Boy, I’m really into the parenting stuff lately! Didn’t mean for this to become a mommy blog, I just feel like even if these breadcrumbs help one friend, it’ll be priceless. Hope they do! 

I’ve been dealing with terrible back pain over the past few years and having a baby certainly doesn’t help! For me, the most back-breaking activity is bathing her. Bathing requires tremendous core strength because you’re typically, it’s like holding a wiggling kettlebell with your arms extended straight out. And if you drop the kettlebell, it’ll drown.

Speaking of kettlebells, think about how you squat with one — you actually hold it low around your crotch so that it’s within your center of gravity. That’s how you should reposition bathtime to save you from back pain. I never thought about this until I found this little-known YouTube video with like 200 views on how to re-think how you bathe your infant.

Here’s the game changer: roll up your pants and straddle the edge of the bathtub or just put both feet in. Then position the child (or the container they’re in) as close to you as possible, like you would a kettlebell. You can keep your back aligned better this way and all of your movement is closer to your center of gravity.

I use this cushion that was actually meant for your forearms as a “seat” which makes it a little more comfortable and also keeps soap and wash towels within reach.

Check it out: