Do You Have A Favorite Hip? Part 2
Our tendency as humans is to fall into habits - we talked about this in part one with one particularly common habit: always carrying the baby on your favorite hip.
Now, sometimes as a parent, you sometimes do just need an extra arm! I've noticed this in myself when I'm trying to get lunch prepared while my little one is fussing or I need to carry him up or down the stairs while holding onto the railing.
So I might be doing this habit in a moment where I've literally got my hands full with stuff to do! But I also notice: that these are situations I'm bringing extra anxiety to. I can be stressed about getting a meal prepped quickly while my little guy is fussing. Or maybe we need to leave the house and I'm rushing and nervous about getting everything done "on time." When I go up and down the stairs, I can get very worried about slipping on the stairs or dropping the baby. And this extra tension… doesn’t really help.
So how might you get lunch ready, or do what you need to do without adding extra tension that doesn't need to be there?
These are situations where it's most useful to
Pause
Observe
Reset
Pause: and just give yourself an exhale. Even if you think you don't have time, you have time for a breath. It often helps me to make these micro-pauses happen at transition points: when I'm about to go up or down stairs, when I walk through a doorway, when I'm about to lift my little one into his high chair.
Observe: what am I doing with myself right now? Do I want to choose something different?
Reset: The part affects the whole! See in this picture how this whole structure of you is connected.
Image used with permission, Adobe Stock
You can see how if you stick your hip way out to the side like a shelf to support your baby, you're pulling your spine out of whack. Because you’re really not just using your hip. You’re using this whole thing - so let’s not fight your structure.
Can you carry your baby as close to your center as possible? Even if your baby is more to one of your sides, because you need the use of one arm, can you think of your baby's weight being supported from this whole structure?
Your spine supports your weight.
You support your baby’s weight.
Your baby’s weight goes through your pelvis -
which connects to your legs -
which connect to your feet -
and your feet are on the floor.
Get curious: do you keep “baby-carrying mode” even when you’re not carrying baby? When you put your baby down, really put them down! If one of your hips is drifting out in space, bring it closer to your center, and remember it’s connected to this whole thing that is the rest of you!
It’s ok if you have to do this what feels like a million times! Hopefully, bringing yourself back into balance becomes a more positive habit for you, so just maybe, you can stop and enjoy the moment.
Changing your habits of alignment and awareness is a process - if you would like my personal help as a teacher in making this change for yourself, please contact me!