Correct Way to Stand and Sit During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, your growing belly may sometimes make you feel like you are going to tumble, so learning to maintain a good posture, where there is minimum strain on the back.
Here are some tips to help you maintain a good posture while standing and sitting:
Tips to maintain a good posture while standing during pregnancy
- Keep your head up straight with your chin in. Do not move the head forward, backward, down or sideways.
- Maintain the ear lobes in line with the middle of the shoulders.
- Keep the chest forward and the shoulder blades back.
- Keep the knees straight, without locking them.
- Pull the belly in and up (as far as possible). Avoid tilting the pelvis backwards or forwards.
- Ensure that the feet are pointing towards the same direction and your weight is distributed evenly on both feet.
- Try not to stand in the same position for too long.
Tips to maintain a good posture while sitting during pregnancy
- Sit up, keeping the shoulders back and the back straight.
- Make sure your buttocks touch the back of the seat.
- Use a small, rolled-up towel or a lumbar roll place at the curve of the back.
Tips to sit correctly when you do not have a back support:
- Slouch completely while sitting at the end of the chair.
- Pull yourself up and enhance the curve of the back as much as possible and maintain this posture for few seconds. Release the position marginally (about 10 degrees). This is a good sitting posture.
- Evenly balance your body weight on both hips.
- Maintain the hips and knees at a right angle.
- Avoid crossing the legs.
- Avoid sitting in the same position for more than 30 minutes.
- WebMD. Health & Pregnancy: Good Posture During Pregnancy. Cited 2016 May 4. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/baby/posture.
Correct sleeping posture during pregnancy
During pregnancy, most women struggle to find a comfortable position to sleep in their beds, before falling to sleep. Regrettably, the routine sleeping positions may no longer be comfortable during pregnancy.
There are multiple reasons for this discomfort, but there are some sleeping positions that can help you get a little comfortable so you can get that much needed rest.
Why does it get so uncomfortable to sleep during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, the body undergoes several changes that can affect your usual comfortable sleep.
Reasons for the discomfort are:
- A bigger belly (that keeps increasing in size till your baby is about to be born)
- Back pain
- Heartburn (type of indigestion)
- Insomnia (Sleeplessness)
- Shortness of breath
The Best Sleep Positions during Pregnancy
- Sleeping on the side (the “SOS” position) is the best sleep position during pregnancy. And if you can sleep on the left side, it can enhance the flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta and the baby. Bend the legs and knees and put a pillow between the legs.
- If you have a backache: sleeping on the side is the best position and if need be, you can place the pillow under the abdomen too.
- If you are suffering from heartburn in the night, try sleeping little propped up with pillows.
- If there is shortness of breath later in pregnancy, try sleeping on the side or propped up with the pillows.
- Positioning the pillow: it should be under the head and not the shoulders. It should be thick enough to allow your head to be in the normal position. Many pillows are available that are designed specifically for pregnancy.
The suggestions mentioned here may not be comfortable in the beginning but you can try them out as eventually you may find that it’s working for you. Moreover, avoid being in the same position for all night and changing the position is okay.
Sleep position to avoid during pregnancy
Avoid lying on the back as it can result in backaches, breathing difficulties, digestive system problems, haemorrhoids, low blood pressure and can decrease the blood flow to the heart and baby.
Avoid sleeping on the stomach as the abdomen undergoes physical changes and makes it difficult to lie on the stomach. Additionally, it can put pressure on the foetus.
- American Pregnancy Association. Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy. Cited 2016 May 4. Available from: http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/sleeping-positions-during-pregnancy/.
- WebMD. Health & Pregnancy: Good Posture During Pregnancy. Cited 2016 May 4. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/baby/posture.
