How to sit in office chair during pregnancy? The best way to sit in an office chair during pregnancy is to sit with your back touching the backrest of the chair. Try to maintain a neutral sitting posture with your back straight and both feet on the ground. Additionally, you can use a lumbar support or a rolled-up towel to help support your lower back.

Did you know that the way you sit and use your body can affect the position of your baby in the uterus? We understand that the whole 9-month process of pregnancy can hinder your comfort, especially when you are required to sit down behind the desk to work.

There are several important things to look out for when you are pregnant and working. So in this guide, we will help you to answer the question: how to sit in office chair during pregnancy?

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Why Is This Important

The importance of having good posture increases during pregnancy. According to the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, pregnancy is a time when the load that your spine carries increases with time. Your ever-growing tummy may influence you to feel like you are going to fall forward.

Because of this, having a bad posture may not only lead to pain and discomfort but may also cause harm to your baby. This is especially important during the final months of pregnancy as hormones may start to weaken your tendons and ligaments, leaving you with all sorts of discomfort.

Moreover, while performing normal day-to-day jobs, a pregnant woman is more prone to straining or overstretching themselves. It may also cause negative effects on bodily functions such as digestion and breathing. To help ease the tension on your neck, shoulders, and back, it is extremely important to understand the best way to sit in an office chair while pregnant.

How to Sit During Pregnancy

Good posture during pregnancy is the position in which you hold your body properly while standing, sitting, or lying down. The goal is to achieve alignment of the spine. This means that it’s crucial to find the right position where your back receives the least amount of strain.

If you have done your part to ensure an ergonomic office setup, there are simple tips you can do to ensure proper body alignment. Here is the best sitting posture during pregnancy:

1. Make sure that your shoulders are pulled back and neutral when sitting down. Do so while keeping your back straight. Your buttocks should make contact with the backrest of the chair.
2. Position both your feet on the floor evenly. Your hips and knees should form a 90-degree angle while keeping your pelvis slightly leaning forward.
3. Your ears should be in alignment with your shoulders and hips. Imagine an imaginary straight line running from your ears, shoulders, elbows, and hips. This is considered a neutral posture.
4. Sit on a firm and comfortable ergonomic office chair, preferably with good lumbar support and proper back tension. This will support your upper body weight and lower back to give you better comfort. Check out our list of the best office chairs for pregnancy to help support your body.
5. Take a break every now and then if you need to sit for long periods of time. it’s important to stand up and move around. Remember to walk or stretch for a few minutes for every 30 minutes you work.
6. Adjust your office chair height to ensure that you are level with your desk. Sit close to your table to achieve a neutral position of your neck, shoulders, arms, and elbows. This will help you relax and become less fatigued. When you’re sitting too low, your neck will endure unnecessary strain.
7. Using a balance ball during the 3 final months of your pregnancy can work wonders for you if you buy one with the proper height. A balance ball may help in the right positioning of the baby and may aid in preparing your pelvis for labor. We found one made with an anti-burst coating and a non-slip surface. You can check it out right here (link to Amazon).

A balance ball is beneficial in finding alignment, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.

Best Tips and Tricks to Sit During Pregnancy

In addition to sitting learning how to sit in an office chair during pregnancy properly, there are certain tips and tricks that may help maximize comfort because everyone is different physically. Here are some of the best tips and tricks to sit while pregnant:

1. Use Armrests Pads

Often, the armrests of your chair at the office can be too stiff. To help solve the problem of hard, plastic armrests, ergonomic arm pillows made with super soft memory foam is a great way to help relieve pressure from your arms and elbows, all the while providing you with proper cushioning.

Made with 100% memory foam and a velvety polyester finish, arm pillows will support your elbows and arms to help you feel comfortable while sitting down throughout the day, especially when typing on your phone.

2. Use an Ergonomic Footrest

By elevating your legs while sitting in a chair, a footrest supports better posture and reduces physical stress. Proper feet support will further ease the enormous strain on your lower body, especially when sitting in an office chair during pregnancy. Having the legs hang while sitting is a common pitfall for most office workers.

Some of the best footrests are made with high-density memory foam and can double as a rocker (when flipped upside down). This allows for consistent lower-leg movement, which helps minimize fatigue and increase healthy blood circulation, especially when you are required to sit for long periods of time.

You’ll be amazed at how an ergonomic footrest can help relieve the tremendous amount of pressure in your lower back by providing amazing leg support. You’d wish that you had discovered this a long time ago. 🙂

Footrests can help ease the enormous pressure on your lower back.

3. Use Lumbar Support Cushion

Pregnancy is a time when your lower spine is begging for pain relief. If you work in a communal office and are not able to change the furniture, then you need to find a way to properly support your back. The solution is investing in a good and breathable ergonomic lumbar support cushion for your office chair. 

Finding one that is ergonomically designed to fit the streamline of your spine curve will allow you to relieve some of the load from your lower body. The contoured design will effectively help realign your back, hips, and spine. The best thing is, you can bring it anywhere you’d like and use them whenever you need to sit down.

Sitting Posture to Avoid During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, it is crucial to pay special attention to your posture. Here are some of the sitting postures to avoid while you are pregnant that you don’t want to do:

• Avoid crossing your legs while sitting as it may hinder blood circulation and may swell the ankles or varicose veins. Crossing your legs may also cause improper balance while sitting.
• Refrain from twisting your waist whenever you need to turn around. If you need to get something near you, we advise you to turn your entire torso. You can also rotate the chair slowly.
• Avoid bending or leaning forward as this may add unnecessary pressure on your abdomen. If you need to work on a computer, bring the monitor and keyboard toward you.
• It’s best to not sit on a chair without a backrest to avoid additional strain on your lower back. This is especially important whenever you need to work for longer hours while sitting.
• Do your best to never slouch! We don’t have to tell you how harmful this is, right? Harvard Medical School did a good job of summarizing the harmful risks of slouching.
• Make sure that your legs don’t hang while you are sitting. If your chair is too high, change the chair or use the right footrest to properly support your legs. 

Final Takeaways

And there you have it, our simple guide on how to sit comfortably in an office chair while pregnant. While it’s common for pregnant women to be heard complaining about lower back pain, it is usually caused by sudden and drastic changes in the sitting posture during the 9-month period.

We understand that If you are pregnant, simple tasks, like standing and sitting down, can be difficult because of the ever-increasing weight gain. However, contrary to popular belief, it’s not difficult to find comfort once you truly understand how to sit in an office chair during pregnancy.

By the way, if you are keen on checking out the top office chairs for neck and shoulder pain, especially during pregnancy, you can do so right here. Here’s to an amazing workday and to your new baby! 🙂

Disclaimer:

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No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.