When I first found out I was pregnant, I was over-the-moon excited. I had been waiting a very long time to experience this journey. I didn’t know what to expect or how my body would change, but I did know that I would need to modify some habits and techniques, especially as my pregnancy progressed.
In the first trimester, my body didn’t really change, so my transfer techniques didn’t need to change. I was exhausted and often felt sick, but my actual techniques did not change. I did transfer as little as possible in order to save energy – unless it was to the couch; naps were essential.
During the second trimester, I had a lot more energy, so I was doing more things. I kept up with yoga once a week, where I stayed in my chair, and, toward the middle of this trimester, started modifying some poses. Transfers were still pretty easy, and I was able to keep doing them the way I’ve always transferred. What did change, though, was that I was more aware of my chair frame when loading it in and out of my vehicle. I wanted to protect my belly, so I started slowing down the process and really paying attention to where everything was.
Then the third trimester hit, and everything changed. It felt like it came all at once. I went back to using my transfer board (slide board) for most of my transfers. Picking up my body with the extra weight from carrying a baby became super difficult, and I didn’t want to risk falling. For couch, bed, and car transfers, the transfer board became essential. And to minimize toilet transfers, I started using closed-system catheters more often to save some energy.
As a T4 complete paraplegic, I’ve known that this journey would be difficult. I fantasized about it for 15+ years. I had to be okay with needing more help with transfers and with taking over some chores I was used to doing. And for the last month, my husband and I decided that I shouldn’t drive myself anywhere due to some safety concerns. This was probably the hardest for me to let go of. I pride myself on being independent and had to put my ego aside to do what was best for our baby’s health and my own.
I also went back to physical therapy to talk about transfers and the best way to approach them as my belly grew. I didn’t know what to expect but I knew it would be different. I was mentally prepared for my transfers to change and knew that I’d probably have to go back to using a transfer board – something I hadn’t done in about 15 years.
In the end, pregnancy taught me that adapting my transfers wasn’t a step backward—it was an act of care for both my body and my baby. Each trimester required new strategies, more patience, and a willingness to ask for help, but it also reinforced my resilience and trust in my own instincts. Letting go of old techniques and embracing new ones reminded me that independence isn’t about doing everything the same way forever; it’s about finding safe, smart ways to keep moving forward through every season of life.
