How to sit in an office chair during pregnancy? When pregnant, the easiest way to sit in an office chair is with your ass against the chair’s backrest. Maintain a neutral sitting stance with your feet on the ground and straight back. Use a lumbar brace or a rolled-up towel to protect the lower back.
Do you know that how you sit and use your body will affect your baby’s place in the uterus? We recognize that the whole 9-month pregnancy phase can be uncomfortable, particularly if you have to sit behind a desk to work.
When you’re pregnant and living, there are a few things to keep an eye out for. As a result, in this article, we’ll tell you how to sit in an office chair during pregnancy.
How To Sit In An Office Chair During Pregnancy?
When you’re pregnant, good posture refers to how you keep your body when standing, sitting, or lying down. The target is to achieve spine alignment. Therefore, choosing the best spot that puts the least pressure on your back is important.
There are easy tips you can do to ensure proper body balance if you have done your part to ensure an ergonomic office system. For example, here are the safest seating positions for pregnant women:
- When seated, make sure your shoulders are drawn back and neutral. Maintain a straight back when doing so. Your buttocks should be in line with the chair’s backrest.
- Place all of your feet equally on the cement. Your elbows and knees must be at a 90-degree angle, and your pelvis should be slightly upward.
- Your elbows and hips should be in line with your ears. Imagine a straight line stretching from your ears to your shoulders to your knees to your legs. This straight-line position is referred to as a neutral position.
- Sit in an ergonomic office chair that is firm and relaxed, ideally with strong lumbar support and proper back tension. You can feel more at ease by supporting your upper body weight and lower back.
- If you must wait for long periods, take a break now and then. It is essential to get up and walk about. For every 30 minutes you work, take a few minutes to stroll or stretch.
- Make sure you’re even with your desk by adjusting the height of your office chair. Sit close to your seat to ensure a neutral posture for your spine, shoulders, arms, and elbows. This position will assist you in relaxing and being less tired. You will put your neck under undue pressure if you sit too low.
- If you buy one with the right height, using a balancing ball during the last three months of your pregnancy will help you a lot. A balancing ball will help you get your baby in the right place and prepare your pelvis for labour.
If you are looking for office chairs suitable for pregnant ladies, read our reviews here.
Best Sitting Tips and Tricks for Pregnancy
Since everybody is physically different, certain tips and tricks can help improve relaxation and learn how to sit comfortably in an office chair during pregnancy. Here are some of the easiest sitting tips and tricks for pregnant women:
Make Use of the Armrest Pads
The armrests in your office chair are frequently too rigid. Ergonomic arm pillows made of ultra-durable memory foam are a perfect way to remove strain from the arms and elbows while still having proper cushioning to help overcome the issue of stiff rubber armrests.
Arm pillows are made of 100 per cent memory foam. They have a velvety polyester finish to support your elbows and arms when sitting during the day, particularly while typing on your computer.
Use an Ergonomic Footrest
A footrest helps improve balance and decreases physical discomfort by elevating the legs while seated in a chair. In addition, proper foot support can help to relieve the tremendous pressure on your lower body, which is particularly important when seated in an office chair while pregnant. Unfortunately, many office employees make the mistake of letting their legs hang while sitting.
High-density memory foam is used with some of the finest footrests and can even be used as a rocker (when flipped upside down). This foam makes for steady lower-leg mobility, which helps to reduce exhaustion and improve blood circulation, especially while sitting for long periods.
You’ll be surprised by how much an ergonomic footrest can help ease the pain in your lower back by having incredible leg support. You’ll wish you’d known about this a long time ago.
Make Use of a Lumbar Support Pillow
Pregnancy is a moment when the lower back cries out for help. If you work in a shared office and cannot adjust the sofa, you must find a way to protect your back properly. Investing in a nice, breathable ergonomic lumbar support cushion for your office chair is the remedy.
You’ll be able to relieve some of the strain on your lower body by finding one that is ergonomically built to suit the streamlining of your spine curve. The contoured shape would benefit your back, hips, and spine. The best thing is that you can bring it everywhere and use it if you need a seat.
Here’s a list of popular office chair cushions available now.
Sitting Positions to Avoid During Pregnancy
When pregnant, it’s important to pay close attention to your posture. Here are some of the seating postures you can avoid when pregnant:
- Crossing the legs while seated will reduce blood flow and cause swelling in the ankles and varicose veins. Crossing your legs while seated will even throw off your balance.
- When you need to turn around, try not to curl your waist. We recommend turning your whole body if you need to get anything next to you. You can also slowly rotate the chair.
- Avoid stretching or leaning over to avoid putting undue strain on the belly. Bring the monitor and keyboard next to you if you need to operate on a screen.
- Avoid sitting in a chair without a backrest to prevent extra pressure on the lower back. This avoidance is particularly important if you have to stay for long periods at work.
- Make an effort to avoid slouching! We don’t need to remind you how dangerous this is.
- Make sure your knees aren’t dangling while you’re sitting. If your chair is too big, get a new one or use the right footrest to hold your legs properly.
Correct Postures To Sit In An Office Desk During Pregnancy
Proper posture, which includes teaching your body to find the positions that put the least amount of pressure on your back while standing, sitting, or lying down during breastfeeding, entails training your body to find the positions that put the least amount of strain on your back.
Poor posture can cause not only pain and distress but it can also hurt your infant.
As a result, observe the steps outlined to maintain a healthy posture and correct body motions during breastfeeding.
- It would be best if you matched your shoulders and elbows with your ears.
- Pull your head back and keep them in a balanced position.
- Hold your shoulders relaxed by resting your elbows and arms on your chair or desk.
- You should get a straight back.
- Sit with your back supported by a pillow at the bend of your spine.
- The angle formed by your hips and knees should be 90 degrees.
- Your pelvis should be slightly forward-facing.
- Your buttocks should be in touch with the chair’s back.
- Distribute your weight equally between your hips.
- Place all feet on the floor in a balanced manner.
Conclusion
That concludes our quick guide to sitting comfortably in an office chair while pregnant. Although it’s normal to hear pregnant women talking of lower back pain, it’s normally the result of abrupt and dramatic changes in sitting posture over nine months.
We recognize that basic activities like standing and sitting can be challenging when you’re pregnant due to increased weight gain. However, contrary to common opinion, finding comfort in an office chair during breastfeeding is not difficult until you fully learn how to sit in one.
I realize there are several points, but since the whole period is so delicate and the mother’s body is constantly under threat, we should only take these minor but multiple steps seriously in the interest of the mother’s and child’s welfare.
Knowing the best chairs for breastfeeding will give you the confidence that you are getting the proper support which will also help you feel more relaxed. In addition, it will assist you with getting your blood supply to where you need it to be. As a result, choose a chair that satisfies your needs for back comfort and support.
References:
- American Pregnancy Association. (2019, May). Pregnancy and Work: Office Safety Tips. Retrieved from https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-and-work-office-safety-tips/
- Healthline. (2021, January). Pregnancy and Office Work. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/office-work
- Mayo Clinic. (2020, November). Pregnancy week by week. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-and-workouts/art-20047496
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2018, December). Women’s Health at Work. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/women/pregnancy.html
- Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2021, January). Pregnancy and Work. Retrieved from https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/youre-pregnant-now-what/pregnancy-and-work
