# Day 187: A place to sit

> Twenty-six weeks and five days. A chair at work is a small thing that matters by the end of a shift. Today you find yours, or ask for it, and use it.

- Series: Your sixth month of pregnancy, day by day (https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-6), day 187 of 280, 26 weeks + 5 days
- Your baby this week: about the size of a cucumber; around 35.6 cm from head to heel
- Canonical URL: https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-6/day-187
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-22
- Publisher: Chorevia (https://chorevia.com)
- Cite as: Chorevia. "Day 187: A place to sit." Last reviewed October 22, 2026. https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-6/day-187

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

Twenty-six weeks and five days. Today's job is small and physical: a chair. Where it is, when you sit in it, and who you ask if there isn't one.

## Your baby

Around now your baby is around 35.6cm from head to heel, about the size of a cucumber, with eyes opening for the first time ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-26/)). There's a lot of movement inside the bump this week ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-26/)).

## Your body

The NHS's list of maternity rights at work, in the UK, includes a workplace risk assessment, a ban on heavy lifting, extra breaks, a place to sit, and paid time off for antenatal appointments ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-26/)). Your rights depend on where you live and work, but the list makes a useful checklist wherever you are.

MedlinePlus adds the practical numbers. Most pregnant women can keep working, some until delivery ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm)). If your job means long standing, ask your employer for 15 minutes of sitting for every hour of standing; for lifting, most women are advised to lift only objects under 20 pounds (9 kilograms) ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm)). Compression stockings may reduce leg swelling, and routine bathroom breaks may lower the risk of a urinary infection ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm)).

## Try today

### The sit-down spot

- **Time:** 5 minutes to find it, then 15 minutes in every hour if you stand at work

1. Before your shift or working day starts, find the chair, stool or ledge you can use, close to where you actually work.
2. If there isn't one, ask your manager for one today, in one sentence, and mention the 15 minutes of sitting for every hour of standing ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm)).
3. Set a quiet reminder for the top of each hour. When it goes, sit, put your feet on a rung or a box, and drink some water.
4. Pair a bathroom break with every second sit-down, so neither gets skipped ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm)).

**Make it work:** At a desk all day? Turn it round: use the same reminder to stand, stretch, and walk to the water.

## Watch for

- **Normal:** legs that puff up a little after a day on your feet; compression stockings may help ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm)). **Call your provider right away** for pain and swelling in one leg but not the other, which can signal a blood clot ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000580.htm)).
- **Normal:** a sore back by the end of the day; lying down, resting and heat can help ([OWH](https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/youre-pregnant-now-what/body-changes-and-discomforts)). **Call your provider** if the pain does not get better ([OWH](https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/youre-pregnant-now-what/body-changes-and-discomforts)).
- **Normal:** feeling winded after carrying something up the stairs. **Call 911** for trouble breathing, chest pain or a fast-beating heart; all three are urgent maternal warning signs ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html)).

## For you

What you're entitled to at work varies a lot by country, state and employer, and it's worth one look at your own contract or staff handbook this week. You don't need to quote law to ask for a chair; "I'm pregnant and I need to sit for part of each hour" is a complete sentence.

Work stress counts too. MedlinePlus suggests talking with a partner or friend, keeping your prenatal care, staying active and sleeping enough, and raising stress that persists with your provider ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm)).

If you're the partner: ask how the day went in terms of feet, not just tasks. If the answer is "I didn't sit down once", help her draft the request tonight.

## Sources

- NHS. "Week 26." Week-by-week guide to pregnancy, Best Start in Life. https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-26/
- MedlinePlus. "Pregnancy and work." National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000609.htm
- MedlinePlus. "Aches and pains during pregnancy." National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000580.htm
- Office on Women's Health. "Body changes and discomforts." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/youre-pregnant-now-what/body-changes-and-discomforts
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms." HEAR HER campaign, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html