Why pregnant women can’t sit cross-legged

The world of a pregnant woman is shrouded in signs, superstitions and prejudices. In this situation, even the most skeptical women try not to go against popular instructions. After all, the life of the future baby is at stake. However, most signs will have a completely scientific explanation. For example, it is believed that a pregnant woman should not communicate with a cat, otherwise the child will have many enemies in the future. In fact, communication with the cat is indeed prohibited, especially cleaning its toilet. Cats are carriers of a viral infection of toxoplasmosis. The infection is not terrible for a woman, but for a baby it can be very dangerous - if infected, the virus can cause fetal development pathologies. Also with many other signs - most of them have a completely scientific basis. Today we’ll talk about the habit of sitting cross-legged. Why is such a pose undesirable for a pregnant woman?

What happens if you sit cross-legged

A popular sign says that sitting with crossed legs leads to the fact that the baby’s legs will be crooked or the baby will be born clumsy. Of course, today we know that such pathologies happen for completely different reasons (for example, rickets). However, crossing the legs is still not worth it. Let's try to find a scientific explanation for this.

1. One of the main reasons for the prohibition of such a pose is the squeezing of veins on the legs. As you know, varicose veins most often begin or increase during pregnancy, when the vessels become not very elastic, and body weight increases dramatically. If you are sitting cross-legged, the main blood arteries and veins are pinched, which leads to stagnation and swelling. For the baby, this can be dangerous - a violation of blood circulation leads to a small amount of food and oxygen. After all, he receives vital elements for life through blood. Frequent hypoxia can be a cause of concern for the baby, and further neurological health problems.
2. The habit of sitting cross-legged is contributing to the development of varicose veins. If varicose veins are accompanied by thrombophlebitis, this can be very dangerous. If the blood clot comes off, it can pass through the veins and clog the vital arteries in the umbilical cord.
3. Permanent sitting foot to foot gives a serious strain on the spine and back. The fact is that during pregnancy, the center of gravity of the expectant mother changes in order to balance with a huge belly. That is why pregnant women have such a peculiar “duck” gait - with legs wide apart and a little leaning back. And sitting cross-legged changes the natural center of gravity. Because of this, a pregnant woman has pain in the lower back and neck.
4. Some doctors warn that sitting cross-legged is not possible in the later stages of pregnancy. The fact is that closer to childbirth, the baby’s head is usually already inserted into the cervix. Squeezing the feet of the baby's head can lead to discomfort, the fetus will begin to worry and move, looking for a more comfortable position. This can lead to a woman developing a pelvic or transverse presentation of the fetus. However, many women admit that in the later stages of pregnancy they do not want to cross their legs, because the stomach is so large that it does not allow you to move so freely.
5. Not only doctors and midwives, but even esoterics and psychics do not advise sitting cross-legged. They claim that a clot of human energy is in the navel. Crossing our legs, we kind of open this clot, and the energy leaves us.

Now you know that even the pose in which you sit is extremely important during pregnancy.If you cross your legs for a short time, nothing bad will happen, but you still should not sit in this position for a long time.

How to sit during pregnancy

Many ladies, and even men, what can I say, love to sit cross-legged. When a pregnant woman is given such a ban, she does not know what position to sit in order not to harm the baby. Especially if the work is sedentary. So, some rules and healthy postures while sitting during pregnancy.

1. It is best to sit on chairs with a back - so body weight is distributed evenly over the spine.
2. If you have to sit all day, be sure to take breaks every 40-45 minutes. Walk, warm up, climb the stairs.
3. Sit on a stool with legs wide apart, this allows you to distribute body weight over the entire thigh area.
4. You can not sit too high when the limbs hang freely in the air.
5. Under the spine you need to put a small roller or pillow. This will support the natural bending of the spinal column.
6. If you drive, during pregnancy you need to move the seat slightly closer to the steering wheel so that your legs are bent, even when you step on the pedal. At the wheel, you also need to use a roller under the lower back. The belt should be fastened like this - the upper part should be located between the breasts, the lower part - under the belly, in no case not above it. In general, it’s better not to drive a car during pregnancy - the risk of injury is high, and the traffic situation constantly makes you nervous.
7. A pregnant woman should not squat in Turkish. Also, do not throw your legs over one another, you do not need to cross them and bend them under a chair.

These simple rules will help you maintain your own health and well-being of the baby.

Pregnancy is not the time to boast about the sharpness, grace and grandeur of one’s movements. Even if it seems to you that you can easily sit on a chair and get up from it. The coming months of pregnancy you need to think only about the comfort, comfort and health of the baby. And it largely depends on your mood and well-being. Take care of the baby in your womb, do not sit cross-legged!

Video: is it possible to sit cross-legged during pregnancy