As wonderful as pregnancies can be, they often bring a lot of hardships. Even if you don’t sit right, it’s very hard on the growing fetus. It is also very hard on your joints and ligaments in a way that can cause issues long after the baby is born.

Why Sitting Posture is Important

According to Congruent Life Chiropractic, “The way you sit affects your bones, ligaments, and muscles. Correct posture allows for optimal alignment and stability to the pelvis and uterus, which increase the chances for a healthy pregnancy, as well as optimal labor and delivery.” As your pregnancy grows, your abdominal muscles stretch. Normally, your abdominal muscles contract to allow your lower back to align properly. However, the increase in your fetus’s size, as well as the increase in your hormones, lead to a loosening of your joints and ligaments.

How to Correct Your Posture

Correcting your posture takes practice but is essential for fetal growth as well as joint and muscle damage prevention. There are some stretches that you can do and plenty of tools that you can use.

Sutter Health recommends starting with your upper back by ensuring that your shoulders and hips are aligned with your ears. Include a pelvic tilt. Avoid slouching. If you’re sitting in a chair, make sure that the length of your thighs are supported and your knees level with your hips. Whatever you do, don’t slouch. This cuts off circulation and causes dizziness.

If you need to, you can use a couple of tools such as a maternity belt or belly band. The latter is a tube-like garment that can help with both your sitting posture and the appearance of your clothes. They provide mild compression support on your hips and lower back. They come in different sizes and designs and the elastic trim prevents bunching up. Maternity belts are similar. However, they secure and provide the compression exclusively to the abdominal area. They’re preferable if you’re having stretch pains or hip and pelvic pains.

How Ergonomic Seating Can Help

Yoga balls have shown to be particularly good for pregnant women. They help to keep your pelvis properly aligned, especially after 30 weeks. Ergonomic chairs have special lumbar support that can be adjusted to fit the spine and back’s inward curve. They are up to 19 inches wide. With it, you can sit with your knees level and feet flat on the floor.

Sitting properly while pregnant can be difficult. Fortunately, however, there are some easy ways that you can correct that, including having the proper seating. The main thing is to just relax and make sure that your body is level.