The Toddler Hip Carry

IYKYK

I’d argue it’s a survival mechanism for toddler parents. And while it serves many great purposes (allows us to function when our clingy toddler doesn’t want to be put down) it sure can wreak havoc on our bodies. It’s probably the most common adaptation I see in parents of toddlers in my clinic.  

So what should be done?

If you scrounge the internet for information on the hip carry, most of what you’ll come across will tell you not to do it. Full stop.

I’m not going to do that. 

There is no such thing as a single bad positions

Things start to get problematic, when we find ourselves in certain positions for long periods of time, without awareness or understanding. Enter the hip carry.

Instead of telling you to never hold your toddler on your hip, what I’m going to offer are ways to help you manage the load being imposed on your body. 

So what’s going on in the hip carry?

We’re gonna get a bit nerdy here with the biomechanics. If you’re into that read up, and if not, go ahead and skip down below to what you can do to manage it. 

In a right side hip carry:

• The hips shift to the right to create a ‘shelf’ for your toddler to perch upon. The right hip also hikes up shortening the distance from the rib cage to the hip.

• The right leg is adducted while the left leg is in abduction 

• The ribs shift or translate to the left

• The ribs flare forward and up 

• The right arm is extended and the scapula shifts into adduction and locks ‘down’.

• The right bicep is held in a shortened contracted state. 

• The left arm … well the left arm is probably doing all the tasks of the day and getting some good movement in

Quadratus Lumborum: Your QL is a deep muscle in your lower back that attaches from the pelvis to the ribs. In a R side hip carry, the QL will shorten as the hip hikes up. 

Gluteus medius: This muscle primarily works as a hip abductor and is super important for stabilizing the pelvis during walking. The glute med is also an opposing muscle to the QL. In a right side hip carry, the gluteus medius will be in a lengthened position thus in less ideal position to stabilize and do its job.

Latissimus Dorsi: The lats are large, wing shaped muscles that span almost the entire length of your back. They connect down into the pelvis (via the thoracolumbar fascia), along the spine and onto the scapula. In a right side hip carry, the lats are under tension locking the scapula down and limiting scapula mobility. 

Diaphragm: The diaphragm is one of your deep core muscles and is the muscle primarily responsible for breathing. It sits like an umbrella within the rib cage. When the ribs shift or translate, your ability to fully use your diaphragm is effected. This will in turn effect the pelvic floor muscles which work in tandem with the diaphragm.

Now I want to remind you that NO POSITION IS UNILATERALLY BAD.

Thank goodness our body can move into this space to be able to hold our toddlers in this effective way! That being said, your body is brilliant and will adapt to positions it stays in for prolonged periods of time. So if we spend a lot of time in this position the body is going to adapt. We’re meant to move in and out of different positions ALL 👏🏻 THE 👏🏼 TIME 👏🏽. It’s when we get stuck in positions and spend too much time without a break that it can become an issue. 

Ways to manage:

1. If you can find strategies to reduce the time you hold your toddler on your hip, ie. have them in a carrier, stand them on a chair next to you when you’re doing kitchen tasks etc etc then do it. Your back will thank you. 

2. Try to alternate the hip you carry your toddler on whenever you can. This will bring more symmetry to your body. This will require you getting really good at using your left (or right) hand. 

3. Whenever possible, be mindful of ‘sitting into your hip’ creating that ‘shelf’ for your toddler to rest on. You’re going to trade this in for a little more work through the upper body and biceps but in my opinion this is a worthwhile exchange. 

4. Widen your base of support. 

5. Make sure you are moving in and through opposing positions at some point during the rest of your day.

Here is a short video outlining a few key movements you can do that works towards finding balance in the body after carrying your toddler on your hip during this incredibly hard and incredibly beautiful season of life.

Remember, you won’t have a toddler forever. In fact, before you know it your kid won’t want to be held at all (or so I’m told). And while these days are long and hard, there really is something incredibly adoring about my son needing me so much, that I can’t even make a pot of coffee without him lingering on my hip.

Big breaths. We’ve got this.