stand her on the chair next to me and just cuddle her to me. She is 2 years old but only weighs maybe 24.5 pounds. They never told me how much I can lift and what is too much. Is there a guideline? I'd really hate to think that I won't be able to pick up Naomi for another 19-ish weeks.

 

Mine are a little older but as soon as I found out I was pregnant I stopped lifting them except for extreme circumstance. Mine weigh about 31 and 32 lb and it is just too hard. They have learned now to ask me to sit down and snuggle them, which I am happy to do. I just can't lift/carry them about. THey understand that it is because of their sisters and are pretty good most of the time. I would just explain and when she wants to, just sit down and hold her.

 

I stopped lifting my son almost as soon as I found out it was twins...he wasn't quite 2 at that point and weighed about 27lbs. He was (and is) an HUGE mommas boy and at that point wouldn't even go to my husband when he wanted up so we started early just in case it got to the point where it was a danger for me to lift him. Fortunately I was never told not to lift him but it did become practically impossible as I got bigger. I could barely walk up the stairs myself let alone carrying him at the same time! It took about 2 weeks of constant battles telling him he could either be picked up by Papa or walk himself but eventually he started accepting the change. Whenever I was sitting he would happily snuggle with me. I'd say you could start modifying things now so that if it does become impossible for you to lift her it's not a drastic change for her. One of the things I was really happy we did while I was pregnant was get him into the habit of climbing into and out of the van and his car seat by himself...this was soooo helpful when I got bigger and has been a huge help since the girls have been born.

 

I think that if you are used to lifting her and doing all of your regular things (laundry, vaccuuming, etc) that your body is used to that and other than 'taking it a bit easier' (i.e. not carrying her 24/7) you should be fine.
My dr tells me not to carry my almost 2 yr old who is also about the same weight, but I just laugh at him and say "then who's going to do it?" hahhaha (when DH is at work, etc)

ETA: There is no "guideline" but it's like they say -- if you are NOT a jogger/runner -don't all of the sudden take it up when you get pg. But if you've been doing it all along, then it's safe they say.

I go by that... !!! It's all about what you can handle. Usually anything in small doses is ok!

 

Well, I can lift her up to things and such but carrying her is uncomfortable. It could also be that the muscles that are pulling a bit are the ones she's also pressing against. This morning I woke her up by turning on ehr light before I got her clothes out so by the time I was ready to go down she was awake enough to walk. It worked just fine.