How to Sit In an Office Chair During Pregnancy

How to Sit In an Office Chair During Pregnancy – A Handy Guide

It is important to learn how to sit in an office chair during pregnancy because your sitting posture can have such a huge impact on your health. The average person spends about 8.3 hours per day at work and most of this time is often spent in an office chair in front of your computer. 

A poor sitting posture during pregnancy can cause a lot of pain and discomfort during a time that should be precious and cherished. In this guide, we are going to share some great tips on the best way to sit for a healthy pregnancy. 

How to Sit In an Office Chair During Pregnancy

Why Good Sitting Posture is Important During Pregnancy

A good sitting posture is very important at any stage of your life and especially during pregnancy. This is because a lot more strain and workload are put on your spine and this pressure and strain only increase as your tummy grows. 

Poor posture during pregnancy can have many negative effects like increased heartburn, lower back pain, shoulder pain, upper back pain, varicose veins, needles and pins in legs, swelling feet, numbness in legs and lower back, and many others. 

How to Sit In an Office Chair During Pregnancy

There are quite a few strategies and products that you can use to get a healthier sitting position but it is always best to start with a standard neutral position. Here is a quick look at the best neutral posture to have during pregnancy.

Shoulders back

Hunching over isn’t good for your spine. You want to keep your shoulders relaxed and pulled back into a neutral position. To get the right position, you can sit down with your buttocks against the backrest and your back straight. 

Feet flat

Your feet should be positioned flat on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your pelvic floor muscles should also have a slight lean forward so your body weight will be distributed onto your feet and not onto your spine.

Ears aligned with shoulders and hips

When you have a healthy sitting position, your ears will be aligned with your shoulders and your hips. Imagine a straight line running through your ears, shoulders, elbows all the way to your hips. 

Sit at the correct height

Your chair should be adjusted to suit your height and the height of your desk. When you sit in front of your desk, your neck and shoulders should be in a neutral position and your arms should be at a 90-degree angle with the desk. Your knees should also be bent at a 90-degree angle with both feet flat on the ground. 

With tall office desks, you might have to get foot support to help you reach your desk and still maintain that neutral position for your entire body. 

Other Tips That Can Help You Sit More Comfortably

A good neutral or healthy posture position is great for reducing pain but there are also a couple of other things you can do to enhance your comfort when you are at work. Here is a quick look at a couple of other great tips to try.

Take regular breaks

It isn’t healthy for your body to sit down for a long period of time. Try to move at regular intervals. About 5 minutes for every 30 minutes you work is a good sedentary schedule to follow.

Movement like stretches, simple foot exercises, or a walk will keep the blood circulating through your body, will prevent varicose veins, and will keep your stomach muscles and leg muscles from cramping. 

Consider a balance ball

A balance ball or a yoga ball can be a wonderful sitting alternative during the final 3 months of pregnancy but you will need a ball that is the correct height for your body and that is coated with an anti-slip surface so you won’t fall. Balance balls are usually firm enough to offer good support yet soft and bouncy so you can avoid pain in your tailbone area. It is also believed that sitting on a yoga ball may assist in preparing your pelvis for labor. 

Proper armrest height is important

Office chairs with adjustable armrests are ideal for pregnancy because you can lift or tilt these armrests to get a proper height. You can also get armrest pads if the chair arms are too low or too hard. A couple of bouncy memory foam armrests can offer great pain relief for your elbows. Resting your arms on the armrests with your shoulders in a neutral position can help reduce neck pain and tension.

Use an ergonomic footrest

It often happens that office desks are just too high to allow you to comfortably sit down with your keyboard in a healthy position. If you lift your chair to get a good position for your arms, your feet might not touch the ground. A great way to create a comfortable workspace is by investing in an ergonomic footrest. These footrests are usually adjustable in height so you can get a proper sitting position no matter what your chair height might be. Ergonomic footrests also sometimes come with an adjustable tilt that can help you sit in a more normal position and some of them even have a layer of memory foam on top that can soothe sore feet.

Use a lumbar pillow

If your back and shoulders are still killing you then you can consider a good quality lumbar support cushion that you can add to your chair.


These pillows are designed to support your spine and reduce tension in this part of your body. This can be very helpful for relieving lower back pain, maintaining healthy blood circulation, and eliminating poor posture during your third trimester.

Use an ergonomic chair

Not all chairs will give you the needed back support to accommodate the extra weight in your belly. If your chair doesn’t feel comfortable then it is best to invest in an ergonomic office chair that offers excess lumbar support and that has adjustable height settings to suit your length. Here is a quick look at some alternative chairs to include in your office if your lumbar spine won’t stop aching.

Sciatica chair

The best office chairs for sciatica are designed with added lumbar support and they usually offer various ergonomic features like dustable arms, adjustable headrests, and many more.

Gaming chair

The best gaming chair for tall persons can also be helpful because they come with a tall backrest, added lumbar support, lots of ergonomic features and many even include a footrest and recline feature that you can pop out when you need to take a break from work. Some gaming chairs also include speakers that could help you hear better now that you have to sit further away from the desk. 

Zero gravity chair

 Adding a zero gravity chair for the tall man to your office can be a great investment if you are in your final months of pregnancy. These chairs are designed to raise your feet to the same level as your heart which can reduce swelling in the feet and lower blood pressure levels.

Reclining chair with footrest

The best reclining office chair with a footrest is ideal for pregnant women because they can tilt the seat back as their bellies grow. This can prevent pinching of the veins below your belly and being able to lift your feet when you take a break from work can be very soothing and can help reduce stress and swelling.

Recliner chair

 A lot of women struggle with terrible fatigue during pregnancy. Having the best recliner for sleeping after surgery in your office can be a huge help because these chairs are designed to help you get in and out a lot easier and they usually feature various features like recline, footrest, and massage lumbar support that can soothe your body whenever you need to take a nap to restore those energy levels.

Positions to Avoid During Pregnancy

Some sitting positions are not healthy for your body at all. Here is a quick look at sitting postures and positions you want to avoid when that baby bump starts to show.

  • Avoid sitting with crossed legs since this can hinder blood circulation, enhance swelling and increase spider veins and varicose veins.
  • Don’t twist your waist when you need to turn around or when you are sitting. Instead, get a rotating chair that can do the twisting for you. 
  • Don’t lean forward for too long since this enhances pressure on the abdomen.
  • Try not to slouch because this can be harmful to your spine and can result in a forward text neck or hump on your back. 

Final Thoughts

Learning how to sit in an office chair during pregnancy can help you stay full of energy and pain-free while you are growing your little miracle. If you still can’t find a good comfortable position in your current office chair then it might be time to start shopping for the best office chair for pregnancy. On Chairs Wiki you can find a good quality chair no matter what your sitting and health needs might be. 

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