Is it possible for pregnant women to bend over: the opinion of doctors. In what positions should you not sit during pregnancy, how can this be done by pregnant women at different times? Is it possible for pregnant women to get up abruptly

During pregnancy, there are many restrictions for a woman. But it is important to follow some rules and recommendations, as this allows you to maintain the health of the unborn baby. Is it possible for pregnant women to bend over

So, can pregnant women bend over? This question worries many. In general, doctors say that this can be done, but only correctly. And before giving a detailed and detailed answer to the question “Can pregnant women bend over or not? ”It should be mentioned some of the dangers that such a seemingly simple action as tilting is fraught with. So, if you linger in an inclined state for a long time, then this can lead to tension in the spine. And he's under a lot of pressure.

The intervertebral discs at this stage are very vulnerable, so in response to the question “Can pregnant women lean forward? ' should be corrected. It is possible, but not for long. Indeed, in addition to the spine, during overstrain, the load increases on the entire body, including the uterus (and this can lead to hypertonicity and the threat of miscarriage or premature birth).

In addition, pregnant women should not bend over sharply. Firstly, this can lead to dizziness and a fall, and secondly, from such a sharp movement, the fetal bladder may burst, which will lead to the outflow of amniotic fluid and premature birth. So pregnant women can bend over only gradually. And many are still interested in why pregnant women should not bend over. Details on how exactly you can do this are below.

How should you bend over during pregnancy?

So, to the question of whether it is possible for pregnant women, in general, to bend over, a positive answer was given, but certain conditions were also set. So how can pregnant women bend over so as not to harm themselves and the unborn baby?

Pregnant women need to bend over correctly, after bending their knees. This allows you to transfer part of the load to the legs and slightly free the spine. Can pregnant women bend forward? Yes, but at the same time it is advisable to hold the stomach with your free hand in order to prevent overstrain of the spine. As already noted, pregnant women can carefully bend over. But there should be no sudden movements! Having answered the question of why pregnant women should not bend over, it is worth offering an alternative to this action. Yes, you can get down on one knee. It remains only to add that you can bend over during pregnancy, but very carefully!

Not every pregnant woman knows that in the process of bearing a child, in addition to correcting lifestyle and nutrition, you need to be able to sit properly. Not only her well-being depends on what positions the expectant mother is in. The position of a woman's body during pregnancy can indirectly affect the growth and development of the fetus in the mother's womb.

In this case, for each stage of the gestational process, you need to choose certain positions. How to sit correctly in the first, second and third trimesters of gestation? How long can you stay in a sitting position? What should be taken into account in this case? What positions should pregnant women not sit in?

Is it important to choose the right sitting position during pregnancy?

When pregnant, the expectant mother should be careful about how she sits. Despite the fact that in the first trimester of gestation, changes in the figure and pressure on internal organs and the spine are insignificant, already at this stage of bearing a child, you need to gradually develop the habit of sitting correctly.

Choosing the wrong positions while sitting, as well as staying in a sitting position for a long time, can lead to the constant functioning of one muscle group while others are completely inactive. In the absence of a load on the back, the blood supply to the spinal region worsens. In addition, in a sitting position, pressure on the intervertebral discs increases. The listed adverse factors can cause the appearance of:

dystrophic changes in articular cartilage;
hernia of the spine, characterized by damage to the intervertebral disc, rupture of its outer region and the release of the substance in it outside the vertebral body;
pain in the back, lower and upper limbs;
headache.

Starting from the second trimester of gestation, when the load on the spinal column increases as a result of the growing uterus, improper and prolonged sitting in a sitting position can cause pain in the lumbar spine. Against the background of long sitting in the wrong postures, stagnant processes in the pelvic organs may begin. During childbearing, blood pressure increases abdominal cavity and venous discirculation develops, which is fraught with the appearance of hemorrhoids. Prolonged sitting in the wrong position can exacerbate this problem.

What should be considered when choosing a pose?

Pregnant women when choosing a position should be guided by the following rules:

You need to sit in such a way that the entire surface of the foot is in contact with the floor. It is impossible to allow touching only the toe or the absence of touching the floor with the feet.
During pregnancy, crossing and bending your legs under you while sitting is unacceptable. Also, you can not put one foot on the other - this can lead to congestion in the limbs.
It is better to choose a chair with a hard seat. Its surface should not sag under the weight of a woman.
For a more comfortable body position while sitting under the lower back, it is recommended to enclose a roller or a small pillow. To reduce the load on the lumbar spine, there are special pillows for pregnant women.
You can not stay in a sitting position for a long time in one position. Periodically you need to change your posture. Every 10-15 minutes it is recommended to get up and walk around the room.
While sitting, special attention should be paid to the placement of the hands. They must be completely relaxed. They are best placed on your knees, in front of you on a table or on the armrests of a chair or chair.
If you want to take a pose in Turkish, you need to take into account the general well-being and sensations in the legs. When the lower extremities are numb, the posture should be changed.
While sitting, the back should be absolutely straight. Pregnant women are not recommended to slouch or bend back.

How to sit at different stages of pregnancy?

In the first trimester of pregnancy, when the uterus has not yet reached large sizes and does not put pressure on internal organs, the lumbar spine does not suffer, there are no restrictions on body position while sitting. Despite this, expectant mother already in the early stages of gestation, you need to gradually accustom yourself to sit correctly. It is very important that all movements are smooth and unhurried. In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, incorrect body position can lead to serious consequences.

There are 3 options for the most optimal body positions while sitting, starting from the second trimester of gestation:

Sit on a chair, making sure that the surface of the back is in close contact with its back. In this case, the neck and shoulders should be located on the same axis as the spinal column, and the supporting surface of the foot should completely touch the floor.
Sit on a chair or armchair without touching its back with your back. In this position of the body, the buttocks should be completely on the seat. The torso below the waist should be absolutely relaxed.
Sitting in Turkish, take a position so that the weight of the body falls on the ischium. In this case, the back should be absolutely straight, and the head and neck should be located on the same axis as the spinal column. This position can be taken on the floor, sofa or any other wide flat horizontal surface.

If long sitting cannot be avoided, you need to ensure that the back and neck do not bend, and that the legs bent at the knees rest on the floor with the entire inner surface of the feet. The arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle. For prolonged sitting, it is recommended to choose a chair with armrests. It also needs to be adjustable in height. Otherwise, you can substitute a solid object under your feet.

Items that may be needed in the process of forced prolonged sitting in a sitting position should be placed on the table at arm's length. Such a measure will avoid unnecessary torso tilts to the sides or down.

How not to sit down in 1-3 trimesters?

In the process of sitting, it is dangerous for the health of the future woman in labor and the baby:

throwing a leg over the leg;
position "in Turkish";
emphasis only on toes;
bending and arching the back;
bending your legs under you;
squatting;
prolonged stay in one position.

Despite the fact that the squatting position is prohibited, in exceptional situations it can be resorted to. Squatting by pregnant women is allowed if it becomes necessary to pick something up from the floor. If you sit down for a couple of seconds and slowly rise, there will be no harm to the unborn baby. It is strictly forbidden to linger in this position for a long time.

There are many restrictions for a woman during pregnancy. However, it is very important to follow the recommendations and rules in order to maintain your health and the health of your child.

Is it possible for a future mother to bend over?

The issue of slopes worries many pregnant women. Doctors say that in principle this can be done, only correctly. Let's look at some of the dangers associated with slopes. So, if you stay in an inclined state for a long time, this can cause excessive tension in the spine and it will experience more load. Intervertebral discs during pregnancy are very vulnerable, and forward bends should be short. In addition to overloading the spine, pressure on the entire body increases, especially on the uterus, which leads to hypertonicity, premature birth, and even.

Sharp bends are also contraindicated for a pregnant woman, they can lead to dizziness and. Sudden movements can rupture the amniotic sac, leading to the outpouring of amniotic fluid.

How to bend over during pregnancy?

For the correct tilt, a pregnant woman must first bend her knees. This will transfer part of the load of the body and relax the spine. When bending forward, you need to hold the stomach with one hand and very carefully lower yourself down. Sharp movements are contraindicated at all! To prevent leaning forward, you can always get on one knee, so everything will go smoothly and gently.

When it comes to pregnancy, many people imagine the image of a clumsy, overweight woman with a big belly. Most expectant mothers fearfully expect that their growing belly is about to make it difficult for them to move around. However, it is most likely that these sensations will never become familiar to you. After all, the stomach grows gradually, and you can easily adapt to this. However, already from the very beginning of pregnancy, changes begin in the woman's body, which must be taken into account when you walk, sit, lie, do housework.

We lie down

Let's start with this, since we spend about a third of our lives in the literal sense of the word in a dream. In addition, many of us like to lie on the couch in front of the TV or with a book in our hands.

The first question to be discussed is whether a pregnant woman can lie on her stomach. The non-pregnant uterus does not go beyond the level of the pubic articulation - beyond the pelvic bones, therefore, when you lie on your stomach, the uterus is protected by non-deformable bones. The uterus is shown from behind the womb only after 12 weeks of pregnancy, so during the entire first trimester of pregnancy you can safely lie on your stomach.

The optimal sleeping position is lying on the right side. It is not recommended for pregnant women to lie on their backs starting from the 4th month, since by this time the uterus has reached a significant size. In the supine position, the enlarged uterus compresses the large vessels passing next to the spinal column. In this regard, the blood flow to the vessels of the placenta decreases, the baby experiences a lack of oxygen and nutrients. In addition, due to the compression of large vessels in the mother, blood pressure may decrease and dizzy, up to fainting.

In the third trimester of pregnancy, in order to make your time in bed as comfortable as possible, use plenty of pillows that can be placed under the lower back, under the knee, between the legs.

If you feel heaviness in your legs in the evenings, you have signs of varicose veins in your legs (spider veins, bluish "worms"), or if you already had varicose veins before pregnancy, then pillows can also be placed under your legs: the raised position of the legs promotes the outflow of blood from veins, elimination of stagnation. If you want to relax quickly, in 15-20 minutes, you can lie down with your legs up. During this short time, you should also not lie on your back. It is possible that during pregnancy you will have to learn some skills that you have not used before: in particular, you can only put on a bandage in the supine position, as well as compression stockings used for varicose veins.

After giving birth, you can lie down as you like, but at first it is rational, if you are in bed, to spend as much time as possible in the prone position: at the same time, the contents are easily released from the uterus. Otherwise, if the outflow of contents from the uterus becomes difficult, conditions are created for the development of infectious and inflammatory complications.

I especially want to talk about how to get out of bed. If you were in the supine position, then before you get up, turn on your side, shrugging your shoulders slightly forward and bending your knees. After that, lean on your elbow and tuck your legs in, so it will be easier for you to transfer them over the edge of the bed and sit up.

we sit

The expectant mother also needs to be able to sit. Despite the fact that at the beginning of pregnancy, changes in the figure and load are insignificant, already at this time you need to get used to sitting correctly.

Prolonged sitting in a position leads to the fact that some muscle groups are constantly working, while others are constantly relaxed. At the same time, the back muscles do not experience stress, which leads to a decrease in the intensity of blood circulation in the spine. In addition, in a sitting position, the load on the intervertebral discs is much greater than in a standing or lying position. All these negative factors can cause the appearance of osteochondrosis, a herniated disc, which provokes pain in the back, arms, legs, and headaches. It should be noted that in the second half of pregnancy, when the load on the spinal column increases due to the growing uterus, a long sitting position provokes the appearance of pain in the lumbar spine. With a long stay in a sitting position, stagnation of blood in the small pelvis is also associated. Given that during pregnancy, an increase in pressure in the abdominal cavity and a deterioration in venous outflow provoke the appearance of hemorrhoids, we can say that a long sitting position exacerbates the situation.

To prevent these phenomena during a long stay in a sitting position (at a computer, when reading at a table, etc.), the optimal position of the body is in which the back and neck are straight, the legs are on the floor and bent at the knees (at a right angle) , arms bent at the elbows - also at a right angle. This can be achieved in the following ways:

The chair you are sitting on should have a back and armrests, and a height that allows your feet to rest firmly on the floor. (The backrest will allow you to keep your back straight, the armrests will give you the opportunity to rest your arms, the correct position of the legs will not interfere with blood circulation in them.) Use a footrest.
The location of things you frequently use should, if possible, not lead to a long stay in a bent state or to tilt to the side, especially to lift heavy objects (it is with such a tilt that the probability of damage to the intervertebral disc is very high).
If possible, you should limit a long stay in a sitting position and constantly intersperse work with breaks (work for 45 minutes - rest for 15 minutes, and not just be distracted, but stretch, get up, walk around, or even go outside to take a breath of fresh air). And in 45 minutes of continuous work, change your position at least 3-4 times: shake your shoulders, move your legs, shake your head - all this will help you avoid fatigue. Special exercises will also help you. They can be the simplest: for example, head tilts and turns improve cerebral circulation and are a good prevention of cervical osteochondrosis. At the same time, avoid rotation in the lumbar spine while tilting forward. If you travel by train, car, plane, you should also periodically change your position, if possible, walk around.
If the need to sit for a long time is related to working on a computer, place the monitor directly in front of you so that its top point is directly in front of your eyes or higher. (This will keep your head straight).
In order not to waste time, while working in a sitting position or just riding in a vehicle, you can do exercises that will help you prepare for childbirth: squeeze your vaginal muscles as if you want to stop urinating. Do this counting to 10, then rest for a few seconds, repeat 3-5 times several times a day.
In any case, do not cross your legs. First, it causes too much overload on the spinal column, bending the pelvis forward and can increase back pain. Secondly, at the same time, due to the compression of the vessels, the blood supply to the pelvic organs, including the uterus, the fetus, worsens. You may feel that the baby began to move very actively - this is a consequence of the fact that he lacks oxygen. It is worth changing an uncomfortable position, walking around or lying down, as the baby calms down.

leaning over

During hand washing, a woman has to be in an inclined position for a long time. Staying in this position is contraindicated for pregnant women - and here are the reasons. Due to the growing belly, the center of gravity shifts and the load on the spine increases. In a bent position, the spine and back muscles experience even more stress, which leads to fatigue, to lower back pain. If it is so necessary, you can try to wash while sitting on a chair (preferably with a back - you can periodically recline on it), and put the basin in front of you on a slight elevation.

If you need to pick something up from the floor or fasten your shoes, then you need to approach the floor or fastening by bending your knees, not by bending forward and bending your spine.

standing

A long stay in a standing position not only causes general fatigue, but also provokes the appearance of edema in the legs, leads to the onset and progression of varicose veins veins. Even if your work is not related to a long stay on your feet, but you had to, for example, stand in line at the fitting room, holding the new clothes you choose, remember that it is better not to stand still, but try to walk. If the size of the room or the situation does not allow this, then you need to shift from foot to foot, take 2-3 steps. In addition, you can try to stand by placing one foot (alternately - left and right) on any elevation. This promotes blood flow to the ankles, which reduces their swelling, leg fatigue.

If your job involves standing for long periods of time, try to sit down for at least 10-20 minutes every hour. If you still had to stand for a long time, then to improve blood circulation in your legs, try doing simple exercises: tighten your toes and then relax them, stand on your tiptoes and shift your body weight from one foot to another.

From mothers and grandmothers, you can hear that in a standing position you can’t raise your hands up, for example, hang underwear or clothes on a hanger - supposedly this contributes to the umbilical cord wrapping around the fetal neck. In fact, there is no relationship here. Although, of course, you should not stand with your hands up for a long time, for example, in a subway car, holding on to the upper handrail. After all, it is inconvenient for the expectant mother to be in this position, this can affect her well-being, as a result, the fetus is worse supplied with blood and oxygen, it can begin to behave more actively or, conversely, calm down.

We walk

If you didn't exercise before pregnancy, then walking can be a worthwhile way to keep fit. Hiking tones the muscles of the legs, preventing the risk of varicose veins, and strengthens the muscles of the abdominal cavity. Of course, you can walk if there are no medical contraindications for this.

Increase the load gradually. During one lesson, walk no longer than half an hour. Start with a very slow pace.
Walk with a straight back, but do not tense your upper body. Step from heel to toe. You should feel a slight sway as you shift your weight from heel to toe, and a slight push as you place your foot on toe. Keep your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and swing them back and forth rhythmically to maintain pace. Do not cross your arms over your chest so as not to lose balance.
Mark your path on the map. For safety and for more enjoyment, find a walkway away from traffic, with pleasant scenery. Do not try to overcome the intended distance by all means. If you feel tired, unwell, you need to rest or stop exercising.
It is pleasant and useful to walk in the company of a husband or with the same future mother.
If you find it difficult to find time for exercise, set the time for your walks and make it a habit. Write them down in your daily plan.
Let walking become part of your lifestyle. Make it an integral part of your day. Walk during your lunch breaks, park your car further away from home, or get off the bus one stop before yours and walk the rest of the way.
Remember to wear comfortable shoes while walking.

running

During the period of bearing a baby, it is better to exclude running - and as one of the ways physical activity, and as a "necessity" when trying to catch up with a bus or trolleybus. The fact is that when running, the body shakes, and this can lead to the threat of termination of pregnancy. In addition, when you catch up with a bus, you are not specifically preparing for "physical exercise", so shoes and clothes are most often not suitable for a run, and this, in turn, increases the likelihood of falling.