Honestly, who even knew that you could carry a car seat this way?
Not according to Dr. Emily Puente of Bridge Family Chiropractic in Mansfield, Texas. In a viral video, Puente demonstrates an alternative way to hold your baby’s car seat — her method distributes the weight of the seat differently, alleviating strain on your back, arms and hips. “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 [kids],” explained Puente in the video.
Here’s the gist of it. With your baby facing you, loop your arm through the handle and out again, so your hand rests comfortably on the side of the car seat. From there, twist your hand, grab the car seat’s base and stand. If you’re thinking, “No way will that support the weight of my 15-pound three-month-old,” watch Puente’s video below.
Even with the visual, the chiropractor’s little model seems to be levitating next to her! It may not look possible according to the laws of physics, but Puente’s trick is going to save your back a lot of stress — and allow you to hold the hand of another little one while you’re on the go.
“There’s a completely different change in how I’m using my body,” explained Puente. It sounds like a lot of parents are seeing the difference — her video has been shared nearly 53,000 times and has nearly 20,000 comments, most of which are parents tagging other parents to let them in on the maneuver.
In an update to her original post, Puente explained that, unfortunately, this trick doesn’t work for every parent and every car seat — if you’re feeling discomfort while carrying a car seat this way, it’s likely that your model just isn’t compatible. “I suggest being cleared by your medical professional prior to trying any new regimen if you would like to ensure you are fit to perform actions like the one shown here,” she also wrote.
While the method might not work for all, it does “work incredibly well for the majority of those who attempt it,” wrote Puente. Hey, if you have an inextricable crick in your neck after lugging baby all over creation, it’s 100% worth a shot.
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