Can I Hold My Baby While I'm Pregnant?

I would check with your doctor. I have a friend who was told to only pick up her youngest child in an emergency (I believe the doctor used a runaway train barreling toward him as his example.) She had a miscarriage previously and had difficult pregnancies so they were very careful with her throughout her pregnancy. She taught him to pull himself up into the car and into his carseat on his own. He took naps on the floor so she didn't have to lift him into his crib during the day and her husband put him in the crib at night. It wasn't easy, and I have no doubt that she had a few occasions when she did lift him out of necessity.

If you do need to stop lifting him think about it this way. Once the baby comes you won't be able to hold him and the baby at the same time anyway. If you teach him now to do more things on his own and not be lifted often it won't be as surprising to him once the baby is born. Hopefully he won't associate not being held with the baby's arrival and you'll cut down on a little bit of the jealousy.

Good Luck,
K.

I do not think this is a concern. I carried my kids when pregnant with the others and they were much bigger than 22 lbs. I would definitely get a second opinion on this one.

a simple answer: yes!
I got pregnant with my 2nd when my 1st was 15 mo. old and she was a big girl! she was very tall and about 25lbs! When I went to my first checkup, they told me not to lift anything over 20lbs. Me, being the smart-alleck I am, said "so I'm not supposed to put my toddler in her car seat, stroller, shopping cart, bed, changing table, etc. etc.??? And then I said that seemed rather impossible and ridiculous. The nurse then told me basically that they just have to tell everybody the same thing because it wouldn't be good for mom or baby if you lifted heavy stuff repeatedly. But also they understood that you have to lift your other child(ren)! (think about it...what did women do back when they strapped their child to their back and worked in the fields all day? just stop working when they got preggo? obviously not!)
Just be sure to lift with your legs, not just bend over to pick him up (make an exaggerated effort at first to get in the habit). And remember as your tummy grows, your balance will change. Try to spread your feet to at least shoulder distance apart, bend the knees, keeping the back as straight as possible, then pick up your son. (great exercise, too, I might add!)
If you DO feel a pain in your abdomen after lifting your son, make sure you rest and drink plenty of water. It will probably be just a strain, but if it doesn't go away, make sure to call/go in to the doctor
Hope this helps and eases some worry! And by the way, I delivered my 2nd baby just 2 weeks after my 1st daughter's 2nd bday. My 2nd daughter is now 2 1/2 =) I didn't have any pre-term labor, pre-eclampsia, bleeding, NOTHING from lifting my daughter all through my pregnancy! (I did however start changing my older one with a pad on the floor instead of the changing table, and she transfered to a toddler bed when she was 18 mo., I'm sure that saved my back a lot!)

Of course you can continue to hold your baby! I am a senior midwife student and I can tell you for sure your doctor is wrong. Your body is used to carrying your baby, it will not hurt you. Look at all these women that have 5, 6, 7 kids, they do not stop carrying children around just because they are pregnant. You are not going to miscarry because you are carrying a toddler around. Also, have you considered midwifery care for your pregnancy? Research has proven that midwifery care for low risk mothers is safer and healthier for you than the care given by an OB and the hospital. If you would like more information or have questions please ask me. The care I got from my midwife through my second pregnancy was far superior to the care I ever got from my OB during my first pregnancy.

Take Care,
Lisa

You certainly can hold that baby...but try to limit lifting heavy things (including baby) if your dr is concerned.

And, if something happens don't blame yourself. I had higher blood pressure off and on in the last of my pregnancy, I carried my toddler around, and I moved a heavy cabinet into another room (all by myself.) I had a placental abruption when I went into labor and lost my baby at 40 weeks. I could blame myself, but ultimately I don't think that what I did or didn't do caused him to die. Things happen...so eat well, drink plenty of water, nap when you can, but hold and cuddle your baby too.

I taught my toddler to do things on her own, such as climb into her highchair (which can be made lower) and climb onto the sofa where I was sitting to hold her.

S., mom to 4 girls ages 2-6 and a beautiful little boy waiting for us in Heaven

When I was pregnat my doctor told me the same thing. He told me I could not lift more then 10lbs. Well the issue was I worked at a daycare. It was nearly impossible. So what I had to do was sit and hold at the same time. I would not carry the kids. Even if I would sit on the floor it was ok. I had a history of miscarriges as well so I had to be very careful. But that is the way I worked around it. I turned out to very healtly. Good Luck!

My 2 cents... If my doctor told me not to carry 20+ pounds based on my medical history, then I would not do it. I would hold and hug my child as much as possible while sitting but I'd rely on my stroller, push toys, etc. instead of carrying him.

I have one friend who has suffered multiple miscarriages due to cervical weakness issues... You should follow-up with your OB on what he meant (whether it was for the whole pregnancy or just 1st trimester), but until his advice changes, I would respect it. I would not be lifting anything heavier than 5 pounds... including groceries, laundry baskets, etc. until he gave me the green light.