Is there a limit to how much I should be lifting?

You shouldn’t be worried about lifting general items around the house, the store, or work. This being said, if you work on an assembly line in a factory or in some other job that requires routine repetitive heavy lifting, it may be best to ask your doctor about your specific situation. But for the most part, occasional and recurrent lifting of any amount you normally lift in the course of your home or work life is not usually going to be a problem. This includes any babies or small children you have at home. 

Still, lifting the right way is very important: bend at your knees, try to keep your back straight, and lift up with your legs. This will help prevent unnecessary strain or sprain on your muscles and joints which are already a bit overworked when you are pregnant. 

It’s unclear if repetitive heavy lifting is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but it certainly can make the normal aches and pains of pregnancy much worse. At the gym, light weights and repetitions are fine, but it’s probably not the time to set your new personal records for lifting. At work, it depends on how far along you are and how much lifting you do. Click here for a graphic that shows a very conservation approach to limiting problems associated with repetitive lifting while you’re pregnant.