Sitting up straight, ladies?

Look, I don’t wanna be the one to add more things to your pregnancy to do list…

But did you know the way that you sit and spend most of your time in your final weeks of pregnancy can help or hinder baby’s position as they get ready to be born?

Yes, I know you just want to pass out on the sofa and watch Netflix with your feet up after another hard day of growing a baby, but some minor tweaks can really help reduce your aches and pains and maximise the chances of baby being in the best position for them to be born.

When you tilt your pelvis back, like when you’re sitting on a deep sofa or reclined seat in your car, the heaviest part of baby i.e. their back and bum rotates in the direction that your pelvis is tilting - to the back, which means baby is “back to back.” For some babies this is the best position for them to be in but in general, some women will find back to back labours slower and more challenging than when baby is “back to stomach” or facing your back.

There are plenty of things you can do to help encourage baby into their optimal position…

Doing your prenatal yoga with lots of focus on upright forward open positions such as all fours can help.

Sitting upright on the sofa, for example putting some firm pillows behind your back so you’re not reclining, is always a good idea, or you can lie on your left side on the sofa instead of sitting.

If you work in an office, swapping out your office chair for a birth ball for some of the day or taking time to change positions , walk around and move plenty, rather than staying sat in that same position all day can also help.

If you drive a lot making sure that you’re not reclining back, by popping a firm cushion behind your lower back so you sit up straight helps keep your pelvis in a tilted forward position.

These simple tweaks can make a big difference to babies position and how you feel going into labour. Let me know if you have any questions or if you knew this before?!