Does anyone sit all day at work?

[captain-ally]

Does anyone sit all day at work? I've started at a call center and sitting for 8 hours is making my back hurt and giving me sort of crampy tension feelings in my belly. I try standing up and pacing sometimes but it's not really working. My legs also cramp up and fall asleep.

Does anyone have any tricks they use to feel comfortable? I can't imagine it getting any better as I get bigger! They have 2 pregnancy chairs and 5 of us pregnant ladies so we're all waiting for the other girls to have their babies!

Thanks!

 

[KandKsMama]

Can you bring in a pillow? I am not currently pg but with my last pg I brought in a pillow and placed it at the base of my spine. I still got uncomfortable (not as much) and I asked my boss permission to maybe take several small breaks during the day rather than two 15 minutes and a half hour lunch to just get up and walk around.

 

[sammie18]

I dont sit at work but I sit all day at home lol

 

[pictureperfect]

Hiya
Yeah I sit at work all day, if I start to get uncomfortable I just get up and go for a walk to the kitchen to get another pint of water, then about 10 minutes after drinking that I have to get up again to go to the loo, its a viscious circle but means i'm not sitting too long and also getting my water intake
Can you not ask someone to get a new chair for you?
x

 

[SwissMiss]

I sit at work all day too, its horrible some days; my sciatic nerve acts up like crazy, but I use the same trick as Pictureperfect!! At least it makes you get up and walk around... although at a call center that might not be looked upon too favorably... Hope you get some relief!!
xxx

 

[PixieMoondust]

Part of your pregnancy risk assessment should include whether you need a better chair/more movement breaks etc. If they're not supplying you all with chairs that are better, then they are slacking on their duties!! Hassle them!! Two chairs between 5 girls is not enough, even if some of you are nearly done, and others are just starting!!
I use kneelers chairs (I have two desks I work at, with one at each) and I am having no back pains at all. They're not expensive, about £50 each from Staples, and so useful for back pain/posture generally!

Pixie

 

[Frankie]

Yep i sit all day

 

[Momma2Violet]

I sit most of the day, and like Swiss Miss, my sciatic nerve acts up now and again. The building I work in is from 1867, and we haven't an elevator, so what really gets me is the climb 10-12 times a day to the 3rd floor to copy, do mail, etc...and by the end of the day, I am pooped!!! Guess it's good exercise, though

 

[captain-ally]

Part of your pregnancy risk assessment should include whether you need a better chair/more movement breaks etc. If they're not supplying you all with chairs that are better, then they are slacking on their duties!! Hassle them!! Two chairs between 5 girls is not enough, even if some of you are nearly done, and others are just starting!!
I use kneelers chairs (I have two desks I work at, with one at each) and I am having no back pains at all. They're not expensive, about £50 each from Staples, and so useful for back pain/posture generally!

Pixie

Pregnancy risk assessments don't seem to be as popular here as they do overseas! I've heard of women getting them in more dangerous workplaces, but usually only if they're part of a union. I guess since it's just a call center, no one thought there would be risks. The only work safety stuff we've seen is a pamphlet about typing properly to save your wrists!

Lol - that's a big change from all the meetings about bears and wolves and falling trees I had in my usual line of work, but I guess I'll just have to bug them about getting more pregnancy chairs. I'm nervous to speak up, since I got fired from my (short-lived) job in a kitchen for being pregnant already. We can't take multiple, shorter breaks or lots of pee breaks because there has to be a certain number of people on the phones at a time (calculated in 15 minute intervals) It's SO complicated!

 

[Amanda]

I was going to mention the risk assessment too. I work on an IT Helpdesk (not in a call centre, but still sitting down), and since being pg, I've had a new chair, and also a bluetooth headset. That way, I can get up and actually walk the full length of the office while still talking. It's making a hell of a difference.

Oh, and the company I work for also has large call centres, and I know for a fact that they allow their pg women to take more breaks hun. We are a global company, and these rules apply no matter what country people work in.

 

[ajarvis]

I work in a call center too and with my last pregnancy was at a desk job. What I found helped was using a ball to sit on and mixing it up - going for walks etc.

 

[icculcaz]

i work for t-mobile in one of their call centres.... i got a huge stool to put my feet up all day, they cant stop me from having toilet breaks but yeah know what u mean about bad back!