Why does carrying hurt so much more with arthritis?

Because carrying a child unsupported is a grip task, a load task and an endurance task all at once, and it lands squarely on the joints that tend to complain first.

When you hold a baby or toddler on your hip with no support, your hand and thumb clamp, your wrist bends sideways, your forearm holds a static contraction, and your shoulder stays hitched. Then you hold that position while you make toast. Small joints are not built for long static loads, and inflamed ones like it even less.

Add the classic hip hitch, where you push one hip out to make a shelf for your child, and you have your pelvis tilted and one side of your back working overtime. It is a lot of small strain, repeated all day, on a body that is already having a hard time.

What should I change first?

Start with the cheapest changes. They matter more than people expect.

• Stop carrying with your hands where you can. Any time your child is sitting on something rather than being gripped, your hands get a break.
• Swap sides on purpose. Most of us have a default side and it quietly becomes the sore side. Set a rule, like swapping every time you go through a doorway.
• Bring them to you, not you to them. Lower yourself with your legs, get them close to your chest, then stand. Reaching out and lifting at arm's length is where a lot of flares start.
• Sit down for the long ones. Feeds, settling and cuddles do not need to happen standing up.
• Shorten the carry, not the closeness. Five short carries with breaks is easier on joints than one twenty minute one.

Does a hip seat carrier help with joint pain?

It helps by changing what is doing the work. It does not treat anything.

The HipSurfer is a hipseat and bum bag in one. It sits on a wide padded waistband with a firm, non slip seat your child sits on, so their weight is designed to be redistributed through your hips and pelvis rather than held by your hand, wrist and shoulder. For a lot of parents with sore joints, that is the whole point. Your arm goes from being the chair to being the seatbelt.

It also matters that there are no shoulder straps and it fastens with one buckle. If your hands are stiff in the morning, wrangling a full carrier's clips and adjusters behind your back is its own small ordeal. A hipseat is a waistband and a buckle.

Being straight with you: one arm still supports your child at all times. It is not hands-free. And it will not make your condition go away. It makes the carrying part more comfortable to do, which for most of us is the bit that decides whether we can face the day out.

Why I built this in the first place

I developed the HipSurfer after inflammatory arthritis, back pain and two small children collided. Traditional carriers helped in some moments, but they were too fiddly and too slow for the reality of a toddler who wanted up, then down, then up again. Eight prototypes and about 18 months later, the HipSurfer launched in 2023.

I made the thing I desperately needed, then found out a lot of other parents needed it too. Plenty of them are dealing with arthritis, hypermobility, carpal tunnel, sciatica or a body that simply did not bounce back the way the books said it would.

What about wrists, thumbs and hands specifically?

Wrist and thumb pain from carrying is extremely common, with or without an underlying condition. The mechanics are the same either way: repeated gripping and lifting with the thumb doing more than its share.

If that is your main problem, our guide to mum thumb and wrist pain goes deeper on what causes it and what to change. If it is your back and shoulders instead, this one on sore backs and shoulders is more useful. And if you are carrying a bigger kid, the toddler carrier guide covers the up and down years.

FAQ

Can I use a hip seat carrier if I have arthritis in my hands?

Many parents with hand and wrist pain find a hipseat easier than gripping a child unsupported, because the seat holds their weight and your arm steadies rather than clamps. It fastens with a single waist buckle. Check with your health professional about what suits your situation.

Does the HipSurfer treat back or joint pain?

No. It is designed to redistribute your child's weight so carrying feels easier and puts less load through your arms and shoulders. It does not treat, cure or prevent any condition.

Is a hipseat easier to get on than a full carrier?

Yes, generally. It is one waistband and one buckle, on in around 15 seconds, with nothing to reach behind your back for. That matters on stiff mornings.

What weight can the HipSurfer hold?

Up to 25kg. Most parents feel the benefit most in the 15kg to 20kg range, when arm carrying has stopped being realistic.

Can my partner or my mum use the same one?

Yes. The waistband adjusts, so it is easy to share between caregivers. A lot of grandparents end up using it more than anyone expected.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have arthritis or ongoing joint pain, speak to your GP, rheumatologist or physiotherapist about what is right for you.