26 weeks and still wake up on my back!?

[kittykat7210]

Hey guys, just getting a bit worried because I always wake up lying flat on my back, which I'm repeatedly told is bad for baby, but I've tried everything (including a pillow fortress) to keep me sideways but nothing helps, how much damage could I be causing baby? And how on earth do I stop sleeping on my back??

 

[SarahA]

This happened all the time to me during my first pregnancy. My doc said it wasn't a big deal—just shift positions when I realize I'm on my back and forget about it.

I found that it really helped to sleep with a small pillow jammed up against my back. It would stop me before I could roll all the way onto my back. For the first while, it would wake me up when I'd roll into it, but after a while, my body and brain figured it out and I stopped trying to roll.

 

[nicem815]

Hey love! I always feel that happens to me, too! I've been considering trying one of those pregnancy pillows to "hold me in" haha. I think it's okay as long as you reposition when you realize it. I'm sure baby is fine.

 

[kittykat7210]

This happened all the time to me during my first pregnancy. My doc said it wasn't a big deal—just shift positions when I realize I'm on my back and forget about it.

I found that it really helped to sleep with a small pillow jammed up against my back. It would stop me before I could roll all the way onto my back. For the first while, it would wake me up when I'd roll into it, but after a while, my body and brain figured it out and I stopped trying to roll.

Glad it's not a massive deal, but yeh I've tried a pillow (several in fact) and I manage to move it onto the floor in my sleep it's really annoying!!

 

[blablamana]

That really really really isn't bad for baby. Only if you spend a lot of time lying around on your back. And even then it doesn't have to be a problem. It is only a problem if the entire weight of the uterus etc interferes with the circulation from the vena cava (main vein). That rarely happens, or better said, it rarely causes any problems.
Other than that vein thing (again, isn't very common to cause issues), the extra weight can cause worsening of things like hemorrhoids and backache and interfere with digestion (more constipation). It's just not the best position to be in. But not dangerous, most of the time.

Just don't stay on your back all day, all night, every day and night.
Here in the Netherlands it isn't even a thing and my midwife looked at me as if I was insane for asking her.

Don't worry, you are not harming your baby by waking up on your back from time to time


Edit: see it like this, they advise sleeping on your left side because it is the optimal position for the best bloodflow, best digestion etc. But that doesn't mean that if you always sleep on your right side that your baby's health is ruined. Or worse than it should be/could be.

 

[xdxxtx]

If I wake up and notice myself sleeping on my back, I will roll myself onto my side. With my current pregnancy, it's only happened twice since 15 weeks along, so I think I'm doing pretty well this time (with my pillow fortress).

With two of my pregnancies, I would constantly wake up on my back, scared and worried and frantically trying to get my baby to move so I knew everything was okay. Ha! So I definitely know the stress it can cause, but both of my babies turned out just fine. Just because it puts you at a higher risk of a problem doesn't mean it's going to happen or even that it's "probably" going to happen. It probably isn't, and you can't control what you're doing, so just roll yourself over when you notice you're on your back, and you've done your best!

 

[kittykat7210]

That really really really isn't bad for baby. Only if you spend a lot of time lying around on your back. And even then it doesn't have to be a problem. It is only a problem if the entire weight of the uterus etc interferes with the circulation from the vena cava (main vein). That rarely happens, or better said, it rarely causes any problems.
Other than that vein thing (again, isn't very common to cause issues), the extra weight can cause worsening of things like hemorrhoids and backache and interfere with digestion (more constipation). It's just not the best position to be in. But not dangerous, most of the time.

Just don't stay on your back all day, all night, every day and night.
Here in the Netherlands it isn't even a thing and my midwife looked at me as if I was insane for asking her.

Don't worry, you are not harming your baby by waking up on your back from time to time


Edit: see it like this, they advise sleeping on your left side because it is the optimal position for the best bloodflow, best digestion etc. But that doesn't mean that if you always sleep on your right side that your baby's health is ruined. Or worse than it should be/could be.

Thank you!! I just read that laying on your back is bad so have been really conscious about it during my waking hours but my unconscious self obviously doesn't give a damn my back is absolutely killing me (I live with a hot water bottle strapped to my back!) my last resort is a pregnancy pillow, do they actually help??

 

[Orglethorp]

I'm only 18+5 myself, but I also wake up in positions other than on my side. I'm still waking up sometimes and noticing I'm practically on my belly, too. Often with one leg crunched way up to lift that hip and give the belly a little room. I think if it were harming the baby, my body wouldn't let me do it.

 

[blablamana]

That really really really isn't bad for baby. Only if you spend a lot of time lying around on your back. And even then it doesn't have to be a problem. It is only a problem if the entire weight of the uterus etc interferes with the circulation from the vena cava (main vein). That rarely happens, or better said, it rarely causes any problems.
Other than that vein thing (again, isn't very common to cause issues), the extra weight can cause worsening of things like hemorrhoids and backache and interfere with digestion (more constipation). It's just not the best position to be in. But not dangerous, most of the time.

Just don't stay on your back all day, all night, every day and night.
Here in the Netherlands it isn't even a thing and my midwife looked at me as if I was insane for asking her.

Don't worry, you are not harming your baby by waking up on your back from time to time


Edit: see it like this, they advise sleeping on your left side because it is the optimal position for the best bloodflow, best digestion etc. But that doesn't mean that if you always sleep on your right side that your baby's health is ruined. Or worse than it should be/could be.

Thank you!! I just read that laying on your back is bad so have been really conscious about it during my waking hours but my unconscious self obviously doesn't give a damn my back is absolutely killing me (I live with a hot water bottle strapped to my back!) my last resort is a pregnancy pillow, do they actually help??

Haha they can help! I wouldn't know because I had to use my pregnancy pillow as protection from my partner as he kicked me in his sleep and I had to put the pillow between us to protect the baby
But I've heard very good things about them. Invest in a good one though, cheap ones are often shifting their stuffing and thus useless. Invest in a good one that you can also use as a nice nursing pillow etc!

 

[ARuppe716]

Happened all the time with ds and starting to happen now. Asked Dr with ds and was told same as above- not a big deal, just shift if you wake!

 

[Impatient27]

I have one of those U-shaped pregnancy pillows (and have been using it for quite a while - started in first tri), and my back is STILL killing me... I think it helps some people but not others! My best advice for the back pain is physical therapy. My PT is having me strengthen my core, pelvic floor, and glutes, and the pain is slowly getting better.

I wake up on my back sometimes, too - I agree with the other ladies. As long as you turn back over to a side when you realize you're on your back, I think it's fine!

 

[dairymomma]

Yep, what the rest said. I wake up nearly every night on my back at least once and I just shift positions when I realize I'm on my back. I find sleeping with a pillow between my knees helps a bit but not every night.

But a tip that was given to me was to use a safety pin to stick a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear. It's small enough you don't feel it when you are laying on your side but if you roll on your back, it's uncomfortable enough you'll wake up and can shift back to your side.