Proper Sleeping & Sitting
SLEEP:
The big goal here is to keep your spine and hips as neutral while sleeping as they are while you’re standing. Criteria I look for in proper sleep position:
The pillow under your head is supportive, and not too thick OR too thin. If it’s too thick, the crown of your head will be tilted toward the ceiling; if it’s too thin, it will be tilted toward the floor. What we’re hoping for is that your nose, sternum, belly button, and pubic bone are all in a straight line, running horizontal to the floor. Note: some pillows may look thick, but once you put the weight of your head on it, it just crumples, making it too thin for you, even though the pillow looked like the right thickness. So make sure that you’re meeting all the above criteria WITH the weight of your head on it.
You should be using a pillow between your knees. Same as with your head, the pillow should be just the right thickness that your top leg is rested horizontal to the floor.
Some women are also most comfortable to also have a thin pillow under their belly for support. I find this one more so depends on your bed, as well as the shape/position of your belly in relation to your hips- so some do fine without it, while some desperately need it!
Pro tip:
This one isn’t really a necessity, just something I can speak to from experience: Especially for those who used to be back sleepers prior to pregnancy, having something putting pressure against your back helps you feel more secure. I always found that being on my side without anything against my back caused me to feel like I had to brace my core in order to stay on my side, and then I found myself uncomfortable in the morning. Placing a thick body pillow behind my back helped me feel more secure, not having to brace my core, and also kept me from rolling onto my back!
SITTING:
The key is really to just not get stuck in one position for too long. And whatever position you’re in for more than just a few moments, be mindful of your positioning and posture!
Especially important for those who work at a desk: try alternating your working position every 30-60 minutes. My typical recommendation is to sit in a standard desk chair for 30 minutes, then stand for 30 minutes, then sit on an exercise ball for 30 minutes. Of course the ability to follow this recommendation varies greatly based on your work circumstances, but in an ideal world, this is what we would aim for!
Sit with your rib cage stacked over top of your pelvis. Many of us tend to rock backwards on our pelvis when we sit for extended periods, which rocks our pelvis into an anterior positioning. While it’s not necessarily an issue in that moment, it can for sure create a problem if this is a position to maintain for many hours a day for many days throughout your pregnancy. Having an anterior pelvis closes off that birth canal for baby to come through, so we don’t want our body to get used to that position throughout pregnancy and into birth!
Try to imagine sitting upright, and even a little hinged forward, which allows your belly to hang- Spinning Babies describes it as letting your belly be the “hammock” for your baby. NOTE: Follow that link to Spinning Babies! They have a massive amount of resources that are helpful to moms!
Make sure to follow all other proper posture and ergonomics while working: back nice and tall, shoulders pulled back, computer screen at eye level, elbows at 90 degrees while at the keyboard/mouse, and head sitting tall (not hunched forward).