Sitting Positions to Avoid During Pregnancy (+ Simple Tips for Comfort)
Wondering what sitting positions should be avoided during pregnancy? The way you sit can impact your baby’s position and your comfort during labor. Learn the best sitting habits to support a smoother birth experience in this quick guide!
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Did you know that how you sit during the third trimester can directly affect your birth experience?
It’s true! How you sit affects how your baby settles in your womb, and the position baby is in on their birth day impacts how effectively—and possibly how comfortably—labor progresses.
So let’s talk about your baby, your pelvis, and how to sit. Sound fun? Let’s go.
A Short Anatomy Lesson
Let’s start with some anatomy. Your uterus sits inside your pelvis. As it grows, it essentially fills your pelvis.
Inside your uterus, your baby floats in amniotic fluid. Early in pregnancy, your baby can spin, flip, and move around to their heart’s content. But as they get bigger, space becomes more limited and they’ll typically settle into a single position—the one they’ll likely stay in for birth.
Like anyone, babies tend to settle into the easiest, most comfortable position.
Think of your uterus like a hammock. If you’re on your hands and knees, gravity turns the front of your uterus (behind your abdomen) into a hammock. This encourages your baby to settle there.
And that would be ideal. The best position for babies to settle into is the occiput anterior position—with the back of their head (the occiput) toward the front (anterior). Said another way, the baby’s nose is pointing towards mom’s spine.
On the other hand, if you’re lying on your back, gravity encourages your baby to settle the opposite way, with their back to your back. This occiput posterior position (baby’s nose pointing towards mom’s abdomen) can make labor more challenging.
But let’s be honest—we don’t spend all our time on hands and knees or on our backs. What position are most of us in most often? Sitting.
How Sitting Affects Your Baby’s Position
When we sit, many of us tend to recline. Even in non-recliner chairs, we typically sit so our pelvis is tilted back. It’s not entirely our fault—all these soft, cushy chairs aren’t exactly designed with optimal pelvic and fetal positioning in mind.
Because your uterus is housed within your pelvis, the position of your pelvis largely determines how your uterus and baby are positioned.
Take a moment to notice how you’re sitting right now. Are you…
- reclined, so your spine forms more than a 90-degree angle with your legs?
- sitting with your knees higher than your hips?
- balancing your weight on your tailbone rather than your sitz bones?
If so, your pelvis—and by extension, your uterus—is probably tilted back.
Balance in the Pelvis
Tension or imbalances in your pelvis can also affect your baby’s position. Habits like crossing your legs, standing with weight on one leg, or carrying toddlers on one hip can create tension. Addressing these imbalances can reduce discomfort and help your baby settle into an optimal position.
5 Tips to Avoid Reclining
Reclining is so tempting in the third trimester. Your belly is big and you just want to rest! But sitting upright is worth it! Here are some easy tips and ways to avoid reclining:
1 – Keep Hips Above Knees
Wherever you find yourself sitting, choose a chair that keeps your hips higher than your knees. This keeps your pelvis tilted forward, which avoids pinching ligaments and creates space for your uterus.
2 – Use a Birthing Ball
Another great option is to swap your chair for a birthing ball. Sitting on one encourages an upright posture and keeps your pelvis mobile, helping your baby stay in the “tummy hammock.”
3 – Sit Backward on a Kitchen Chair
If you’re in the dining room chatting after dinner or just need a way to avoid the recliner, sit on a kitchen chair backwards. Rest your arms on the backrest to tilt your pelvis forward while keeping your hips above your knees.
4 – Always Have a Pillow Handy
This was my go-to solution when I wanted to sit on the comfy couch without throwing posture out the window. Place a pillow behind your lower back to keep yourself upright and prevent reclining.
This allows you to sit comfortably while maintaining the right pelvic positioning. It can even ease lower back tension.
Bonus: it’s an easy adjustment you can make anywhere, from the living room to the car.
5 – Try Tailor Sitting
Finally, you can try “tailor sitting.” In other words, sit criss-cross-applesauce on the floor. Some childbirth methods, like the Bradley Method, encourage women to practice tailor sitting regularly. This posture stretches your inner thighs, supports your pelvic floor, and encourages good posture.
Pro Tip: Forward-Leaning Inversions
Another great way to encourage alignment and good fetal positioning is something called a forward-leaning inversion. This technique, from Spinning Babies, is designed to lengthen and align the ligaments around the uterus.
Doing inversions daily can improve comfort during late pregnancy and make labor and birth a little easier.
How to Perform a Forward-Leaning Inversion
- Starting Position: Kneel on the edge of a couch with your head and shoulders upright. This is also the ending position.
- Safety Position: Move your hands to the edge of the couch, propping yourself up. This is the safety position.
- Inversion: Lower your hands one at a time to the floor, then lower down to your forearms. Keep your elbows out and your hands close. Let your head hang freely but keep your chin tucked, ensuring your shoulders are straight and not sagging toward the floor.
- Breathing: Take three deep breaths, loosening your belly but maintaining strong shoulders. If your head starts to pound, come up early and do neck circles before trying next time.
- Finish: Gradually rise to the safety position, then back to the starting position. Sit on your heels for a few seconds before finishing. To get out of the position, swing your feet together (like a mermaid) to avoid straining your pubic bone.
Do this once daily for about 30 seconds (approximately three breaths).
Cautions About Doing Inversions
Before trying forward-leaning inversions, ensure you are doing them safely. Move slowly to avoid sudden drops, and don’t do inversions right after eating to prevent heartburn. If your head throbs, stop and try again the next day.
Avoid inversions altogether if…
- you have high blood pressure or other risk of stroke
- your baby has intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)
- your amniotic fluid levels are unusually high
- you have severe heartburn, glaucoma, or sinus infections
- you’ve experienced unexplained uterine pain or unusual bleeding
- you suspect placental issues or your baby has had frantic movements
- you simply don’t feel that this is right for you
Always listen to your body—if something doesn’t feel right, skip it and talk with your midwife or doctor.
Conclusion
Being mindful of what sitting positions should be avoided during pregnancy can make a big difference for your birth experience. Sitting upright and avoiding reclining encourages your baby to settle into an optimal position, reducing discomfort now and making labor smoother later.
It might take some discipline, but forming good habits now will pay off. Experiment with these tips, involve your family for support, and remind yourself—you can do hard things.
Remember, the third trimester doesn’t last forever. You’ve got this!
Until next time,
Allison
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READ MORE:
Ab Exercises During Pregnancy: How to Keep Your Core Strong Safely
Membrane Sweeping: The Research and the Risks
Strong, Nourished, Empowered—A Prenatal Nutrition Course for Moms
