Raise your hand if you’ve ever risked throwing your back out to carry your not-so-little one in and out of the car – oh, everybody’s done it? While convenient and comfortable for your child, infant car seats can get tricky to carry properly as your baby grows and grows. There are two main methods that most people use – carrying it one-handed from the top of the handle or cradling the handle in the crook of your elbow. Neither option is super comfortable and they’re both clunky ways to carry your little one. Here are two alternative methods that have helped some parents carry their kids all over the place without snapping their back in half!
1 – Emily Puente’s Viral Video
Chiropractor Emily Puente posted a video about her pain-free method for carrying an infant car seat – and the world seemed to love it! The method was almost revolutionary in the car seat world … you mean I can comfortably carry my baby in their car seat? Seems impossible! Puente’s method lets you carry your little one with ease AND leaves you with a free hand to wrangle your toddler, play the recorder, hold your purse … you know the essentials! Instead of just looping your arm through and going about your day, Puente recommends looping your arm through the handle and back out so your hand can cradle the base of the seat. This allows you to support the seat from below rather than just carrying it and makes things a little easier on your body! However, this method only really works until your little one is 15 lbs. max so it won’t be any help when they’re reaching the end of their stay in the infant car seat.
2 – Front and Center
Instead of using one hand or arm to carry the seat on the side, this method has you use two hands to firmly grip the car seat handle in front of your body. This way the seat is kept closer to the core, so you have better support and it helps to maintain proper posture. While this is a better method to carry the seat, it isn’t super functional if you have to corral a toddler or carry a bag at the same time. It does have a longer lifespan than the first method, since it just depends on how long you can lift your little one with two hands instead of one!
If you have any other methods that have saved you pain and suffering, let us know! Tweet us @MaxiCosiUSA or share with us on Instagram @MaxiCosiUSA. Once you’ve figured out the getting to and from the car bit, check out our post on car seat safety tips so your little one is as safe as can be!
