3 Common Lifting Mistakes New Moms Make — and How to Fix Them

TL;DR: How You Lift Matters as Much as What You Lift

You are already doing the hardest job — caring for a newborn while your body is still healing. But the way you lift, carry, and move every day is either supporting that recovery or quietly working against it. This post covers:

• Why holding your breath during a lift creates more damage than the weight itself

• How a twisted, rounded spine under load leads to back pain and SI joint issues

• Why carrying loads far from your body strains your pelvic floor in ways you may not expect

• Simple, practical fixes you can apply today — no special equipment required

Before we dive in → grab my Pelvic Floor & Core Strengthening Flash Cards — a simple, visual way to reconnect your breath, deep core, and pelvic floor during everyday movement.

The Postpartum Lifting Problem Nobody Talks About

Car seats. Baby carriers. Laundry baskets. Grocery bags. A baby on one hip and a bag on the other.

New moms lift heavy things dozens of times a day — usually while exhausted, often in awkward positions, and almost never with time to think about form. The result is a slow accumulation of strain on a body that is already in the middle of healing.

Here is what makes this particularly tricky: the mistakes are not dramatic. They do not feel like injuries in the moment. They feel like survival. And they are. But a few small adjustments to how you breathe, position yourself, and carry loads can make a significant difference in how your back, core, and pelvic floor feel — not just today, but throughout your recovery and beyond.

Mistake #1: Holding Your Breath While You Lift

What it looks like: You see the car seat, the laundry basket, or the full baby bag. You brace yourself, hold your breath, and power through the lift with sheer determination.

Why it matters: When you hold your breath and bear down under load, you create a sharp spike in intra-abdominal pressure with nowhere productive to go. That pressure pushes down on your pelvic floor — contributing to heaviness, leaking, and prolapse symptoms — and outward on your abdominal wall, which can worsen diastasis recti.

The fix: Exhale as you lift.

It sounds almost too simple, but coordinating your breath with the effort changes everything. As you hinge forward to pick something up, inhale to prepare. As you stand up with the load, exhale fully and steadily. This allows your core and pelvic floor to work together as a system rather than fighting each other.

👉 Practice this with something lighter first — a bag of groceries, a laundry basket — until the pattern becomes automatic. Then apply it to heavier, more awkward loads.

Mistake #2: Lifting From a Rounded, Twisted Position

What it looks like: You lean sideways into the backseat of the car, twist your torso, round your back, and pull the car seat out at whatever angle gets the job done.

Why it matters: Your spine is not designed to move heavy loads while simultaneously flexed and rotated. Add a postpartum core that is still rebuilding its stability, and that combination creates real risk for lower back pain, SI joint dysfunction, and compensatory movement patterns that compound over time.

The fix: Face the load as squarely as possible before you lift.

Hinge at your hips — push your sit bones back as if you are closing a car door with them — and keep your spine in a neutral position rather than rounded. Engage your core gently before the load leaves the ground, not after. When you need to change direction, move your feet and pivot your whole body rather than twisting from your waist.

Real talk: the geometry of car seats, strollers, and cramped spaces does not always allow for perfect form. Do your best, and on the days when it is chaotic and imperfect, give yourself grace — and some gentle movement later.

Mistake #3: Carrying Loads Far From Your Body

What it looks like: Arms fully extended, shoulders hiked up, body leaning back to counterbalance the weight. The load is out in front of you like you are presenting it to the world.

Why it matters: The further a load is from your center of gravity, the more your back, shoulders, and core have to work to keep you upright. Your pelvic floor often responds to this by gripping — holding in a constant state of tension that, over time, contributes to pain, pressure, and dysfunction. Asymmetrical loads carried this way on one side can create imbalances that show up as hip, back, or SI joint pain weeks later.

The fix: Keep loads close.

When you carry something heavy, draw it in toward your body — think about gently pulling your lower ribs toward your pelvis as you engage your core. Keep your shoulders down and back rather than letting them hike toward your ears. If you are carrying something in both hands, take breaks: walk a few steps, set the load down, take two deep breaths, and continue. That brief reset is far better for your body than prolonged carrying with poor mechanics.

When possible, use tools that distribute load more evenly — a stroller frame, a well-fitted carrier, or a bag worn across the body rather than on one shoulder.

FAQs

1. I had a c-section. Does any of this apply to me?

Yes, and it may apply even more. After a c-section, your abdominal wall has been surgically cut through multiple layers. Intra-abdominal pressure management — particularly the breath-with-lift technique — is especially important in the early weeks to protect your incision and support healing. Start conservatively, and check with your provider if you have any pain at your scar site.

2. What if I already have back or pelvic pain - should I be lifting at all?

Some degree of lifting is unavoidable with a newborn. The goal is not to avoid it but to do it as well as possible while your body heals. If you are experiencing significant pain, leaking, heaviness, or pressure, that is a signal worth taking seriously — consult a pelvic floor physical therapist for an in-person assessment.

3. How long does it take to make these habits automatic?

Research on motor learning suggests new movement patterns become more automatic after roughly 4–6 weeks of consistent practice. Start with one cue — exhale on the lift — and build from there. You do not have to overhaul everything at once.

4. What is diastasis recti and how do I know if I have it?

Diastasis recti is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscles along the midline of the abdomen. I talk more about it here. It is extremely common postpartum. Signs include a visible ridge or gap along your midline, doming or coning when you exert yourself, and core weakness that feels disproportionate to your effort. A pelvic floor PT can confirm and assess the severity in person.

5. When is it safe to return to heavier lifting postpartum?

There is no single universal timeline — it depends on your birth experience, how your recovery is progressing, and how your core and pelvic floor are functioning. A general guideline is to focus on foundational core and pelvic floor work in the first 6–12 weeks before progressing to heavier loads. Your body will give you feedback; paying attention to it is the most important thing you can do.

The Bottom Line

Your body is doing remarkable things during postpartum recovery — healing, adapting, and caring for a new life simultaneously. The lifting mistakes in this post are not character flaws. They are survival-mode habits that show up when you are exhausted and operating on instinct.

But small adjustments to how you breathe, position, and carry loads can meaningfully protect your back, pelvic floor, and core — not just today, but throughout your recovery and for years to come.

You are already doing the hard part. Let your movement support the rest.

Ready to go further?

If you would like more support, here’s where to begin:

👉 Download the Pelvic Floor & Core Strengthening Flash Cards
👉 Explore our Postpartum Recovery Guide

Disclaimer: This post is educational and not a substitute for medical care. If you have concerning symptoms, please consult your healthcare provider.