What’s Right For Me?
There are countless options out there for parenting accessories, so how do you know which ones are right for you?
To begin
Within the first few moments following birth, a new baby is gently lifted, held, carried, lowered and wrapped; and from then on will be carefully handled in and out of basinets, carriers, car seats, change tables, cots, baths, prams etc., around 200 times a day.
Over the next 18 months, this bundle of joy will grow from about 3.5 kg and 55 cm in length, to be a top-heavy load of around 14 kg and 85 cm long. The work involved in caring for your baby is 24 hours a day, seven days a week; it’s full-on manual handling but like no other work place. In this work place though, equipment, postures and motions are often increasing the risk of back strain and injury. The load is precious, handling is awkward, and equipment used to help in this work, directs the carers posture and motion.
According to statistics from the World Health Organisation, women between 35-55 years old are the population group most afflicted by back pain and disorder. Chronic back disorder is a life-long burden to many women and subsequently their families too.
The issue
The root cause of lower back disorder in women is frequently described as “non-specific” (difficult to diagnose), and habitually explained by using obesity, poor emotional wellbeing, various social and economic factors and “catastrophising”, as the precursory influence on the condition.
However, for decades in the female dominated workplace of commercial childcare, regardless of occupational health and safety standards, work-associated back disorder is more common than in any other workplace.
How can you and bub stay safe?
In the home-based childcare environment of the infant nursery, there are no occupational safety advisories, and no back-safe design standards for any infant nursery equipment. For over 70 years carers have been doing the same thing, using the same equipment designs and incurring the same back health problems. This care-work-pain paradigm has become so normalised it is simply taken for granted.
WEBD is an educational forum presenting objective, research-based information on women, ergonomics and back disorder; and the factors contributing to back pain and injury when working with baby. You are already in the right place to find out how you can stay safe while looking after bub!