# I just can't sleep on left side!



## mummyzilla

I had the worst nights sleep lst night after reading recommendation to sleep on left hand side as it gives best blood flow to baby and between legs and heart. I am a big girl and worry a lot about blood clots etc although mw has assured me I'll be fine as I am very active.


I tried sleeping on left side last night but it was so uncomfy and left me anxious and uncomfortable. 

I believe the theory is that the fetus puts pressure on the main vein running down the back and can be dangerous.

I always sleep on my back,I mentioned this to my mum who said "oh its codswallop, this is all new news, we never got told this in my day!" must admit I had never heard of it 5 yrs ago either with first but I still feel now I have this info I should follow it!

Does anyone think being propped up on lots of pillows while sleeping on back will make any difference to safety?


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## peanut56

As far as I understand (correct me if I'm wrong anyone, because I'm really not 100% sure), if you are still comfortable on your back, then it's not dangerous. The information I've gotten confused me a little, which is why I don't know for sure, but what I understand is that the left side is the best for circulation and blood flow....but sleeping on your right side or your back isn't necessarily dangerous, just could become uncomfortable. I don't particularly like sleeping on my left side (I'm normally a stomach sleeper). I don't sleep on my back anymore because it's become uncomfortable, so I end up going back and forth between my right and left sides.
Sorry, I guess basically what I'm trying to say is that I don't really know either! I'm sorry, I've probably just confused you even more!:hugs:


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## piglet_1984

I know were not ment to sleep on our back from so many weeks (i cant remember how many sorry)
I lay on my right and have done though my whole pregnancy as im so uncomfy on my left. i dont believe it that whole ''we should sleep on our left because of .....''. i asked my midwife is it ok and she said its fine there is alot of people who sleep on there right. But if you want to carry on sleeping on your left i would buy a pregnancy pillow ive hurd thay are brilliant i believe there around £35 maybe abit more all depeneds on where you buy it from.x


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## lyndsey3010

I'm the same, can sleep on my right no problem but in the same position on the left, forget it. It's just not comfortable. It's so annoying when you have that thing whereby one nostril gets blocked so you turn over to unblock it but it's so blooming uncomfortable. Grrrrrrrrrr!


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## mystika802

I dont sleep on my left side mainly, mostly my ride but i switch on an off through the night or my hips hurt too bad :/


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## whoops

I never knew which side I slept on until I heard the whole thing about sleeping on your left side - then I realised that I can only fall asleep on my right. I can sleep on my left if I half wake up and turn during the night, but otherwise, it just doesn't happen.


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## Murphy98

mummyzilla, I JUST got back from seeing my Dr. and asked her about the whole not sleeping on your back, sleeping on your left side thing and she advsied:

"Did you read that in a book?...Lots of people aske me that...Did you read that in What to Expect When Your Expecting by any chance?....I hate that book!" Her words not mine.

Lol! Anyway she advised that when a woman is in distress they will put them on their left side but OTHERWISE it totally doesn't matter - have at whatever position you like. In the late stages your body will tell you if it feels like rolling over.

Hope that helps....I look forward to lying on my back worry free this evening. :happydance:


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## Fiore

My mum (mother of 4 and a nurse) has said that lie on your back and if you go dizzy Or light headed then switch to your side, simple as. I don't like my left side either, I sleep on my right side if I'm worried or stressed otherwise it's my back. Supposedly it's from 16 weeks you avoid your back. 

I've been told by MW to wedge some pillows under one side so I'm not flat on my back but still got the support. 

I hope this helps a little?xx


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## nicholatmn

When I was in labor, they put me on my back flat for a few minutes and LO's heart rate went from 150's to 105. They wedged a pillow under me so I wasn't flat and her heart rate went back up. Maybe it's just in case that happens? :shrug:


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## mummyzilla

Murphy98 said:


> mummyzilla, I JUST got back from seeing my Dr. and asked her about the whole not sleeping on your back, sleeping on your left side thing and she advsied:
> 
> "Did you read that in a book?...Lots of people aske me that...Did you read that in What to Expect When Your Expecting by any chance?....I hate that book!" Her words not mine.
> 
> Lol! Anyway she advised that when a woman is in distress they will put them on their left side but OTHERWISE it totally doesn't matter - have at whatever position you like. In the late stages your body will tell you if it feels like rolling over.
> 
> Hope that helps....I look forward to lying on my back worry free this evening. :happydance:

Thanks so much for that, I kept waking up on back last nigght and having to roll over.Think this evening I may just sleep on back and let my body naturally decide where I want to sleep. I notice when I sleep on my left Iwake up in night and cant get back to sleep!


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## JaniceT

My best friend is in her 3rd Timester and I mentioned this to her about sleeping on her left side. She said, bugger it because what her baby wants is more important. LOL She said, if she sleeps on her left or her back, her baby will kick and kick and kick (alreay throwing a tantrum in her womb) until she sleeps on her right side. Baby always gets what he wants or mum will be kicked all night :)


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## Nessicle

mystika802 said:


> I dont sleep on my left side mainly, mostly my ride but i switch on an off through the night or my hips hurt too bad :/

I'm the same hun its so painful and more so to sleep on my left side. 

It says in my What to Expect book that it's not a good idea to sleep on your back after 4 months because of the pressure of the uterus on the major artery running parralel to your spine. I usually sleep propped up with lots of pillows but I still find that uncomfortable x


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## whoops

Murphy98 said:


> mummyzilla, I JUST got back from seeing my Dr. and asked her about the whole not sleeping on your back, sleeping on your left side thing and she advsied:
> *
> "Did you read that in a book?...Lots of people aske me that...Did you read that in What to Expect When Your Expecting by any chance?....I hate that book!" Her words not mine.
> *
> Lol! Anyway she advised that when a woman is in distress they will put them on their left side but OTHERWISE it totally doesn't matter - have at whatever position you like. In the late stages your body will tell you if it feels like rolling over.
> 
> Hope that helps....I look forward to lying on my back worry free this evening. :happydance:

Haha! She sounds a bit like my GP! He told me to get myself a nice book on pregnancy, but to stay away from the internet. He must constantly have people in there working themselves into a panic from different things they've heard!

:D


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## Waiting2bMommy

I did the same thing to myself last night and was in tears all night worrying about my baby. I'm exhausted and didn't sleep a wink. I just can't sleep on my left. My back is easiest for me or my right.


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