special seating for work

[udar]

A friend has mentioned that I should be starting to concentrate on positioning at work from now on (am 24wks)as I have a reasonably sedentary job, in the hope that the baby goes into the right position for birth.
After doing a bit of researching on the net it looks like a birthing ball is the best option - has anybody else talked to their work about this. If so did the ball work - did it help move the baby into the correct position and prevent backache further into the pregnancy? I have just mentioned it to my manager and they said they will look at the H&S aspects of the request.

I don't think you need to get anything for work do you? - as I understand it you just need to get on all fours, or better still 'crouch' for an hour or two per day....which you can do at home.

However enlighten me! - I could be being an ingnoramus

sorry but I couldnt help laughing at this! Are you implying you are going to sit on a birthing ball whilst at work? Must say I did a desk job and my babies both got into OP positions, so maybe it would work!

I would have thought one of those "back chairs" where you kind of sit and kneel at the same time (you know the ones!) is probably more practical for work.

Udar - my DH sometimes sits on a 'birthing ball' in work - they are the same as the balls you use in the gym, aren't they?

He has a bad back for which he has had 2 v big operations and an epidural (which didn't work). The ball makes him hold himself properly, with his pf muscles 'switched on'.

Don't know whether it will move your baby into the correct position, just wanted you to know you are not alone and I don't think its silly!

Udar,

I don't think you are silly either - just that I suspect you probably don't need to go to these sort of lengths at work in order to achieve optimum foetal positioning...

Yes the birthing balls are the same as the gym ones - they have them at Argos for £10 so I thought I'd give it a go if I'm allowed at work. The websites talked about using all your internal muscles to hold yourself in place. They also talked about positions at home but I figure since I'm sitting at work for 7 hours a day and maybe sitting at home for 2ish before bed, whatever damage or good I do is going to be greater at work.

Udar I worked at a desk during my first pregnancy and was never told to concentrate on positioning! TBH as long as you arent hunched over all the time then there really is nothing to worry about.

It might help, but nothing was going to shift DD from Op, despite walking and swimming miles everyday! The all fours and panting just made DH laugh...

FWIW I really didn't find DD being OP a prob, it was quite good for me because as I was induced I knew when the real labour pains started, went from groin (prostin) to back ache (real thing).

Message withdrawn

Well Dadslib,

I dunno, I do think its sensible for Udar to think about optimum foetal positioning - after giving birth to an OP baby (over 24 hours, instrumental delivery and episiotomy - OP labours are notoriously difficult)I shall certainly be paying more attention to Optimum foetal positioning this time around...

However she probably doesn't need to worry about it at work (sorry to talk about you Udar!)

Dadslib, have you ever given birth to an OP baby? No, thought not. Now go and tidy up your tool box whilst we discuss Women's Things

udar, IMHO, you are not at all silly and should not be put off by anyone's disparaging comments. I had a birthing ball and used it during pregnancy and labour - it was useful and I had a fast natural labour. However, as it has no back support it is not suitable for long periods of desk work. I think the main thing you can do to help fetal positioning (and there is reliable scientific evidence that maternal posture affects positioning) is to tell your manager that you will need to move around and change positions, one of which may be sitting on the ball sometimes. I brought a cushion in and sometimes sat on the floor, eg cross-legged, kneeling, crouching, whatever I felt like doing. This was easy for me because I had a manager who had had 3 children and did not care how I sat as long as I did my work. IMHO deep squatting is the single most effective position to practise. People say that the single worst posture is slouching on a sofa. You can find some nice illustrated yoga for pregnancy books which feature many sitting postures which could be done while at work.