How to Make Office Chair More Comfortable During Pregnancy?

pregnant woman working with a laptop
Mums-to-be listen up! Whether you're hired by a company or working as a freelancer, it would be surprisingly challenging to sit down and stand up during pregnancy. Let's face it - although you're now expecting bundle of joy, carrying a tiny human inside of you for 9 months isn't always that easy.

Try to imagine the upcoming days battling morning sickness, headaches or swollen legs. Also as a worker, you may worry about how to stay active on daily basis. As the months progress, the more distressing it can be at work with that inevitably growing baby bump. During these significant phases, you'll need to consider the changes you'll go through during each of the 3 trimesters.

It's vital to know how to pick a comfortable work chair that is pregnant-friendly and what position you need to be when sitting in it to relieve the strain. In this guide, we're glad to share our top tips that you can use to make your workplace fit for new and expectant mothers, ensuring you stay as comfortable as possible as you work throughout the course of your pregnancy. Hope it helps!
pregnant woman who needs a good office chair
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ARRANGE ITEMS IN YOUR WORKSPACE WITHIN EASY REACH
When you are pregnant, do remember this - the less reaching out and bending, the better on your body. So, it can't be wiser to have the most frequently used items within your arm's reach. Also use some smart storage solutions to keep anything you don't use regularly neatly tucked away. Only take them out when necessary. More importantly, divide your workspace into three areas for great efficiency - one for paperwork, one for computer use and the last one for personal stuffs like cups and snacks, etc. A clutter-free working desk also helps boost your mood.

EVERY HOUR, STAND UP TO TAKE SHORT GAPS IN BETWEEN WORK
Another note, make sure to take frequent breaks throughout the workday - get up and walk around the office every hour or so if possible, and then get back to your work once again. That's because pregnancy is one of the factors that can put women at higher risk for developing deep vein thrombosis with your body's change in blood flow. Sitting in one place without any movement becomes surprisingly risky. So stand up every hour and also remember to empty your bladder every hour. You don't want a bladder infection or weakened bladder muscles, right?

INVEST IN A COMFORTABLE OFFICE CHAIR FOR PREGNANCY - PADDED ARMRESTS & ADJUSTMENTS
Not all pregnant workers would switch out their curren work chair in their office to something more comfortable, but we have to say it's totally worth the investment. Early in your pregnancy, you may only need to make some minor adjustments. However, as time moves on and your due date comes closer, an ergonomic chair for pregnancy with padded armrests and adjustable features can give you a hand when you need any additional support, make sitting down and standing up as simple as possible. Plus, multi-adjustments greatly help alleviate your back pain, neck strain, and muscle aches.
working pregnant woman with a laptop on the desk
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HOW TO ADJUST YOUR OFFICE CHAIR PREGNANT FRIENDLY?
The best desk chair for pregnancy is not the only thing you should take into consideration when you're seeking for a solution to ease your pain. Your position says a lot about your productivity and your health, make sure to maintain it in the healthiest way possible. Once you have an adjustable home office chair, how do you adjust it for maximum comfort and support?

1. How to Sit on a Chair During Pregnancy - Best Sitting Positions
Around 12 weeks into the pregnancy, expectant mothers start to show. With every week thereafter, the mother will slowly but surely get further away from the desk. At this time, make room for your growing belly by keeping your feet several inches apart. This will keep you and your baby more comfortable.

When you're seated, make sure that your ears are aligned with your hips and shoulders. Sit with your back straight and make sure that your shoulders are pulled back. The bottom of your back needs to be in contact with the back of your pregnancy desk chair. Ensure you distribute your body weight evenly on both hips. And also keep your pelvis slightly leaning forward, and your knees and hips at a 90-degree angle. You can use a footrest or stool to comfortably rest your feet flat on the floor.
button tufted computer desk chair
2. Sitting on a Chair with Best Office Chair Cushion for Pregnancy
When you sit down, you'll find that your office chair may not be the comfiest thing in the world. How to deal with this? Easy! Add a cushion! A small, thin cushion will help a lot in relieving most of the pressure and easing your pain if the hard seats of your old office chair leaves you with full-body aches after a few hours of sitting down. Or consider a new pregnancy office chair that has incredibly firm seats that are designed to make achieving good posture easier.

3.Feeling Sore? Use a Throw Pillow To Support Your Lumbar & Back
Due to the extra weight of pregnancy you'll gain in your abdomen - not to mention the change in your body's weight distribution, you may feel your back, specially the lower part badly sore while sitting. If so, try to support yourself by placing a small throw pillow or a rolled-up towel between your back and the rear of the pregnancy chair. It will go a long way in taking a lot of strain off your lower back and keep you comfortable in your chair.

4. Put Your Legs at a Height with a Stool or an Ottoman
During pregnancy especially during the second and third trimester, it's never a good idea to leave your feet dangling from your office chair. This may result in swollen, uncomfortable ankles. To help alleviate this, you should consider some kind of elevated position for your legs. The best option is to elevate your legs, relieve pain and improve blood flow by having a stool or an ottoman underneath. Or alternatively, find a box or a stack of books to make resting your feet a breeze.
velvet ottoman footrest
DOING SOME CHAIR EXERCISES/YOGA FOR PREGNANCY
What's the last thing you wanna do while pregnant at work? Exercise, right? However, you cannot deny how it would help to alleviate your muscle aches and back pain. Practicing in a pregnancy chair or on a balance ball gives you all the benefits of stretching without the risk of losing your balance in some poses. A trick to help you open your hips and stretch your tensions away without becoming too tired.

Just a few simple yoga poses or stretches can make a great difference. Search "chair yoga" on YouTube for some tutorial videos, begin in a seated position and start your 10-minute home or office workout. You'll find them helpful in strengthening and toning your back and abdominal muscles and even encouraging baby to get into the correct position. So next time when you need to recharge your batteries, wait no more to take 10 little minutes to do this sequence anywhere a pregnancy desk chair stands.
pregnant woman doing exercise on a yoga ball
Free Image by Yan Krukov from Pexels

FINAL WORDS:
Pregnancy brings you a mixture of both pain and happiness. Although working at the office can be tough, don't spend those memorable days being achy and uncomfortable. Implement these small changes by investing in a good office chair and having the right postures, when your body takes the biggest hit during pregnancy. Don't forget to do some chair exercises once you feel getting stuck sitting at the office all day. And at last, congratulations on having a baby on the way!

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