Latest / The Total Knee Success Podcast: Your Essential Resource for Navigating Total Knee Replacement / Episode 98: Carrying and Playing With Grandchildren After Knee Replacement (How to Lift, Hold, and Move With More Control)

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Episode 98: Carrying and Playing With Grandchildren After Knee Replacement (How to Lift, Hold, and Move With More Control) · The Total Knee Success Podcast: Your Essential Resource for Navigating Total Knee Replacement

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  the answer to the question, when can I lift my
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  grandchild, does not have one date that fits
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  everyone. The answer depends on more than the
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  number of weeks since surgery. Are you ready
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  to get back to what you love after knee replacement?
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  The Total Knee Success Podcast is your trusted
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  guide with practical tips, evidence -based strategies,
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  and no fluff. It's not personal medical advice,
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  just solid education to help you manage pain,
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  regain mobility, and get back to living the life
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  you love. Let's dive in. Welcome back to the
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  Total Knee Success Podcast. I'm Michelle. Carrying
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  or playing with a grandchild can be one of the
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  activities you've been looking forward to since
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  your knee replacement. It may sound simple. You
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  pick up a child, sit on the floor for a game,
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  or walk across the room with them in your arms.
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  But each of these moments asks your body to solve
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  several problems at once. You need strength,
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  balance, knee bend, confidence, and the ability
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  to respond when the child suddenly leans, wiggles,
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  reaches, or changes direction. By the end of
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  this episode, you'll have a clearer way to decide
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  which parts of caring for or playing with your
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  grandchild are ready now, which can be modified,
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  and which deserve more preparation before you
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  try them. A child is not the same as a bag of
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  groceries, laundry, or a weight at the gym. That's
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  pretty obvious. An object usually stays where
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  you place it. A child may push away from your
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  chest, wrap one leg around you, reach toward
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  a toy, or shift their weight without warning.
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  That movement changes where the combined center
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  of weight sits over your feet. Your hips, trunk,
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  ankles and knees must adjust quickly, sometimes
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  before you have time to think about it. This
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  is one reason the answer to the question, when
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  can I lift my grandchild, does not have one date
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  that fits everyone. The answer depends on more
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  than the number of weeks since surgery. It depends
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  on the child's size, where the lift begins. how
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  far you plan to carry them, whether you need
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  to turn or use stairs, and how your strength
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  and balance are functioning on that particular
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  day. Think about lifting from an elevated surface
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  like a firm chair first. The child is already
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  elevated. You don't have to lower your body close
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  to the floor, create as much force through your
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  legs, or manage a deep knee bend in one or both
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  of your knees. Lifting from a bed may also be
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  easier when the bed is stable and at a useful
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  height. Lifting from the floor is a different
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  task. You must first get low enough to reach
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  the child, organize your feet and trunk, lift
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  both your body and the child, and then regain
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  upright balance. Sounds difficult, but it's possible
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  you've done it before, right? That difference
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  is important because a person can be walking
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  fairly well and still lack the strength or control
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  needed for a loaded rise from a low position.
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  Research after total knee replacement shows that
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  physical function improves over time, but the
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  course varies widely and some demanding activities
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  remain limited even when the pain has improved.
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  A calendar can describe how long it's been since
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  surgery, but it can't test the exact task you're
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  about to perform. And this podcast cannot tell
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  you what to do. It's for educational purposes
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  only. An easier first step may be to let the
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  child come to you. Sit in a firm chair with armrests
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  and invite the child to climb onto your lap.
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  This allows you to hold them, read together,
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  or enjoy that closeness without combining the
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  movement with a difficult lift. Early on, sitting
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  to hold a baby or toddler may be a much better
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  choice than standing and carrying them. You can
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  also change the starting height. An older toddler
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  may be able to stand on a stable, non -rolling
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  step or platform while another adult supervises.
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  From that raised position, you may be able to
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  bring the child close without reaching toward
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  the floor. The surface must be secure. The child
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  must be able to follow directions, and you shouldn't
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  use a setup that creates a new fall risk. Be
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  careful about that. The goal is not to prove
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  that you can lift from the lowest possible position.
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  At least, I don't think that's the goal. The
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  goal is generally to create a controlled beginning.
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  Before lifting, bring your feet into a stable
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  position, get close enough, that you're not reaching
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  with your arms out too far straight, and ask
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  the child to face you, and when developmentally
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  appropriate, hold close rather than leaning away.
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  Bring their weight toward your chest before you
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  stand. The farther the load moves from your body,
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  or the farther they are away from you, the more
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  demanding it becomes for your trunk and for your
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  legs. As you rise, keep the movement deliberate.
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  Push through both feet as evenly as you can,
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  and use the chair, bed, or another stable support.
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  when that support is part of the plan. Once you're
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  standing, pause. This way you can kind of get
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  your bearings. Don't immediately turn and walk.
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  That pause gives you a moment to confirm that
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  your feet are planted, your knee feels steady,
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  and that the child is settled into your arms.
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  Turning deserves a little special attention.
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  A common mistake might be planting the feet and
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  twisting your trunk while holding the child.
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  Instead, turn by taking some smaller steps. Let
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  your feet change direction with your body, and
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  this reduces the demand of rotating over a planted
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  leg and gives you more chances to correct your
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  balance. Many adults naturally carry a child
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  on one hip. That's what I do. That position frees
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  one arm. But it also creates an uneven load.
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  Research on one -sided carrying shows that asymmetric
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  loads can alter posture and walking mechanics.
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  And that exact response depends on the size of
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  the load. how the load is held and the person
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  carrying it. After knee replacement, that uneven
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  position may also encourage you to lean your
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  trunk or rely more heavily on one leg. Holding
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  the child in front of you and close to your body
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  may feel more balanced for a short carry, although
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  it can limit your view of the floor. Carrying
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  on one hip may be reasonable for some people
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  once strength and balance are ready. But it should
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  not become an endurance test. Switching sides
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  can reduce prolonged one -sided loading when
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  it's comfortable and safe. But you may want to
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  avoid moving the child from one hip to the other
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  while walking. Maybe stop and stabilize yourself,
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  and then reposition, making sure that you're
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  in control of the movement. Your walking path
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  also changes things. A clear level hallway is
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  very different from a hallway with toys scattered
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  across the floor, a pet moving around your feet,
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  a threshold, wet grass, or a crowded room. Before
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  picking up the child, clear the route. Decide
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  where you're going to go and where you'll put
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  the child down. A short planned carry is safer
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  than standing with your child in your arms when
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  you decide what to do next. Footwear is part
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  of a safe setup. Shoes or secure slippers with
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  good traction are generally more reliable than
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  loose slides, socks on a smooth floor, or bare
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  feet on a surface where you don't feel stable.
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  Good lighting helps you to see toys, cords, and
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  changes in floor height. These details can seem
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  pretty basic. but carrying a child removes some
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  of your ability to catch yourself or grab a support.
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  Stairs raise a difficulty again. Carrying a child
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  may block your view of the steps, shift your
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  center of weight, and prevent you from using
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  the handrail. So early after surgery or whenever
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  your stairs are not yet automatic, the safer
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  plan is usually to let another adult carry the
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  child. You can walk the stairs separately with
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  the support you normally use. Before considering
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  stairs while holding a child, you should be able
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  to manage the stairs pretty confidently without
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  the child, without having to pull heavily on
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  the railing and without your knee buckling or
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  your balance feeling uncertain. Even then, the
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  child's size and behavior count. A baby held
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  securely against your body is a different challenge
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  from a toddler who suddenly arches backward.
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  This is an area where advice from your physical
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  therapist can be especially useful because they
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  can observe your stair pattern and discuss safety
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  strategies with you. Getting down on the floor
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  to visit with a child brings another set of decisions.
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  Episode 96 focused on getting down on the floor
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  and returning to standing. And those skills become
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  even more important when a child is nearby because
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  many children may crawl under you, grab your
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  clothing or try to quote unquote help. At the
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  exact moment you need some space and you need
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  to concentrate. Start by choosing a place where
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  you'll get down and get up. A supportive floor
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  cushion can make sitting more comfortable, but
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  it should not slide or collapse under you. A
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  firm couch, stable chair with armrests, or heavy
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  piece of furniture may provide support to assist
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  you in the transfer. Try to avoid using a lightweight
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  table, toy bin, or chair that can tip. That's
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  a recipe for losing your balance. Use the floor
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  transfer method that you've already practiced.
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  Do not make your first attempt while also trying
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  to hold a child. Have another adult nearby when
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  possible, especially the first few times. Once
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  you're settled on the floor, bring the child
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  into the activity. When it's time to stand, create
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  space around you, make sure the child is somewhere
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  safe, and complete the transfer without them
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  pulling on you. Kneeling may or may not be part
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  of getting down on the floor. Some people can
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  kneel after knee replacement, while others continue
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  to have discomfort, numbness, pressure, limited
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  bend, or concern about the position. You do not
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  have to kneel to be involved. You can sit with
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  your legs extended, sit on a cushion or a low
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  firm seat, or place the activity on a child -sized
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  play table that keeps you above floor level.
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  A play table can also be useful when getting
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  down as possible, but getting back up, especially
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  repeatedly, is tiring. You might spend 10 minutes
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  on the floor for a puzzle and then move to a
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  table for drawing or blocks or whatever other
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  activity you can do on a table. Connection doesn't
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  depend on staying in the most demanding position
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  for the longest time. You may be able to enjoy
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  yourself for a longer period of time if you're
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  just on a low surface and not on the floor. Your
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  level of fatigue deserves a little more respect
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  when a child is involved. As your legs tire,
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  you may rise more slowly, rely more on one side,
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  take shorter steps, or have less ability to correct
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  a sudden loss of balance. The child does not
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  become lighter because you're tired. In fact,
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  the load often feels less predictable because
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  your own control is reduced. This is why the
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  best time to try a new carrying task is not at
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  the end of a busy day. Try it when you're rested,
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  the environment is organized, and another adult
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  is available. Begin with a brief hold while seated,
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  then perhaps stand with the child close to you
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  and sit back down. Later, walk a few steps across
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  a clear room. Each stage gives you information
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  without forcing you to combine every challenge
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  all at once. Your knee's response afterward also
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  provides useful information. Some temporary stiffness
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  or muscle fatigue may occur when you add a new
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  task. A noticeable increase in swelling, pain,
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  limping, or stiffness that persists into the
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  next day suggests that the dose may have been
• 11:00
  too high for your current capacity. And that
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  doesn't automatically mean that you've caused
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  damage. It does mean that the next attempt may
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  need less weight, fewer repetitions, a shorter
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  carry, or more support. Pain that is sharp, severe,
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  or accompanied by a fall, a sudden inability
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  to bear weight, new instability, significant
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  swelling, wound concerns, fever, calf pain, chest
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  pain, or shortness of breath deserves prompt
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  medical attention according to the urgency of
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  the symptom. Do not use a purely educational
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  podcast to decide whether a potentially serious
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  change can be ignored. There may also be a point
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  when the child's weight exceeds what you can
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  safely manage right now. And that can be difficult
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  because saying no to lifting a child may feel
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  like saying no to the child overall. They're
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  not the same decision. You can sit and invite
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  the child to come up and sit with you. You can
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  offer a hug at their height. You can play at
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  a table, read together, or ask another adult
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  to place the child beside you on the couch. You
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  can say, I can hold you while I'm sitting, or
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  let's climb up together. A clear limit can protect
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  both of you without reducing affection or involvement.
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  For older grandchildren, include them in the
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  plan. Children often respond well to a simple
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  job. They can help clear toys from the walking
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  path, bring the book to a chair, climb into the
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  couch beside you, or wait until you're seated
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  before giving you a big hug. That language can
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  stay positive and direct. You're showing them
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  how to move safely around someone whose body
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  is still rebuilding strength. A great learning
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  opportunity. A stable step stool, firm chair
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  with armrests, supportive floor cushion, or raised
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  play surface may make certain activities easier,
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  but none of these tools replaces the ability
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  to control the task. Any stool should be stable
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  on the actual floor where it will be used, and
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  the child should be supervised. These are examples
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  to compare not requirements, and the right choice
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  depends on your needs and health care guidance.
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  I'd like to invite you to sign up for the free
• 12:58
  Total Knee Success Insider Newsletter for practical
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  education, new podcast episodes, and helpful
• 13:04
  resources for wherever you are in your knee replacement
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  journey. Click the link in the show notes or
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  go to TotalKneeSuccess .com. Returning to time
• 13:13
  with your grandchildren is not one test that
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  you either pass or fail. It's a group of separate
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  skills. Sitting and holding may come first. Getting
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  on the floor may need a transfer strategy. Walking
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  while carrying may require more strength and
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  balance. Stairs may need to wait until your movement
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  is much more automatic. Breaking the activity
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  into parts allows you to participate now while
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  continuing to prepare for what comes next. In
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  episode 99, we'll explore returning to the gym
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  after knee replacement. We'll talk about common
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  questions people have as they begin using gym
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  equipment again, how different types of exercise
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  may fit into the bigger picture of rehabilitation,
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  and some of the practical considerations that
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  can help you make sense of the transition. Thanks
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  for joining me. I'm Michelle and this has been
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  the Total Me Success podcast. This podcast is
• 14:08
  for educational purposes only. Discover more
• 14:11
  at TotalMeSuccess .com and be sure to subscribe
• 14:14
  and share because every step forward takes you
• 14:17
  closer to living the life you love.